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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one.

Context of Daniel 8:3

1In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 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. 4I 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. 5As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.

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 and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
• Numbers 24:2When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him
• Joshua 5:13Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
• 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
• Zechariah 1:18Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns.
• Zechariah 2:1Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
• Zechariah 5:1I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.
• Daniel 8:20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
• Daniel 2:39“After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.
• Daniel 7:5“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
• Daniel 5:31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
• Daniel 6:28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
• Ezra 1:2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “ ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
• Ezra 4:5They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• Esther 1:3and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
• Isaiah 13:17See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.

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