About Daniel

Daniel demonstrates faithfulness in exile while receiving visions of God's sovereignty over all kingdoms of history.

Author: DanielWritten: c. 535 BCReading time: ~3 minVerses: 27
SovereigntyFaithfulnessProphecyKingdomsPersecutionDeliverance

King James Version

Daniel 8

27 verses with commentary

Daniel's Vision of the Ram and Goat

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

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KJV Study Commentary

The phrase "in the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar" provides precise chronological context, dating this vision to approximately 551 BC, two years after Daniel's first vision in chapter 7. The Hebrew phrase <em>nir'ah elai</em> (נִרְאָה אֵלַי, "appeared unto me") emphasizes the supernatural, divine origin of this revelation—not Daniel's imagination but God's sovereign disclosure of futur...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

VIII (1) **The Hebrew language is here resumed.** The visions recorded in the remaining portion of the book having no connection with Babylon, the Chaldee dialect is dropped. **Third year.**—Most probably, not long before the end of his reign. This vision is supplementary to the one recorded in the preceding chapter, giving various details respecting the second and third empires there omitted, sho...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**6. her daughters ... in the field--**The surrounding villages, dependent on her in the open country, shall share the fate of the mother city.

And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

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KJV Study Commentary

Daniel's phrase "I saw in a vision" (Hebrew: <em>va'ereh bamarehv</em>, וָאֶרְאֶה בַּמַּרְאֶה) emphasizes the visionary nature of this revelation—not a literal journey but a prophetic experience where God transported Daniel's consciousness to witness future events. The location "Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam" is highly significant: Shushan (Susa) would later become the Pe...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **At Shushan—***i.e.,* Susa. At this time (see *Records of the Past,* vol. 1, p. 71, &c.) Susa was, as Daniel describes it, in the province of Elam; at a later period it became the capital of the Persian empire. Daniel was at Susa only in vision, he was not bodily transported thither. The Ulai is the river Eulæus, and is mentioned in connection with Susa in the inscription cited above.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. from the north--**the original locality of the Chaldeans; also, the direction by which they entered Palestine, taking the route of Riblah and Hamath on the Orontes, in preference to that across the desert between Babylon and Judea. **king of kings--**so called because of the many kings who owned allegiance to him (2Ki 18:28). God had delegated to him the universal earth-empire which is His ...
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Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. the other: Heb. the second

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>There stood before the river a ram which had two horns...but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last</strong>—This vision receives direct interpretation in verse 20: the two-horned ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The Hebrew <em>qarnayim</em> (קְרָנַיִם, 'two horns') symbolizes dual kingship, while the asymmetry reflects historical reality: Media initially dominat...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **A ram**—*i.e.,* a single ram. The ram was standing before the river, or eastward of it, and represented the Medo-Persian empire (Daniel 8:20). The two horns, like the two breasts and arms of the image, or the two sides of the bear, symbolise the twofold character of this empire. The higher horn denotes the Persians, the dominant race. For other instances of rams and goats representing nation...
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I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

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KJV Study Commentary

The ram "pushing westward, and northward, and southward" describes Medo-Persian military expansion with remarkable precision. History confirms Persia conquered westward (Lydia, Ionia, Greece), northward (Armenia, Scythian territories), and southward (Egypt, Ethiopia)—exactly as predicted. Notably absent is eastward expansion, accurately reflecting that Persia's eastern territories were already con...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **I saw the ram pushing.—**The ram pushes in three different directions. This corresponds to the three ribs in the mouth of the bear. The animal does not push towards the east, as it is presumed that he has already made conquests in those quarters.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. engines of war--**literally, "an apparatus for striking." "He shall apply the stroke of the battering-ram against thy walls." Havernick translates, "His enginery of destruction"; literally, the "destruction (not merely the stroke) of his enginery." **axes--**literally, "swords."

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. touched: or, none touched him in the earth a notable: Heb. a horn of sight

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KJV Study Commentary

In Daniel's vision, 'as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.' The 'he goat' (tsaphir-izzim, צְפִיר־עִזִּים) symbolizes Greece (explicitly identified in verse 21). Coming 'from the west' describes Greece's geographical location relative to Persia. The phrase 'touched not...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(5) **An he goat.—**This, according to Daniel 8:21, means the Greek empire, the large horn being the first king, or Alexander the Great. It may be remarked that the goat and the ram form the same contrast as the panther and the bear. Matchless activity is contrasted with physical strength and brutal fierceness. **Touched not the ground.—**An exact prediction of the early conquests of Alexander, al...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. dust--**So thick shall be the "dust" stirred up by the immense numbers of "horses," that it shall "cover" the whole city as a cloud. **horses ... chariots--**As in Eze 26:3-5, New Tyre on the insular rock in the sea (compare Is 23:2, 4, 6) is referred to; so here, in Eze 26:9-11, Old Tyre on the mainland. Both are included in the prophecies under one name. **wheels--**Fairbairn thinks th...
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And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

