Daniel 8:4

Daniel 8:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

Context of Daniel 8:4

2I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the fortress city of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great. 5As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury.

Daniel 8:4 word by word

רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָאַ֡יִל מְנַגֵּחַ֩ יָ֨מָּה וְצָפ֜וֹנָה וָנֶ֗גְבָּה וְכָל־חַיּוֹת֙ לֹֽא־יַֽעַמְד֣וּ לְפָנָ֔יו וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּ֖יל מִיָּד֑וֹ וְעָשָׂ֥ה כִרְצֹנ֖וֹ וְהִגְדִּֽיל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the ramאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
• pushingנָגַחnâgach · to goreH5055
• westwardיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
• and northwardצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
• and southwardנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
• so that no beastsחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
• might standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• that could deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• out of his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• but he didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• according to his willרָצוֹןrâtsôn râtsôn · acceptanceH7522
• and became greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431

Cross-references for Daniel 8:4

• Daniel 5:30That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed,
• Daniel 7:5“Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’
• Daniel 11:2Now I will tell you the truth. “Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
• Isaiah 45:1The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:
• Jeremiah 50:1This is the word the Lord spoke about Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through the prophet Jeremiah:
• Daniel 8:7I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, breaking his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power.
• Job 10:7even though you know that I am not wicked and that there is no one who can rescue from your power?
• Psalms 7:2or they will tear me like a lion, ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.
• Psalms 50:22“Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you.
• Micah 5:8Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, and there is no one to rescue them.
• Daniel 5:19Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted.
• Daniel 11:3Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.
• Isaiah 10:13For he said: I have done this by my own strength and wisdom, for I am clever. I abolished the borders of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty warrior, I subjugated the inhabitants.

Commentaries on Daniel 8:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I saw the ram pushing westward - The Persians, who are signified by the ram, as well as their founder Cyrus, pushed their conquests west, north and south. The principal theater of their wars, says Calmet, was against the Scythians, northward; against the Greeks, westward; and against the Egyptians, southward. He did according to his will - There was no other nation at that time that could stay the progress of the Persian arms.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward - Denoting the conquests of the united kingdom. The east is not mentioned, for none of the conquests of the Medo-Persian empire extended in that direction: Yet nothing could better express the conquests actually made by the Medo-Persian empire than this representation. On the west the conquests embraced Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor; on the north, Colchis, Armenia, Iberia, and…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. 44. ram pushing westward--Persia conquered westward Babylon, Mesopotamia, Syria, Asia Minor. northward--Colchis, Armenia, Iberia, and the dwellers on the Caspian Sea. southward--Judea, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya; also India, under Darius. He does not say eastward, for the Persians themselves came from the east (Is 46:11). did according to his will--(Da 11:3, 16; compare Da 5:19).Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 8:4

• Animals
• Horn

In the dictionaries

• Close
• Magnify
• Mouth
• Notable
• Prince
• Prophecy
• Shushan
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Deliver
• Gore

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