The Meaning of Daniel 8:10 Explained

Daniel 8:10

KJV: And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

YLT: yea, it exerteth unto the host of the heavens, and causeth to fall to the earth of the host, and of the stars, and trampleth them down.

Darby: And it became great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and trampled upon them.

ASV: And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it waxed great,  [even] to the host  of heaven;  and it cast down  [some] of the host  and of the stars  to the ground,  and stamped  upon them. 

What does Daniel 8:10 Mean?

Study Notes

And it waxed great
This passage ( Daniel 8:10-14 ) is confessedly the most difficult in prophecy, a difficulty increased by the present state of the text. Historically this was fulfilled in and by Antiochus Epiphanes, but in a more intense and final sense Antiochus but adumbrates the awful blasphemy of the "little horn" of; Daniel 7:8 ; Daniel 7:24 ; Daniel 7:25 ; Daniel 9:27 ; Daniel 11:36-45 ; Daniel 12:11 . In Daniel Daniel 8:10-14 the actions of both "little horns" blend.

Verse Meaning

This little horn grew up to the host of heaven, caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and trampled on them. The stars probably refer to the children of Israel whom God predicted would be as numerous as the stars of heaven ( Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 37:9-10; cf. Daniel 12:3; Matthew 13:43; Enoch46:7). [1] They constitute His armies (cf. Exodus 7:4; Exodus 12:17; Exodus 12:51; Numbers 33:1).
"If the world calls those men and women stars who excel in one or another department of human activity, why should not a similar statement be still more appropriate with reference to God"s people?" [2]
Many scholars regard the stars and the host of heaven as synonymous: "the host even the stars" (cf. Daniel 8:13; Exodus 12:41). [3] This is the appositional use of "and," which is quite common. Alternatively the host of heaven may be angels who have some connection with the Jews (the stars). The falling of the host to the earth then would picture Antiochus" victory over these angels, and his trampling the stars down would signify his persecution of the Jews. However, Daniel 8:12 seems to indicate that the horn really controlled the host, which would be impossible if they were angels.

Context Summary

Daniel 8:1-14 - God's Sanctuary Dishonored
Shushan was the lily palace. There, by the river Ulai, the prophet beheld in vision the attack which would subsequently be made on the Medo-Persian kingdom by Alexander. The great horn which was broken is, of course, Alexander, and the four notable ones are his four generals, who after his death divided up his conquests. The little horn is referred by many to Antiochus, whose conflict with the Maccabees was one of the most significant in later Jewish history. Others refer it to Mohammed and his followers, who have reigned over the same regions. In this case the little horn would stand for the Eastern apostasy as distinguished from the Western, which is said to be represented by the little horn of the fourth beast, Daniel 7:8. The Books of the Maccabees, included in the Apocrypha, should be studied to understand more clearly what is intended in Daniel 8:11-12. The explanation of these obscure verses is also given in Daniel 8:24-25. Antiochus was obsessed with hatred against the spiritual worship of the Jews, and their refusal to admit his image into the Temple. He stayed their sacrifices, though they were restored for a season, to be finally suspended during the present age. The day for a year system, Daniel 8:14, may refer to the desolations of the Turkish or Ottoman empire, of which Antiochus was the representative. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 8

1  Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat
13  The two thousand three hundred days of the suspension of the daily sacrifice
15  Gabriel comforts Daniel, and interprets the vision

What do the individual words in Daniel 8:10 mean?

And it grew up to the host of heaven and it cast down to the ground [some] of the host and [some] of the stars and trampled them
וַתִּגְדַּ֖ל עַד־ צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַתַּפֵּ֥ל אַ֛רְצָה מִן־ הַצָּבָ֥א וּמִן־ הַכּוֹכָבִ֖ים וַֽתִּרְמְסֵֽם

וַתִּגְדַּ֖ל  And  it  grew  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
צְבָ֣א  the  host 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַתַּפֵּ֥ל  and  it  cast  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
אַ֛רְצָה  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִן־  [some] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַצָּבָ֥א  of  the  host 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
וּמִן־  and  [some] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַכּוֹכָבִ֖ים  of  the  stars 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּוכָב  
Sense: star.
וַֽתִּרְמְסֵֽם  and  trampled  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: רָמַס  
Sense: to trample.