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KJV Study Commentary

The confrontation between ram and goat represents the military clash between Persia and Greece. The phrase "he came to the ram that had two horns" describes Alexander's direct assault on Medo-Persian power. "In the fury of his power" (Hebrew: <em>bachamat kocho</em>, בַּחֲמַת כֹּחוֹ) depicts the rage and ferocity of Greek military might unleashed against Persian forces.<br><br>The verb "ran" (Hebr...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **Ran unto him.—**The wonderful rapidity of Alexander’s movements, incredible, if it were not so well attested in history, is here pointed out. From the battle of Granicus to that of Arbela only three years elapsed. During this brief period the whole Persian empire fell to pieces.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. thy strong garrisons--**literally, "the statutes of thy strength"; so the forts which are "monuments of thy strength." Maurer understands, in stricter agreement with the literal meaning, "the statues" or "obelisks erected in honor of the idols, the tutelary gods of Tyre," as Melecarte, answering to the Grecian Hercules, whose temple stood in Old Tyre (compare Jr 43:13, Margin).

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

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KJV Study Commentary

The goat's total victory over the ram depicts Greece's complete military triumph. "Smote the ram, and brake his two horns" represents shattering Medo-Persian power—both Media and Persia thoroughly defeated. The phrase "there was no power in the ram to stand before him" emphasizes absolute military helplessness. Persia's vast armies, superior numbers, and extensive resources couldn't withstand Gree...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. lay thy stones ... timber ... in ... midst of ... water--**referring to the insular New Tyre (Eze 26:3, 5; Eze 27:4, 25, 26). When its lofty buildings and towers fall, surrounded as it was with the sea which entered its double harbor and washed its ramparts, the "stones ... timbers ... and dust" appropriately are described as thrown down "in the midst of the water." Though Ezekiel attributes...
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Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

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KJV Study Commentary

The prediction "when he was strong, the great horn was broken" describes Alexander's sudden death at age 32 (323 BC), at the height of his power. The Hebrew <em>nishbar</em> (נִשְׁבַּר, "was broken") suggests violent shattering, not gradual decline. Alexander died in Babylon, possibly from fever, poisoning, or excessive drinking—his death shocked the ancient world. Daniel foresaw that Greece's gre...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(8) **Was broken.—**This points to the sudden and unexpected end of Alexander, B.C. 323. The “four horns,” which take the place of the “notable horn,” may mean either that this empire was dispersed to the four winds of heaven on the death of its founder (comp. Daniel 7:2; Daniel 11:4; Jeremiah 49:36; Zechariah 2:6), or it may hint at the ultimate division of the empire into four parts, Thrace, Mac...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13. Instead of the joyousness of thy prosperity, a death-like silence shall reign (Is 24:8; Jr 7:34).

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

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KJV Study Commentary

The "little horn" emerging from the four kingdoms has been interpreted various ways, but most scholarship identifies Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC), the Seleucid king who brutally persecuted Jews. He started "little"—initially not heir to the throne—but gained power through manipulation. His expansion "toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land" describes his campaign...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9) **Little.**—Literally, *out of littleness.* (Comp. Daniel 7:8.) This is explained more fully in Daniel 8:23. The southern campaigns of Antiochus Epiphanes are related 1 Maccabees 1:16; for his eastern wars see 1 Maccabees 3:31-37; 1 Maccabees 6:1-4. **The pleasant land—***i.e.*, Palestine, which here, as in Isaiah 19:23-24, is spoken of as a third land, between south and east. The phrase, “ple...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. He concludes in nearly the same words as he began (Eze 26:4, 5). **built no more--**fulfilled as to the mainland Tyre, under Nebuchadnezzar. The insular Tyre recovered partly, after seventy years (Is 23:17, 18), but again suffered under Alexander, then under Antigonus, then under the Saracens at the beginning of the fourteenth century. Now its harbors are choked with sand, precluding all hop...
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And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. to the host: or, against the host

