God’s Word Translation
Daniel 8:8
8The male goat became very important. But when the goat became powerful, his large horn broke off. In its place grew four horns. They corresponded to the four winds of heaven.
Daniel 8:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
Context of Daniel 8:8
6The goat was coming toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the gate. It furiously ran at the ram. 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. The male goat became very important. But when the goat became powerful, his large horn broke off. In its place grew four horns. They corresponded to the four winds of heaven. 9Out of one of the horns came a small horn. It gained power over the south, the east, and the beautiful land. 10It continued to gain power until it reached the army of heaven. It threw some of the army of heaven, the stars, down on the ground and trampled them.
Read all of Daniel 8Daniel 8:8 word by word
וּצְפִ֥יר הָעִזִּ֖ים הִגְדִּ֣יל עַד־מְאֹ֑ד וּכְעָצְמ֗וֹ נִשְׁבְּרָה֙ הַקֶּ֣רֶן הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה וַֽתַּעֲלֶ֜נָה חָז֤וּת אַרְבַּע֙ תַּחְתֶּ֔יהָ לְאַרְבַּ֖ע רוּח֥וֹת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore the heצָפִירtsâphîyr · male goatH6842
- goatעֵז‛êz · goatH5795
- waxed veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
- and when he was strongעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
- the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- hornקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
- was brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- and for it came upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- notable onesחָזוּתchâzûth · visionH2380
- windsרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for Daniel 8:8
- Deuteronomy 31:20I will bring them into the land that I swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. When they have eaten all they want and have become fat, they will turn to other gods and worship them. They will despise me and reject my promise.
- Esther 9:4Mordecai was an important man in the king’s palace. Moreover, his reputation was spreading to all the provinces, since Mordecai was becoming more and more powerful.
- Jeremiah 5:27Like cages filled with birds, their houses are filled with deceit. That is why they become powerful and rich.
- Ezekiel 16:7I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew up, matured, and became a young woman. Your breasts developed, and your hair grew. Yet, you were naked and bare.
- Daniel 4:31Before the words came out of his mouth, a voice said from heaven, “King Nebuchadnezzar, listen to this: The kingdom has been taken from you.
- Daniel 5:20But when he became so arrogant and conceited that he became overconfident, he was removed from the royal throne. His honor was taken away from him.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16But when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God. He went into the Lord’s temple to burn incense on the incense altar.
- Psalms 82:6I said, “You are gods. You are all sons of the Most High.
- Ezekiel 28:9You will no longer say that you are a god when you face those who kill you. You will be a human, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.
- Daniel 8:22The horn broke off, and four horns replaced it. Four kingdoms will come out of that nation, but they won’t be as strong as the first king was.
- Daniel 7:6After this, I saw another animal. It looked like a leopard. On its back it had four wings, like the wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads. It was given power to rule.
- 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.
- Daniel 7:2In my visions at night I, Daniel, saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the Mediterranean Sea.
- Matthew 24:31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
- Mark 13:27He will send out his angels, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
- Revelation 7:1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land, the sea, or any tree.
Commentaries on Daniel 8:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The he-goat waxed very strong - He had subdued nearly the whole of the then known world. The great horn was broken - Alexander died in the height of his conquests, when he was but about thirty-three years of age. His natural brother, Philip Aridaeus, and his two sons, Alexander Aegus and Hercules, kept up the show and name of the Macedonian kingdom for a time; but they were all murdered within fifteen years; and thus the great horn, the Macedonian…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Therefore the he-goat waxed very great - The Macedonian power, especially under the reign of Alexander. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken - In the time, or at the period of its greatest strength. Then an event occurred which broke the horn in which was concentrated its power. It is easy to see the application of this to the Macedonian power. At no time was the empire so strong as at the death of Alexander. Its power did not pine away; it…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-12Daniel 8:21–25 explains the symbolism.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. when he was strong ... great horn was broken--The empire was in full strength at Alexander's death by fever at Babylon, and seemed then least likely to fall. Yet it was then "broken." His natural brother, Philip Aridoeus, and his two sons, Alexander Ægus and Hercules, in fifteen months were murdered. four ... toward ... four winds--Seleucus, in the east, obtained Syria, Babylonia, Media, &c.; Cassander, in the west, Macedon Thessaly, Greece; Ptolemy…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 8:8
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
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