The Meaning of Daniel 8:4 Explained

Daniel 8:4

KJV: I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

YLT: I have seen the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, and no living creatures do stand before it, and there is none delivering out of its hand, and it hath done according to its pleasure, and hath exerted itself.

Darby: I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, and no beast could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; and he did according to his will, and became great.

ASV: I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.

Discover Daniel 8:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Daniel 8:4?

MEANING: What does Daniel 8:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Daniel 8:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Daniel 8:4?

What is the context of Daniel 8:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

What does Daniel 8:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Historically, the Medo-Persian Empire pushed its borders primarily in three directions. It went westward (into Lydia, Ionia, Thrace, and Macedonia), northward (toward the Caspian Mountains, the Oxus Valley, and Scythia), and southward (toward Babylonia, Palestine, and Egypt). Compare the three ribs in the mouth of the bear ( Daniel 7:5). These advances happened mainly under the leadership of Cyrus and Cambyses. ^[1] Indeed, Medo-Persia had its own way for many years, and glorified itself.

"There is nothing inherently wrong about "doing great things" ...; but the expression is only used in an unequivocally good sense of God ( 1 Samuel 12:24; Psalm 126:2-3); of human beings it tends to suggest arrogance ( Jeremiah 48:26; Joel 2:20; Zephaniah 2:10; Psalm 35:26; Psalm 55:13 12]), or at least achievement at someone else"s expense ( Zephaniah 2:8; Lamentations 1:9)-here achievement that presages calamity. The expression has the foreboding ambiguity of the mouth speaking great things in Daniel 7:8; Daniel 7:20." ^[2]

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 8:4 mean?

I saw - the ram pushing westward and northward and southward so that animal no could withstand him and [there was] none that could deliver from his hand but he did according to his will and became great

רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־ הָאַ֡יִל מְנַגֵּחַ֩ יָ֨מָּה וְצָפ֜וֹנָה וָנֶ֗גְבָּה וְכָל־ חַיּוֹת֙ לֹֽא־ יַֽעַמְד֣וּ לְפָנָ֔יו וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּ֖יל מִיָּד֑וֹ וְעָשָׂ֥ה כִרְצֹנ֖וֹ וְהִגְדִּֽיל

רָאִ֣יתִי	I saw
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular Root: רָאָה Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־	-
Parse: Direct object marker Root: אֹות Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאַ֡יִל	the ram
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: אַיִל Sense: ram.
מְנַגֵּחַ֩	pushing
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular Root: נָגַח Sense: to push, thrust, gore.
יָ֨מָּה	westward
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular Root: יָם Sense: sea.
וְצָפ֜וֹנָה	and northward
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular Root: צָפֹון Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וָנֶ֗גְבָּה	and southward
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular Root: נֶגֶב Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
וְכָל־	so that
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כֹּל Sense: all, the whole.
חַיּוֹת֙	animal
Parse: Noun, feminine plural Root: חַי Sense: living, alive.
לֹֽא־	no
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle Root: הֲלֹא Sense: not, no.
יַֽעַמְד֣וּ	could withstand
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: עָמַד Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
וְאֵ֥ין	and [there was] none
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb Root: אַיִן Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַצִּ֖יל	that could deliver
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular Root: נָצַל Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
מִיָּד֑וֹ	from his hand
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular Root: יָד Sense: hand.
וְעָשָׂ֥ה	but he did
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: עָשָׂה Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כִרְצֹנ֖וֹ	according to his will
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular Root: רָצֹון Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.
וְהִגְדִּֽיל	and became great
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: גָּדַל Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 8:4?

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