English Standard Version
Daniel 8:4
4I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.
Context of Daniel 8:4
2And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3I 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. 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. 5As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath.
Read all of Daniel 8Daniel 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 Chaldean king was killed.
- Daniel 7:5And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'
- Daniel 11:2"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.
- Isaiah 45:1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- Jeremiah 50:1The word that the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet:
- Daniel 8:7I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
- Job 10:7although you know that I am not guilty, and there is none to deliver out of your hand?
- Psalms 7:2lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
- Psalms 50:22"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
- Micah 5:8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
- Daniel 5:19And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.
- Daniel 11:3Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.
- Isaiah 10:13For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
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
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries