God’s Word Translation
Daniel 8:4
4I saw the ram charging west, north, and south. No other animal could stand in front of it, and no one could escape from its power. It did anything it pleased and continued to grow.
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
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. I saw the ram charging west, north, and south. No other animal could stand in front of it, and no one could escape from its power. It did anything it pleased and continued to grow. 5As I was watching closely, I saw a male goat coming from the west. It crossed the whole earth without touching it. This goat had a prominent horn between its eyes. 6The goat was coming toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the gate. It furiously ran at the ram.
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 night King Belshazzar of Babylon was killed.
- Daniel 7:5I saw a second animal. It looked like a bear. It was raised on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, “Get up, and eat as much meat as you want.”
- Daniel 11:2⌞The person who looked like a human continued,⌟ “What I am about to tell you is the truth. Three more kings will rule Persia. Then there will be a fourth, who will become much richer than all the others. As he becomes strong through his wealth, he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says about Cyrus, his anointed one: I have held him by his right hand so he could conquer the nations ahead of him, strip kings of their power, and open doors ahead of him so that the gates would not be shut.
- Jeremiah 50:1This is the message that the Lord spoke about Babylon and the land of the Babylonians through the prophet Jeremiah.
- Daniel 8:7I saw it come closer to the ram. The goat was extremely angry with the ram, so it attacked the ram. It broke both of the ram’s horns. The ram didn’t have the strength to stand up against the goat. So the ram was thrown down on the ground and trampled. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.
- Job 10:7You know I’m not guilty, but there is no one to rescue me from your hands.
- Psalms 7:2Like a lion they will tear me to pieces and drag me off with no one to rescue me.
- Psalms 50:22Consider this, you people who forget God. Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces, and there will be no one left to rescue you.
- Micah 5:8The few people left from Jacob will be among the nations, among many people. They will be like a lion among animals in the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When a lion hunts, it tramples ⌞its victims⌟ and tears ⌞them⌟ to pieces, and there is no one to rescue them.
- Daniel 5:19People from every province, nation, and language trembled and were terrified by him, because God gave him power. Nebuchadnezzar killed whomever he wanted to kill, and he kept alive whomever he wanted to keep alive. He promoted whomever he wanted to promote, and he demoted whomever he wanted to demote.
- Daniel 11:3“Then a warrior-king will come. He will rule a vast empire and do as he pleases.
- Isaiah 10:13The king will say, “I did this with my own two powerful hands. I did this with my wisdom, because I am so clever. I’ve eliminated the boundaries of nations. I’ve looted treasuries. I’ve brought down people like a mighty man.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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