Daniel 8:3

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 that King Belshazzar ruled Babylonia, I, Daniel, had another vision. That was after the vision that I had seen before. 2In this vision, I saw that I was in the strong city of Susa, in Elam region. I was standing near the Ulai river. I looked up and I saw a male sheep that had two long horns. It was standing beside the river. One of its horns was longer than the other one. The longer horn came up later than the shorter horn. 4The sheep ran towards the west, the north and the south. He used his horns to push away all other animals. No other animal could stop him. Nobody could save them from his power. He did whatever he wanted to do. He boasted about his great strength. 5While I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat that was coming from the west. It ran quickly across the earth. Its feet did not even touch the ground. The goat had a large horn between its eyes.

Daniel 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then I lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
• mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• and, behold, there stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the riverאוּבַל'ûbâl 'ûbâl · riverH180
• aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• ramאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
• hornsקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
• highגָּבֹהַּgâbôhha gâbôhha · highH1364
• than the otherשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• came upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• lastאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314

Cross-references for Daniel 8:3

• Daniel 10:5I looked up. I saw a man who was wearing good linen clothes. He also wore a belt made of pure gold.
• Numbers 24:2When he looked, he saw the Israelite people. They had put up their tents in groups for each tribe. Then the Spirit of God came on him.
• Joshua 5:13While Joshua was near Jericho, a man appeared to him. Joshua looked up and there he was! He stood in front of Joshua with a sword in his hand. Joshua went towards him. He asked the man, ‘Are you here to help us, or to help our enemies?’
• 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and he saw the Lord's angel. The angel was standing between the earth and the sky. He had his sword in his hand and it was pointing towards Jerusalem. David and the leaders fell down with their faces towards the ground. They were wearing clothes that were made of rough sackcloth.
• Zechariah 1:18And I looked up and I saw four horns.
• Zechariah 2:1Then I looked up and I saw a man in front of me. He had a line in his hand. The line was to measure something.
• Zechariah 5:1Again, I looked and I saw a large paper. It was moving through the air. There were many words on the paper.
• Daniel 8:20You saw a male sheep with two horns. Those horns mean the kingdoms of Media and Persia.
• Daniel 2:39After you, there will be another kingdom. It will not be as great as your kingdom. Then a third kingdom will come. It will be like the bronze part of the statue. It will also rule the whole earth.
• Daniel 7:5Then I saw a second animal. It seemed like a bear. It raised itself up on one side and it had three ribs between its teeth. Someone said to it, “Stand up and eat the meat from many bodies.”
• Daniel 5:31Then Darius from Media received power as king. He was 62 years old.
• Daniel 6:28So Daniel continued to have authority while Darius was king, and also when Cyrus from Persia became king.
• Ezra 1:2‘This is what Cyrus, the king of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me power over all the kingdoms of the earth. He has said that I must build a temple for him in Jerusalem, the city that is in Judah.
• Ezra 4:5They paid bribes to government officers to work against the Israelite builders. Then they could not do the work. They continued to do this all the time that King Cyrus ruled Persia, until Darius became king.
• Esther 1:3During the third year that he ruled, he gave a big feast for his leaders and officers. The soldiers from the army of Persia and Media came to the feast. The rulers and leaders of the regions in the kingdom also came.
• Isaiah 13:17Look! I will cause the Medes to come and attack Babylon. Their army has no interest in silver or gold, so nobody can pay them to stop.

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

• Horn
• Ram

In the dictionaries

• Euphrates River, the River
• Close
• Magnify
• Mouth
• Notable
• Prince
• Prophecy
• Shushan
• Alexander, the Great
• Apocalyptic Literature

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