The Meaning of Daniel 8:13 Explained

Daniel 8:13

KJV: Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

YLT: And I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a certain holy one saith to the wonderful numberer who is speaking: Till when is the vision of the continual sacrifice, and of the transgression, an astonishment, to make both sanctuary and host a treading down?

Darby: And I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that one who spoke, How long shall be the vision of the continual sacrifice and of the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden down under foot?

ASV: Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering , and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then I heard  one  saint  speaking,  and another  saint  said  unto that certain  [saint] which spake,  How long [shall be] the vision  [concerning] the daily  [sacrifice], and the transgression  of desolation,  to give  both the sanctuary  and the host  to be trodden under foot? 

What does Daniel 8:13 Mean?

Study Notes

desolation
Seven times in Daniel the "desolation" is spoken of:
(1) Of the sanctuary, Daniel 8:13 fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, B.C. 175-170.
(2) Of the sanctuary, Daniel 9:17 the condition in Daniel's time, when the Jews were in exile and the sanctuary desolate.
(3) Generally, of the land, Daniel 9:18 also referring to Daniel's time.
(4) Of the sanctuary, Daniel 9:26 fulfilled A.D. 70, in the destruction of city and temple after the cutting off of Messiah. Luke 21:20 .
(5,6,7) Of the sanctuary, by the Beast, Daniel 9:27 ; Daniel 11:31 ; Daniel 12:11 Cf; Matthew 24:15 ; Mark 13:14 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 ; Revelation 13:14 ; Revelation 13:15 .
one saint Or, holy one, idem. Daniel 4:13 ; Daniel 4:17 .

Verse Meaning

The holy ones (Heb. qados) that Daniel heard conversing were evidently angels (cf. Daniel 4:17). Here the transgression in view seems to be that of Antiochus, not the Jews (cf. Daniel 8:12). It causes horror among the Jews because it involves desecration of the sanctuary ( Daniel 8:11). The holy place is the temple, and the host is the Jews. The angel wanted to know how long the desecration of the sanctuary and the persecution of the Jews would last.

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 8:13 mean?

And I heard a holy one speaking and said [another] to that certain [one] who was speaking how long [will be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifices] and the transgression of desolation the giving and both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under [foot]
וָאֶשְׁמְעָ֥ה אֶֽחָד־ קָד֖וֹשׁ מְדַבֵּ֑ר וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֶחָ֨ד לַפַּֽלְמוֹנִ֣י הַֽמְדַבֵּ֗ר עַד־ מָתַ֞י הֶחָז֤וֹן הַתָּמִיד֙ וְהַפֶּ֣שַׁע שֹׁמֵ֔ם תֵּ֛ת וְקֹ֥דֶשׁ וְצָבָ֖א ؟ מִרְמָֽס

וָאֶשְׁמְעָ֥ה  And  I  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
קָד֖וֹשׁ  holy  one 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
מְדַבֵּ֑ר  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וַיֹּאמֶר֩  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶחָ֨ד  [another] 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
לַפַּֽלְמוֹנִ֣י  to  that  certain  [one] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: פַּלְמֹנִי  
Sense: a certain one.
הַֽמְדַבֵּ֗ר  who  was  speaking 
Parse: Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עַד־  how 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
מָתַ֞י  long  [will  be] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מָתַי  
Sense: when?.
הֶחָז֤וֹן  the  vision 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָזׄון  
Sense: vision.
הַתָּמִיד֙  [concerning]  the  daily  [sacrifices] 
Parse: Article, Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
וְהַפֶּ֣שַׁע  and  the  transgression 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
שֹׁמֵ֔ם  of  desolation 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
תֵּ֛ת  the  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וְקֹ֥דֶשׁ  and  both  the  sanctuary 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
וְצָבָ֖א  and  the  host 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
؟ מִרְמָֽס  to  be  trampled  under  [foot] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִרְמָס  
Sense: trampling place, trampling.