Daniel 8:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

NIV: Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.

NASB: And out of one of them came a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.

CSB: From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.

NLT: Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.

KJV: And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

NKJV: And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.

Over the last several verses, Daniel has described his recent vision (Daniel 8:1–2). He has seen a unique ram, at first unchecked, which is then defeated by an incredibly fast-moving goat (Daniel 8:3–7). After this, the goat's single horn is broken and replaced by four others (Daniel 8:8). These images will be explained later as the Medo-Persian empire being conquered by Alexander the Great, whose kingdom was split into four upon his death (Daniel 8:20–22).

Further prophecy comes here in the form of a new, "little horn." The little horn came from the northern division of the Greek kingdom of Alexander the Great. This little horn exerted its control of the south, meaning Egypt, the east, meaning Babylon and Persia, and "the glorious land," meaning the Promised Land given to Israel. The reference to "the glorious land" may even point specifically to Jerusalem. Antiochus IV Epiphanes fits this description.

Epiphanes usurped the throne of Syria and ruled from around 175 BC to 164 BC, from Antioch in Syria. His sister was Cleopatra of Egypt, but he is most famously remembered as the despotic enemy of the Jews. Few historical figures, prior to Adolf Hitler in the 20th century, are as associated with persecution of the Jewish people. Epiphanes means "brilliant" or "shining," but some referred to him as Epimanes, meaning "crazy." Situated between Syria and Egypt, Israel became the site of many battles as well as the setting for Antiochus Epiphanes' severest blasphemies against the God of Israel (Daniel 8:10–14, 23–25).

Daniel 8:1–14 changes the written language to Hebrew, after several chapters in Aramaic. This indicates a shift in intended audience: these messages are primarily meant for the benefit of Israel. This section gives the time, place, and contents of another of Daniel's visions. Like the dream and visions of chapter 7, it concerns the time before Christ's birth. While the vision of Daniel 7 provides more detail on the final end times, the vision here includes a prophecy that appears to have dual fulfillment. After the vision, Daniel will record the meaning as given to him by the angel, Gabriel.

Daniel sees a vision, later explained to him by the angel Gabriel. A swift-moving goat overpowers a two-horned ram. This represents the conquest of Greece over Medo-Persia. Then the goat's horn shatters, replaced by four more; this predicts Alexander the Great's death and succession. Later, a ruler arises to brutally persecute God's people. This prophecy refers to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who desecrated the temple and outlawed Jewish religious practices. It also foreshadows the end times when the Antichrist will be tied to similar events. The experience leaves Daniel temporarily bedridden.

The first 6 chapters of Daniel recorded events from his life. The final chapters record his visions of the future. The prior chapter contained a dream involving several animals, depicting powerful nations. The vision explained here also deals with conquering empires, but also touches on events to come in the end times. Daniel's next passage includes his prayer for Israel and further explanation of what will happen in the last days of human history.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.