New International Version
Daniel 8:4
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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
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. 3I 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. 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. 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. 6It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage.
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, king of the Babylonians, was slain,
- 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 11:2“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
- Isaiah 45:1“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
- Jeremiah 50:1This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:
- Daniel 8:7I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power.
- Job 10:7though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?
- Psalms 7:2or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
- Psalms 50:22“Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
- Micah 5:8The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.
- Daniel 5:19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.
- Daniel 11:3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.
- Isaiah 10:13For he says: “ ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.
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
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Commentaries