INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 8 This chapter contains the vision of a ram and he goat, and the interpretation of it. It begins with observing the time and place of the vision, Daniel 8:1, then describes the ram seen; by the place of his situation; by his two horns; and by his pushing several ways with so... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF KING BELSHAZZAR,.... Which some say t was the last year of his reign; but, according to Ptolemy's canon, he reigned seventeen years; and so says Josephus u; however, this, as well as the preceding vision, were seen before what happened recorded in the "fifth" and "s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW IN A VISION,.... The following things: AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN I SAW, THAT I WAS AT SHUSHAN IN THE PALACE, WHICH IS IN THE PROVINCE OF ELAM; not in reality, but so it seemed to him in the vision; as Ezekiel, when in Babylon, seemed in the visions of God to be at Jerusalem, Ezekiel 8:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I LIFTED UP MINE EYES,.... To see what was to be seen in this place, where he in the vision was brought; he lifted up the eyes of his understanding, being enlightened by the vision of prophecy, and the eyes of his body, to which objects of corporeal things formed in the fancy were represented:... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAW THE RAM PUSHING WESTWARD, AND NORTHWARD, AND SOUTHWARD,.... That is, with his horns, as rams do; these kingdoms using all their power and strength, wealth and riches, in fighting with and subduing nations, and pushing on their conquests in all parts here mentioned; to the west, Babylon, Syria,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS I WAS CONSIDERING,.... The ram, and the strange things done by him; wondering that a creature of so little strength, comparatively with other beasts, should be able to do such exploits: and thinking with himself what should be the meaning of all this, and what would be the issue of it, BEHOL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAME TO THE RAM THAT HAD TWO HORNS,.... Alexander being chosen and made by the states of Greece captain general of all Greece against the Persians, marched from thence with his army, passed the Hellespont, and entered into the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, signified by the ram with two h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW HIM COME CLOSE UNTO THE RAM,.... Though the distance between Greece and Persia was very great, and many rivers and mountains in the way, which seemed impassable; Alexander got over them all, and came up to Darius, and fought several battles with him, and entirely defeated him, though great... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THE HE GOAT WAXED VERY GREAT,.... The Grecian monarchy, under Alexander, became very powerful, and was very extensive; he not only conquered the Persian empire, but also the Indies, yea, the whole world, as he imagined; and indeed he did bring into subjection to him the greatest part of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OUT OF ONE OF THEM CAME FORTH A LITTLE HORN,.... Meaning not the kingdom of Titus Vespasian, as Jarchi; nor the kingdom of the Turks, as Saadiah; but the kingdom of Antiochia, as Aben Ezra and Jacchiades; or rather Antiochus Epiphanes, who sprung from the kingdom of the Seleucidae in Syria, or f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAXED GREAT, EVEN TO THE HOST OF HEAVEN,.... The people of the Jews, the army of the living God, the church militant, among whom were many of the citizens of heaven, whose names are written there; such was the insolence of this king, as to molest and disturb them: AND IT CAST DOWN SOME OF TH... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, HE MAGNIFIED HIMSELF EVEN TO THE PRINCE HOST,.... Either the high priest Onias, whom he disposed of his office, and put Jason a wicked man into it; or Judas Maccabeus, the prince of the Jewish nation; or rather, as Jacchiades, God himself, the Lord God of Israel, the King, Prince, Governor, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AN HOST WAS GIVEN HIM AGAINST THE DAILY SACRIFICE BY REASON OF TRANSGRESSION,.... Which some interpret of a garrison of soldiers placed by Antiochus, through his sin and wickedness, to hinder the oblation of the daily sacrifice, as Grotius: others, of a host of apostates among the Jews, who advi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I HEARD ONE SAINT SPEAKING,.... An angel, either a created angel, pure and holy in his nature, as Gabriel; or the uncreated Angel Jesus Christ, the Word of God; what he was speaking of is not said; perhaps Daniel did not hear what he said, though he heard him speaking, or perceived that he spak... