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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 8:15-27

Here we have, I. Daniel's earnest desire to have this vision explained to him (Dan. 8:15): I sought the meaning. Note, Those that rightly know the things of God cannot but desire to know more and more of them, and to be led further into the mystery of them; and those that would find the meaning of what they have seen or heard from God must seek it, and seek it diligently. Seek and you shall find. Daniel considered the thing, compared it with the former discoveries, to try if he could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:15

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision ,.... The whole of the preceding vision, concerning the ram, he goat, and little horn, and what were done by them; the prophet not only affirms he saw this vision, but repeats the affirmation, expressing his own name, partly for the sake of emphasis, and partly for the greater confirmation of his words; wherefore it was a most impudent thing Porphyry to say, that the true Daniel never saw this vision; but what is here related... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:16

And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai ,.... Near to which Daniel was, Daniel 8:2 and it seemed to him as if the appearance of the man was in the midst of the river, between the banks of it, from whence the voice came; or between the arms of it, it bending and winding about; or rather between Shushan and the river; or between the prophet and that: this voice was the voice of the person that appeared as a man in the preceding verse: which called, and said, Gabriel ; the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:17

So he came near where I stood ,.... The angel immediately obeyed the divine Person in human form, and came near the prophet, in order to instruct him, and carry on a familiar conversation with him: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face ; not being able to bear the glory that attended him; and especially when he considered him as the messenger of a divine Person sent to instruct him, and being conscious of his own frailty and weakness: but he said unto me, understand, O... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:18

Now as he was speaking with me ,.... Addressing him in the above manner: I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground ; through fear he fell prostrate to the ground, and swooned away, which issued in a deep sleep; and so was unfit to attend to the explanation of the vision the angel was sent to give him; and which was not through indifference to it, or neglect of it; but through human weakness, his nature not being able to bear up under such circumstances, which struck him with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:19

And he said, behold, I will make thee know ,.... Or, "make known unto thee" F14 מודיעך "ego notum faciam tibi", Piscator; "indicaturus tibi sum", Michaelis. ; what he knew not, even things future: particularly what shall be in the last end of the indignation ; the indignation of God against the people of Israel, in the sore affliction and persecution of them by Antiochus, which he suffered to be; here the angel suggests that that should not remain always, but should have an end;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:20

The ram which thou sawest having two horns ,.... Here begins the particular explanation of the above vision, and of the first thing which the prophet saw in it, a ram with two horns: which two horns, he says, are the kings of Media and Persia ; Darius the first king was a Mede, and Cyrus, that succeeded him, or rather reigned with him, was a Persian: or rather the ram with two horns signifies the two kingdoms of the Medes and Persians united in one monarchy, of which the ram was an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:21

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia ,.... Including all the kings of it, from Alexander to the end of the Grecian monarchy; or rather the kingdom of Greece, which began in him, and continued until it was destroyed by the Romans: this was signified by the rough or hairy goat, especially when Alexander was at the head of it, for his strength and prowess, his swiftness in his marches over rocks and mountains, his majesty and grandeur, and also his lust and uncleanness; See Gill on Daniel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:22

Now that being broken ,.... That is, the great horn Alexander, the first king of the Grecian monarchy; whose death, either by drunkenness, or by poison, is here expressed by being "broken". The sense is, he being dead, or upon his death, whereas four stood up for it ; four horns rose up in the room and stead of the great one broken; see Daniel 8:8 these signified that four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation ; which were the kingdoms of Egypt, Asia, Macedonia, and Syria, into... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:23

And in the latter time of their kingdom ,.... Toward the close of the kingdom of the four kings that divided Alexander's kingdom; for though they were four distinct kings, and had four separate kingdoms, yet these all belonged to one kingdom or monarchy, the Grecian empire; and when that was decreasing, and coming into the hands of the Romans, there rose up, stood, and flourished awhile, King Antiochus, afterwards described, who began to reign in the hundred and thirty seventh year of the... read more

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