Daniel 8:4

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 the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Shushan , which is in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3I lifted up my eyes and looked up, behold, a ram with two horns was standing in front of the canal. The two horns were long but one was longer than the other, but the longer one grew up last. I saw the ram charging toward the west and north and south. No animal could stand against him—none could deliver from his hand. So he did as he pleased and magnified himself. 5“While I was contemplating this, behold, a male goat came from the west crossing the face of the whole earth without touching the ground! Now the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came up to the two-horn ram that I had seen standing beside the canal, and charged it with raging strength.

Daniel 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 5:30On that very night King Belshazzar of the Chaldeans was slain.
• Daniel 7:5“And behold there before me was another beast, a second one, like a bear. It raised itself up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
• Daniel 11:2“Now I will declare the truth. Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will be far richer than all. When he becomes powerful through his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the realm of Greece.
• Isaiah 45:1Thus says Adonai to His anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him, to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him so that gates may not be shut.
• Jeremiah 50:1The word that Adonai spoke about Babylon, about the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:
• Daniel 8:7I saw him attacking the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. Now the ram was not strong enough to stand against him, so he knocked the ram to the ground and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from his power.
• Job 10:7though You know that I am not guilty, yet there is no one to deliver from Your hand?
• Psalms 7:2Adonai my God, in You I have taken refuge. Save me from each of my persecutors, and deliver me.
• Psalms 50:22Now consider this, you who forget God. Or else I will tear you in pieces with no one to rescue you.
• Micah 5:8May your hand be raised up against your adversaries, and may all your foes be cut off.
• Daniel 5:19Because of the grandeur that He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and languages dreaded and feared him. He killed whomever he wanted and spared anyone he wanted; he raised up whomever he wished and humbled anyone he wished.
• Daniel 11:3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.
• Isaiah 10:13For he said: “By the strength of my own hand I’ve done it, and my own wisdom, for I am shrewd! I abolished the borders of peoples, and plundered their treasures. As a mighty one I cast down inhabitants.

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

• Animals
• Horn

In the dictionaries

• Close
• Magnify
• Mouth
• Notable
• Prince
• Prophecy
• Shushan
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Deliver
• Gore

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