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME,.... That is, "Palmoni", the wonderful person, to whom the angel put the above question, gave the answer to it; not unto the angel that asked it, but unto Daniel that stood by; knowing that it was for his and his people's sake the question was asked, and therefore gave the answer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN I, EVEN I DANIEL, HAD SEEN THE VISION,.... The whole of the preceding vision, concerning the ram, he goat, and little horn, and what were done by them; the prophet not only affirms he saw this vision, but repeats the affirmation, expressing his own name, partly for the sake... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD A MAN'S VOICE BETWEEN THE BANKS OF ULAI,.... Near to which Daniel was, Daniel 8:2 and it seemed to him as if the appearance of the man was in the midst of the river, between the banks of it, from whence the voice came; or between the arms of it, it bending and winding about; or rather be... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HE CAME NEAR WHERE I STOOD,.... The angel immediately obeyed the divine Person in human form, and came near the prophet, in order to instruct him, and carry on a familiar conversation with him: AND WHEN HE CAME, I WAS AFRAID, AND FELL UPON MY FACE; not being able to bear the glory that attended... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AS HE WAS SPEAKING WITH ME,.... Addressing him in the above manner: I WAS IN A DEEP SLEEP ON MY FACE TOWARD THE GROUND; through fear he fell prostrate to the ground, and swooned away, which issued in a deep sleep; and so was unfit to attend to the explanation of the vision the angel was sent to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE THEE KNOW,.... Or, "make known unto thee" n; what he knew not, even things future: particularly WHAT SHALL BE IN THE LAST END OF THE INDIGNATION; the indignation of God against the people of Israel, in the sore affliction and persecution of them by Antiochus, which... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RAM WHICH THOU SAWEST HAVING TWO HORNS,.... Here begins the particular explanation of the above vision, and of the first thing which the prophet saw in it, a ram with two horns: which two horns, he says, ARE THE KINGS OF MEDIA AND PERSIA; Darius the first king was a Mede, and Cyrus, that succee... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ROUGH GOAT IS THE KING OF GRECIA,.... Including all the kings of it, from Alexander to the end of the Grecian monarchy; or rather the kingdom of Greece, which began in him, and continued until it was destroyed by the Romans: this was signified by the rough or hairy goat, especially when Alex... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THAT BEING BROKEN,.... That is, the great horn Alexander, the first king of the Grecian monarchy; whose death, either by drunkenness, or by poison, is here expressed by being "broken". The sense is, he being dead, or upon his death, WHEREAS FOUR STOOD UP FOR IT; four horns rose up in the room a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE LATTER TIME OF THEIR KINGDOM,.... Toward the close of the kingdom of the four kings that divided Alexander's kingdom; for though they were four distinct kings, and had four separate kingdoms, yet these all belonged to one kingdom or monarchy, the Grecian empire; and when that was decreasi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS POWER SHALL BE MIGHTY, BUT NOT BY HIS OWN POWER,.... He should possess a large kingdom, and that should be increased by conquests: BUT NOT IN HIS POWER s, the power of Alexander; he should not arrive to that greatness he did, as in Daniel 8:22 so Jacchiades: or, "in his own power" t; for it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THROUGH HIS POLICY ALSO HE SHALL CAUSE CRAFT TO PROSPER IN HIS HAND,.... His schemes were laid in such deep policy, and he managed so artfully and craftily in the execution of them, that he commonly succeeded; as in getting the kingdom of Syria from his nephew; and, under a pretence of peace and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE VISION OF THE EVENING AND THE MORNING WHICH WAS TOLD IS TRUE,.... That is, of the 2300 evenings and mornings, or natural days; unto which time the daily sacrifice was to cease, and the sanctuary and host trodden under foot; and then the sanctuary would be cleansed. This account is "true", an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I DANIEL FAINTED AND WAS SICK CERTAIN DAYS,.... Or, "then I Daniel fainted" x; after he had seen the vision, and had thought upon it, and considered the afflictions that were to come upon the people of God, and the condition the temple, and the worship of it, would be in; these so affected his m... [ Continue Reading ]