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KJV Study Commentary

The little horn's expansion "waxed great, even to the host of heaven" describes his audacious attack on spiritual realities. The "host of heaven" can refer to God's people (stars symbolizing Abraham's seed, Genesis 15:5) or celestial beings. Antiochus persecuted the priesthood ("cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground") and "stamped upon them," meaning executing and torturing fai...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(10) **The host of heaven.—**Probably meaning the stars, as Jeremiah 33:22, but in a metaphorical sense indicating the people of Israel. (Comp. Exodus 7:4; Numbers 24:17.) The actions of Antiochus, predicted here, are related 1 Maccabees 1:24; 1 Maccabees 1:30; 1 Maccabees 1:37; 1 Maccabees 2:38; 2 Maccabees 9:10.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away , and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. to: or, against by him: or, from him

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KJV Study Commentary

The little horn's pride reaches its zenith: "he magnified himself even to the prince of the host." This "prince of the host" is variously interpreted as the high priest, the angel Michael (referenced in 10:21, 12:1), or ultimately God Himself. Antiochus's actions demonstrated all three: he deposed legitimate high priests, opposed angelic protection of Israel, and blasphemed Yahweh by claiming divi...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **Prince of the host—***i.e.*, Jehovah Himself. (Comp. Daniel 8:25, Daniel 11:36.) **The daily**—*i.e.,* everything permanent in the worship of God, such as sacrifices, &c. (See Note on Leviticus 6:13.) On this conduct of Antiochus see 1 Maccabees 1:39; 1 Maccabees 1:45, &c., 1 Maccabees 3:45. **Place of his sanctuary**—*i.e.*, the Temple. (Comp. 1Kings 8:13.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. an host: or, the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice

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KJV Study Commentary

The phrase "an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression" reveals theological complexity. The Hebrew suggests God sovereignly permitted this assault due to Israel's sin. "Transgression" (Hebrew: <em>pesha</em>, פֶּשַׁע) means rebellion or covenant violation. Antiochus's persecution wasn't merely political accident but divine judgment on Jewish apostasy—many had embr...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **An host** . . .—The host is apparently the same as that which is mentioned in Daniel 8:10, and means some of the Jewish people. It is known that some of them lapsed under the persecutions of Antiochus, and joined in his idolatrous rites. These apostates were given into his hand, and on account of their apostasy the daily sacrifice also was taken away. (Comp. Daniel 8:13.) **The truth**—*i.e...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? that: or, the numberer of secrets, or, the wonderful numberer: Heb. Palmoni of: or, making desolate

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KJV Study Commentary

Daniel hears angelic dialogue—"one saint" (holy one) asking "another saint" how long these desecrations will last. The Hebrew <em>qadosh</em> (קָדוֹשׁ, "saint" or "holy one") refers to angels, revealing celestial interest in earthly persecution of God's people. Angels don't know all things; they learn through observation and inquiry. Their question demonstrates that even heavenly beings wonder at ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **One saint—***i.e.*, an angel, who, however, has not been mentioned before. This part of the vision recalls Daniel 7:16. It is implied that the angels were conversing upon the subject of this awful revelation concerning the future of God’s people. Only a portion of what they said is here recorded. **The vision.**—The inquiry means, “How long shall be the duration of the object of this vision...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. days: Heb. evening morning cleansed: Heb. justified

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KJV Study Commentary

The answer "Unto two thousand and three hundred days" (Hebrew: <em>ad erev boqer</em>, עַד־עֶרֶב בֹקֶר, literally "unto evening morning two thousand three hundred") has been variously interpreted. Most conservative scholars understand this as 2,300 evening and morning sacrifices—1,150 actual days, matching the approximately three years from Antiochus's desecration (December 167 BC) to the temple's...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **Unto two thousand and three hundred days.**—It is clear from the language that the period here spoken of terminates with the cleansing of the sanctuary, and that it begins with the transgression that led to the awful events that occurred in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. Judas Maccabeus took Jerusalem in the year B.C. 165, and kept the Feast of Dedication the same year, Antiochus being at...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

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KJV Study Commentary

Daniel's response to the vision—"I Daniel, sought for the meaning" (Hebrew: <em>avaqesh binah</em>, אֲבַקֵּשׁ בִינָה, "I sought understanding")—demonstrates proper response to divine revelation. Daniel didn't merely experience the vision passively; he actively pursued understanding. This models how believers should approach Scripture—not passively reading but earnestly seeking comprehension throug...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(15) **Appearance of a man.—**From Daniel 8:16 it appears that this was the angel Gabriel. The “man’s voice” mentioned in Daniel 8:16 proceeded from Him Who alone has authority to command angels. (Comp. Daniel 12:6-7.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

