Daniel 8:1-12 KJV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:10

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven ,.... The people of the Jews, the army of the living God, the church militant, among whom were many of the citizens of heaven, whose names are written there; such was the insolence of this king, as to molest and disturb them: and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped them ; some of the common people he persecuted and destroyed, or prevailed upon them, either by threats or flatteries, to relinquish their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:11

Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince host ,.... Either the high priest Onias, whom he disposed of his office, and put Jason a wicked man into it; or Judas Maccabeus, the prince of the Jewish nation; or rather, as Jacchiades, God himself, the Lord God of Israel, the King, Prince, Governor, and defender of them, whom Antiochus blasphemed; whose worship he puts stop to; and whose temple he profaned, and ill used his people; all which was against God himself, and is a proof of the pride... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:12

And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression ,.... Which some interpret of a garrison of soldiers placed by Antiochus, through his sin and wickedness, to hinder the oblation of the daily sacrifice, as Grotius: others, of a host of apostates among the Jews, who advised Antiochus against the daily sacrifice, and to kill swine, and offer them on the altar, as Jacchiades; or rather it may be rendered, "and the host was given over", or "delivered", i.e. to the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:1

In the third year of the reign of - Belshazzar - We now come once more to the Hebrew, the Chaldee part of the book being finished. As the Chaldeans had a particular interest both in the history and prophecies from Daniel 2:4 ; to the end of chap. 7, the whole is written in Chaldee, but as the prophecies which remain concern times posterior to the Chaldean monarchy, and principally relate to the Church and people of God generally, they are written in the Hebrew language, this being the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:2

I saw in a vision - Daniel was at this time in Shushan, which appears to have been a strong place, where the kings of Persia had their summer residence. It was the capital of the province of Elam or the Elymais; which province was most probably added to the Chaldean territories by Nebuchadnezzar; see Jeremiah 49:34 , Jeremiah 49:35 . Here was Daniel's ordinary residence; and though here at this time, he, in vision, saw himself on the banks of the river Ulai. This is the same as the river... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:3

A 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 that empire. Cyrus was the son... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:4

I 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 more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:5

Behold, a he-goat - This was Alexander the Great; and a goat was a very proper symbol of the Grecian or Macedonian people. Bp. Newton very properly observes that, two hundred years before the time of Daniel, they were called Aegeadae, the goats' people; the origin of which name is said to be as follows: Caranus, their first king, going with a multitude of Greeks to seek a new habitation in Macedonia, was advised by an oracle to take the goats for his guides; and afterwards, seeing a herd of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:6

And he came to the ram - This and the following verse give an account of the overthrow of the Persian empire by Alexander. And ran unto him in the fury of his power - The conflicts between the Greeks and the Persians were excessively severe. Alexander first vanquished the generals of Darius, at the river Granicus, in Phrygia; he next attacked and totally routed Darius, at the straits of Issus, in Cilicia; and afterwards at the plains of Arbela, in Assyria. One can hardly read these... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:7

And brake his two horns - Subdued Persia and Media; sacked and burnt the royal city of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian empire, and, even in its ruins, one of the wonders of the world to the present day. This he did because "he was moved with choler" against Darius, who had endeavored to draw off his captains with bribes, and had labored to induce some of his friends to assassinate him. Alexander, finding this, would listen to no proposals of peace; and was determined never to rest... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 8:7

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