Daniel 8:15-27
New English Translation
An Angel Interprets Daniel’s Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision, I sought to understand it. Now one who appeared to be a man was standing before me. 16 Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out, “Gabriel,[a] enable this person to understand the vision.” 17 So he approached the place where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground.[b] Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man,[c] that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” 18 As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright.[d]
19 Then he said, “I am going to inform you about what will happen in the latter time of wrath, for the vision[e] pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20 The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat[f] is the king of Greece,[g] and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The horn that was broken[h] and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength. 23 Toward the end of their rule, when rebellious acts[i] are complete, a rash[j] and deceitful[k] king will arise.[l] 24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction.[m] He will be successful in what he undertakes.[n] He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones.[o] 25 By his treachery[p] he will succeed through deceit.[q] He will have an arrogant attitude,[r] and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes.[s] He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart—but not by human agency.[t] 26 The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct.[u] But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now.”
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted[v] and sick for days. Then I got up and again carried out the king’s business. But I was astonished at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.
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- Daniel 8:16 sn The only angels whose names are given in the OT are Gabriel (Dan 8:16; 9:21; cf. Luke 1:19, 26) and Michael (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; cf. Jude 9; Rev 12:7). The name Gabriel means in Hebrew “man of God,” and Michael means “who is like God?”
- Daniel 8:17 tn Heb “on my face.”
- Daniel 8:17 tn Or “human one.”
- Daniel 8:18 tn Heb “on my standing.”
- Daniel 8:19 tn The Hebrew text does not actually state the referent (the vision Daniel saw in vv. 8-12; cf. also v. 13), which has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some Greek witnesses add “the vision” here.
- Daniel 8:21 tn Heb “the he-goat, the buck.” The expression is odd, and the second word may be an explanatory gloss.
- Daniel 8:21 tn Heb “Javan.”
- Daniel 8:22 tn Heb “the broken one.” The word “horn” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
- Daniel 8:23 tc The present translation reads הַפְּשָׁעִים (happeshaʿim, “the rebellious acts”) for the MT הַפֹּשְׁעִים (happosheʿim, “the rebels”). While the MT is understandable (cf. NIV, “when rebels have become completely wicked”), the filling up of transgressions is a familiar OT expression (cf. Gen 15:16) and fits this context well. Cf. the LXX, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Syriac.
- Daniel 8:23 tn Heb “strong of face.”
- Daniel 8:23 tn Heb “understanding riddles.” Possible meanings include “double-dealing” (BDB 295 s.v. חִידָה; cf. TEV, CEV) and “with a good knowledge of intrigue” (HALOT 309 s.v. חִידָה; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Daniel 8:23 tn Heb “stand” or “stand up.”
- Daniel 8:24 tn Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”
- Daniel 8:24 tn Heb “he will succeed and act.”
- Daniel 8:24 tn See the corresponding Aramaic expression in 7:27. If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. One could translate, “people belonging to (i.e., protected by) the holy ones.” If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” One could translate simply “holy people.” For examples of a plural appositional genitive after “people,” see 11:15, 32. Because either interpretation is possible, the translation has deliberately preserved the ambiguity of the Hebrew grammar here.
- Daniel 8:25 tn The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל, שֶׂכֶל.
- Daniel 8:25 tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”
- Daniel 8:25 tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”
- Daniel 8:25 tn Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה.
- Daniel 8:25 tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”
- Daniel 8:26 tn Heb “truth.”
- Daniel 8:27 tn The Hebrew word here is נִהְיֵיתִי (nihyetiy). Its meaning is not entirely clear. Hebrew הָיָה (hayah) normally has meanings such as “to be” or “become.” Here, however, it describes Daniel’s emotional and physical response to the enigmatic vision that he has seen. It is parallel to the following verb, which refers to illness, and seems to refer to a state of utter exhaustion due to the amazing things that Daniel has just seen. The LXX lacks the word. On the meaning of the word see further, BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2, and DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3.
Daniel 8:15-27
Common English Bible
Vision interpreted
15 Now I, Daniel, needed help understanding the vision I saw. Suddenly standing in front of me was someone who looked like a man. 16 I then heard a human voice coming out of the center of the Ulai canal. It called out: “Gabriel, help this person understand what he has seen.”
17 Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, “Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time.” 18 As soon as he said this to me, I fell into a trance. My face was still on the ground. Then Gabriel touched me and set me up on my feet.
19 He said, “Now, I am going to tell you what will happen during the time of doom that is coming, because at the appointed time there will be an end. 20 The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The long-haired he-goat is the king of Greece, and the big horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The horn that snapped so that four came up in its place means that four kingdoms will come from one nation, but these four won’t have the strength of the first one.
23 When their kingship nears its end
and their sins[a] are almost complete,
a king will step forward.
He will be stern and a master of deception.
24 At the height of his power,[b]
he will wreak unbelievable destructions.
He will succeed in all he does.
He will destroy both the mighty
and the people of the holy ones.
25 Along with his cunning,
he will succeed by using deceit.
In his own mind, he will be great.
In a time of peace,
he will bring destruction on many,
opposing even the supreme leader.
But he will be broken—
and not by a human hand.
26 Now this vision of evening and morning, which has been announced, is true. But you must seal it up, because it is for days far in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and felt sick for days. When I finally got up and went about the king’s business, I remained troubled by the vision and couldn’t understand it.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Daniel 8:23 LXX; MT rebels
- Daniel 8:24 LXX sources; MT His power will grow strong, but not by his own power, perhaps influenced by 8:22.
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