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KJV Study Commentary

The phrase "I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai" describes a divine voice—the Hebrew suggests God Himself or a high-ranking angel speaking with authority. The location "between the banks" may indicate the voice came from heaven, between earth and sky. This voice commands Gabriel: "make this man to understand the vision." The urgency demonstrates God's commitment to revealing His purpos...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(16) **Between the** . . . **Ulai.—**The city, as it would appear, stood between the two branches of the river. The two branches were the Eulæus and the Choaspes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-21. The impression which the overthrow of Tyre produced on other maritime nations and upon her own colonies, for example, Utica, Carthage, and Tartessus or Tarshish in Spain. **isles--**maritime lands. Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies. Hence the consternation at her fall felt in the wid...
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So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel's approach causes Daniel to become terrified ("I was afraid, and fell upon my face"), illustrating the overwhelming power of angelic glory. Though angels are created beings, their holiness and power inspire fear. The verb "I fell" (Hebrew: <em>va'eppal</em>, וָאֶפֹּל) suggests involuntary collapse—Daniel couldn't remain standing in Gabriel's presence. This response appears throughout Scrip...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(17) **The time of the end—***i.e.,* either at the final period of earthly history, or at the time which lies at the limit of the prophetic horizon. St. Jerome observes that what happened in the times of Antiochus was typical of what shall be fulfilled hereafter in Antichrist.

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. set: Heb. made me stand upon my standing

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KJV Study Commentary

The verse "Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground" reveals Daniel's physical exhaustion from the overwhelming vision. The Hebrew <em>nir dam</em> (נִרְדָּם) means "deep sleep" or stupor—not ordinary sleep but a state of spiritual and physical overwhelm. Encountering divine glory drains human strength. Similar reactions appear throughout Scripture: Abraha...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(18) **A deep sleep.—**On the effects of heavenly visions upon those who beheld them, see Genesis 16:13, Exodus 33:20, &c.

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel's announcement "I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation" interprets the vision's time frame. "Indignation" (Hebrew: <em>za'am</em>, זַעַם) means divine wrath or anger—God's justified response to covenant breaking. The phrase "last end" (Hebrew: <em>acharit</em>, אַחֲרִית) means "latter time" or "final outcome." Gabriel reveals that the vision concerns not mer...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(19) **End of** **the indignation—***i.e.*, the revelation of God’s wrath at the end of the time of the prophecy. **At the time appointed—***i.e.,* the vision refers to the appointed time in the end.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 27 Eze 27:1-36. Tyre's Former Greatness, Suggesting a Lamentation over Her Sad Downfall. **2. lamentation--**a funeral dirge, eulogizing her great attributes, to make the contrast the greater between her former and her latter state.

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel explicitly identifies "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia." This removes all ambiguity—the vision concerns historical empires, not merely symbolic or spiritual realities. The dual kingdom (two horns) precisely describes the Medo-Persian alliance that conquered Babylon in 539 BC. This fulfillment occurred 217 years after Daniel received the vision, ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20-22) See Notes on Daniel 8:3-8.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. situate at the entry of the sea--**literally, plural, "entrances," that is, ports or havens; referring to the double port of Tyre, at which vessels entered round the north and south ends of the island, so that ships could find a ready entrance from whatever point the wind might blow (compare Eze 28:2). **merchant of ... people for many isles--**that is, a mercantile emporium of the peoples ...
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And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel continues the interpretation: "And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king." The "rough goat" (Hebrew: <em>tsaphir ha'izim</em>, צְפִיר הָעִזִּים) literally means "hairy he-goat," describing Greece's fierce, aggressive character. The "great horn between his eyes" unmistakably identifies Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who conque...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. Tyre, in consonance with her seagirt position, separated by a strait of half a mile from the mainland, is described as a ship built of the best material, and manned with the best mariners and skilful pilots, but at last wrecked in tempestuous seas (Eze 27:26).

Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel explains the great horn's breaking: "Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." This predicts Alexander's empire's division among his four generals after his death. The phrase "not in his power" indicates these successor kingdoms wouldn't match Alexander's dominance. Indeed, while each Hellenistic kingdom was ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(22) **Not in his power—***i.e.,* not like the first king.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**5. Senir--**the Amorite name of Hermon, or the southern height of Anti-libanus (De 3:9); the Sidonian name was Sirion. "All thy ... boards"; dual in Hebrew, "double-boards," namely, placed in a double order on the two sides of which the ship consisted [Vatablus]. Or, referring to the two sides or the two ends, the prow and the stern, which every ship has [Munster]. **cedars--**most suited for ...
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And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. are: Heb. are accomplished

