Daniel 8:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

NIV: As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.

NASB: While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a prominent horn between his eyes.

CSB: As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

NLT: While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes,

KJV: And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

NKJV: And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

Daniel's vision (Daniel 8:1) has included a male sheep—a ram (Daniel 8:2–3)—running wild without any restrictions. This will later be interpreted as the Medo-Persian empire (Daniel 8:20). As Daniel watched, another animal appeared: a goat. As with much of Old Testament prophecy, the imagery is dramatic and symbolic.

The goat doesn't touch the ground as it moves; this implies tremendous speed. Upcoming verses show this animal charging at and defeating the ram already seen (Daniel 8:6–7). Later, an angel will explain that this goat represents the kingship of Greece—located west of Medo-Persia—and that the horn represents the first king (Daniel 8:21). This parallels Daniel's earlier dream of a four-winged leopard (Daniel 7:6), which also represented Greece. This prophecy predicts Alexander the Great, who led Greece to conquest, only to fall and be replaced by four successors (Daniel 8:8, 22).

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.