Berean Standard Bible
Daniel 8:3
3Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later.
Daniel 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
Context of Daniel 8:3
1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one that had appeared to me earlier. 2And in the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later. 4I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. 5As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground.
Read all of Daniel 8Daniel 8:3 word by word
וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ וָאֶרְאֶ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ אַ֣יִל אֶחָ֗ד עֹמֵ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י הָאֻבָ֖ל וְל֣וֹ קְרָנָ֑יִם וְהַקְּרָנַ֣יִם גְּבֹה֗וֹת וְהָאַחַת֙ גְּבֹהָ֣ה מִן־הַשֵּׁנִ֔ית וְהַ֨גְּבֹהָ֔ה עֹלָ֖ה בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- Then I lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
- my eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- ·הִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- ·אֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- a ramאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
- two hornsקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
- standingעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- besideפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the canalאוּבַל'ûbâl 'ûbâl · riverH180
- were longגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
- thanמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- the otherשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
- one grew upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- laterאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
Cross-references for Daniel 8:3
- Daniel 10:5I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
- Numbers 24:2When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,
- Joshua 5:13Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
- 1 Chronicles 21:16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
- Zechariah 1:18Then I looked up and saw four horns.
- Zechariah 2:1Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- Zechariah 5:1Again I lifted up my eyes and saw before me a flying scroll.
- Daniel 8:20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
- Daniel 2:39But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
- Daniel 7:5Suddenly another beast appeared, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. So it was told, ‘Get up and gorge yourself on flesh!’
- Daniel 5:31and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
- Daniel 6:28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
- Ezra 1:2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.
- Ezra 4:5They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
- Esther 1:3In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
- Isaiah 13:17Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.
Commentaries on Daniel 8:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A ram which had two horns - In the former vision there were four beasts, pointing out four empires; in this we have but two, as only two empires are concerned here, viz., the Grecian and the Persian. The Babylonish empire is not mentioned; its fate was before decided, and it was now at its close. By the ram, the empire of the Medes and Persians was pointed out, as explained by the angel Gabriel, Daniel 8:20; and particularly Cyrus, who was the founder of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw - And saw in vision, or there seemed to be before me. There stood before the river - On the bank of the river. A ram which had two horns - There can be no error in explaining the design of this symbol, for in Daniel 8:20 it is expressly said that it denoted the two kings of Media and Persia. The united power of the kingdom was denoted by the ram itself; the fact that there were two powers or kingdoms combined, by the two…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Two long horns suggest there were two major nations in this kingdom, represented by a ram (see Daniel 8:20–21). God allowed the nation to act freely, but God remained in control (compare Isaiah 45:1–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. two horns--The "two" ought not to be in italics, as if it were not in the original; for it is expressed by the Hebrew dual. "Horn" in the East is the symbol of power and royalty. one ... higher than ... other ... the higher came up last--Persia, which was of little note till Cyrus' time, became then ascendant over Media, the more ancient kingdom. Darius was sixty-two years old (Da 5:31) when he began to reign; during his short reign of two years, being…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 8:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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