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel continues explaining: "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." This describes Antiochus IV Epiphanes emerging from the Seleucid kingdom. "Latter time" places him chronologically after the four kingdoms' establishment. The phrase "when the transgressors are come to ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(23) **Transgressors** . . .—When transgressors have filled up the measure of their guilt so as to exceed the limits of God’s mercy, then this event shall take place. The transgressors are the apostate Jews. Here, as in the other visions, the particulars respecting the most prominent objects of the vision are given more fully in the interpretation than in the early part of the chapter. The king is...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**6. Bashan--**celebrated for its oaks, as Lebanon was for its cedars. **the company of ... Ashurites--**the most skilful workmen summoned from Assyria. Rather, as the Hebrew orthography requires, "They have made thy (rowing) benches of ivory inlaid in the daughter of cedars" [Maurer], or, the best boxwood. Fairbairn, with Bochart, reads the Hebrew two words as one: "Thy plankwork (deck: instead...
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And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. holy: Heb. people of the holy ones

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KJV Study Commentary

The description "his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power" reveals Antiochus's authority derived from external sources—politically from Seleucid Empire resources, spiritually from satanic enablement. This parallels descriptions of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:9) whose power comes from Satan. Human tyrants serve as instruments of spiritual evil, consciously or unknowingly advancing ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(24) **Not by his own power.**—Not might, but cunning, will cause his success. (Comp. 1 Maccabees 1:10, &c.) Thus his destructive powers become astonishing. **The mighty.**—No special individuals are pointed out, but rulers in general.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. broidered ... sail--**The ancients embroidered their sails often at great expense, especially the Egyptians, whose linen, still preserved in mummies, is of the finest texture. **Elishah--**Greece; so called from Elis, a large and ancient division of Peloponnesus. Pausanias says that the best of linen was produced in it, and in no other part of Greece; called by Homer, Alisium. **that whic...
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And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. peace: or, prosperity

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KJV Study Commentary

The phrase "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand" describes Antiochus's use of deception and manipulation. "Policy" (Hebrew: <em>sekhel</em>, שֵׂכֶל) means intelligence or cunning; "craft" (Hebrew: <em>mirmah</em>, מִרְמָה) means deceit or treachery. He succeeded through lies, false promises, and political intrigue. This warns that intelligence divorced from righ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(25) **Through his policy.—**This is explained more fully in the next two sentences. Through his craft he succeeds, and becomes able to destroy many unexpectedly, and finally raises up himself against God. **Without hand.**—Not by the hand of man (comp. Daniel 2:34), but by the act of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. Arvad--**a small island and city near Phoenicia, now Ruad: its inhabitants are still noted for seafaring habits. **thy wise men, O Tyrus ... thy pilots--**While the men of Arvad, once thy equals (Ge 10:18), and the Sidonians, once thy superiors, were employed by thee in subordinate positions as "mariners," thou madest thine own skilled men alone to be commanders and pilots. Implying the pol...
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And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

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KJV Study Commentary

Gabriel concludes: "And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days." The reference to "evening and morning" recalls verse 14's 2,300 sacrifices, emphasizing the vision's reliability. "Is true" (Hebrew: <em>emet</em>, אֱמֶת) means faithful, certain, trustworthy—not merely factually accurate but absolutely depend...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(26) The concluding words of the angel are intended to comfort the Jewish Church in the days of her persecution. They teach her that God has foreseen her affliction, that it comes from Him in His love, and that it shall last only for a short while. This promise accounts for the firmness which was exhibited by the saints of the Maccabees, which entitles their faith to a place in the same list of fa...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. Gebal--**a Phoenician city and region between Beirut and Tripolis, famed for skilled workmen (1Ki 5:18, Margin; Psa 83:7). **calkers--**stoppers of chinks in a vessel: carrying on the metaphor as to Tyre. **occupy thy merchandise--**that is, to exchange merchandise with thee.

And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

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KJV Study Commentary

The chapter concludes: "And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business." Daniel's physical collapse demonstrates the overwhelming nature of divine revelation. Receiving prophetic visions wasn't pleasant entertainment but physically and emotionally exhausting work. The verb "fainted" (Hebrew: <em>nehyeh</em>, נִהְיֵה) suggests being exhausted, worn...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. Persia ... Phut--**warriors from the extreme east and west. **Lud--**the Lydians of Asia Minor, near the Meander, famed for archery (Is 66:19); rather than those of Ethiopia, as the Lydians of Asia Minor form a kind of intermediate step between Persia and Phut (the Libyans about Cyrene, shielded warriors, Jr 46:9, descended from Phut, son of Ham). **hanged ... shield ... comeliness--**Wa...
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