God’s Word Translation
Daniel 8:1
1In Belshazzar’s third year as king, I, Daniel, saw a vision. This vision came after the one I saw earlier.
Daniel 8:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time.
Context of Daniel 8:1
In Belshazzar’s third year as king, I, Daniel, saw a vision. This vision came after the one I saw earlier. 2In my vision I saw myself in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam. In my vision I saw myself at Ulai Gate. 3I looked up and saw a single ram standing beside the gate. The ram had two long horns, one longer than the other, though the longer one had grown up later.
Read all of Daniel 8Daniel 8:1 word by word
בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁל֔וֹשׁ לְמַלְכ֖וּת בֵּלְאשַׁצַּ֣ר הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ חָז֞וֹן נִרְאָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ אֲנִ֣י דָנִיֵּ֔אל אַחֲרֵ֛י הַנִּרְאָ֥ה אֵלַ֖י בַּתְּחִלָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In the thirdשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of the reignמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
- of kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- Belshazzarבֵּֽלְאשַׁצַּר, בֵּלְשַׁאצַּרbêlsha'tstsar bêl'shatsar · BelshazzarH1112
- a visionחָזוֹןchâzôn · visionH2377
- appearedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- me Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵלdânîyê'l dâni'êl · DanielH1840
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- unto me at the firstתְּחִלָּהtechillâh · beginningH8462
Cross-references for Daniel 8:1
- Daniel 7:1In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw a vision while he was asleep. He wrote down the main parts of the dream.
- Daniel 8:15Now as I, Daniel, watched the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.
- Daniel 7:15I, Daniel, was deeply troubled, and my visions frightened me.
- Daniel 9:2In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the Scriptures the number of years that Jerusalem would remain in ruins. The Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would remain in ruins for 70 years.
- Daniel 10:2During those days I, Daniel, mourned for three whole weeks.
- Daniel 11:4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken into pieces and divided in the directions of the four winds of heaven. The empire will not be given to his descendants. It will no longer be like his empire, since it will be uprooted and given to others.
Commentaries on Daniel 8:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1In the third year of the reign of - Belshazzar - We now come once more to the Hebrew, the Chaldee part of the book being finished. As the Chaldeans had a particular interest both in the history and prophecies from Daniel 2:4; to the end of chap. 7, the whole is written in Chaldee, but as the prophecies which remain concern times posterior to the Chaldean monarchy, and principally relate to the Church and people of God generally, they are written in the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar - In regard to Belshazzar, see Intro. to Daniel 7:1. Compare Daniel 8:17-18, where the prophet represents himself as overpowered, and as falling down to the earth on account of the vision. The representation would seem to have been made to pass before his mind in open day, and when he was fully awake. Compare the case of Balaam, Numbers 24:4: “Which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Daniel's vision of the ram and the he-goat. (Dn 8:1-14) The interpretation of it. (Dn 8:15-27) Verses 1-14 God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of other kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns was the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcome by a he-goat…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The author probably changes back to Hebrew because he focuses again (as with Daniel 1:1–2:4a) on the holy people, Israel, for the rest of the book. The third year of King Belshazzar’s reign was around 554 to 551 BC. This was about two years after the vision in Daniel 7 and over a decade before Babylon fell in 539 BC (Daniel 5:31).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-27With this chapter the Hebrew part of the book begins and continues to be the language of the remainder; the visions relating wholly to the Jews and Jerusalem. The scene here narrows from world-wide prophecies to those affecting the one covenant-people in the five centuries between the exile and the advent. Antichrist, like Christ, has a more immediate future, as well as one more remote. The vision, the eighth chapter, begins, and that, the tenth through…Read the comment
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries