Daniel 8 26

Daniel 8:26 kjv

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

Daniel 8:26 nkjv

"And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future."

Daniel 8:26 niv

"The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future."

Daniel 8:26 esv

The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now."

Daniel 8:26 nlt

"This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret."

Daniel 8 verses

Daniel 8 26 meaning

Daniel 8:26 reveals the certainty and future orientation of the prophetic vision Daniel just received. It explicitly affirms that the detailed vision of the ram, goat, and particularly the "evening and morning" (referring to the desecration and cleansing of the sanctuary) is unequivocally true and reliable, being from God Himself. Daniel is commanded to keep this vision private, or "sealed," because its full fulfillment and complete understanding are not for his immediate time but will occur far into the future, spanning "many days" or a distant period. This command highlights the divine timing of revelation and the progressive unveiling of God's redemptive plan.

Daniel 8 26 Context

Daniel chapter 8 presents Daniel's second significant vision, occurring during the third year of King Belshazzar's reign (8:1). Unlike Chapter 7 which introduced four beasts representing four kingdoms, Chapter 8 focuses specifically on the Medo-Persian empire (the ram) and the Grecian empire (the goat). The vision details the rise and fall of these powers, culminating in the emergence of a "little horn" (8:9-12), explicitly interpreted by Gabriel as a fierce king (8:23-25) who would oppose God's people and desecrate the sanctuary for a specific period of "2,300 evenings and mornings" (8:14). This figure is widely understood to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Daniel 8:26 serves as Gabriel's concluding instruction after interpreting the vision, a directive to Daniel to keep this prophecy private and preserved because its ultimate fulfillment is centuries away, extending beyond his lifetime into a far-off future ("many days"). The vision's detailed nature and command to seal emphasize the predictive and historical accuracy inherent in biblical prophecy.

Daniel 8 26 Word analysis

• And the vision (וּמַרְאֵה - u-mar'eh):
  • Mar'eh (מַרְאֵה) denotes "a sight" or "an appearance," referring to the physical revelation Daniel experienced.
  • Here, it encompasses the entire preceding sequence of prophetic images and the divine explanations provided.
• of the evening and the morning (הָעֶרֶב וְהַבֹּקֶר - ha'erev v'haboqer):
  • Literally "the evening and the morning." This directly refers back to the 2,300 "evenings and mornings" mentioned in Dan 8:14, representing a specific period of desecration and sacrifice interruption.
  • This phrase highlights the daily sacrifices ceased and restored, thus indicating a duration of time, similar to how "day one evening and morning" is used in Genesis.
• which was told (אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמַר - asher ne'emar):
  • Ne'emar (נֶאֱמַר) is the passive form, meaning "that which was said" or "spoken."
  • It attributes the preceding explanation of the vision to an authoritative, divine source (Gabriel as God's messenger), underscoring its veracity.
• is true (אֱמֶת הוּא - emet hu):
  • Emet (אֱמֶת) means "truth," "firmness," "reliability," "faithfulness."
  • This declaration powerfully affirms the absolute certainty, historical accuracy, and divine authority of the entire vision. It signifies the guaranteed fulfillment of what has been revealed.
• therefore (וְאַתָּה - ve'attah):
  • Translates "and you" or "now you." It signals a direct transition from the affirmation of truth to a personal command directed at Daniel, drawing a logical conclusion from the established veracity.
• shut thou up the vision (סְתֹם אֶת־הַחֲזוֹן - stom et-hachazon):
  • Stom (סְתֹם) means "to shut," "to seal," "to close," "to keep secret." It implies sealing a document for future opening or for safe preservation.
  • Hachazon (הַחֲזוֹן) is "the vision," but often with the sense of a prophetic revelation, more about the content than the appearance.
  • This is a crucial command to preserve the prophecy intact and perhaps to not publish it widely for contemporary understanding, indicating its long-term prophetic scope. It may also imply that its full meaning will remain partially hidden until the designated time.
• for it shall be for many days (כִּי לְיָמִים רַבִּים הוּא - ki le'yamim rabbim hu):
  • Ki (כִּי) is "for" or "because," providing the reason for the sealing command.
  • Leyamim rabbim (לְיָמִים רַבִּים) translates to "for many days," signifying a distant future, a long period of time before its fulfillment or complete comprehension.
  • This phrase establishes the eschatological horizon of the prophecy, indicating it extends far beyond Daniel's immediate historical context and personal lifetime.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told": This phrase links directly back to Dan 8:14 and the duration of 2,300 "evenings and mornings." Gabriel explicitly points to this specific timeline and the accompanying events (desecration/cleansing of the sanctuary) as the subject of the assured truth. The passive "was told" underscores its divine origin through angelic mediation.
• "is true: therefore shut thou up the vision": The declaration "is true" serves as the foundational premise for the subsequent command. Because God's revealed word is unfailingly accurate, it demands appropriate handling. The instruction to "shut up" or "seal" indicates a requirement for secrecy, preservation, and deferred understanding, distinguishing it from prophecies intended for immediate public proclamation. It marks this vision as an unfolding divine secret.
• "for it shall be for many days": This concluding phrase provides the direct justification for sealing the vision. The events and full understanding are destined for a far-off future. It emphasizes God's sovereign timing, where certain truths are intentionally veiled until the appointed "time of the end." This suggests the prophecy has a historical fulfillment (Antiochus IV) but also possibly a wider, even end-time, application, as "many days" can often allude to the "last days" in prophetic contexts.

Daniel 8 26 Bonus section

• The instruction to "seal" the vision in Daniel 8:26 prefigures similar commands in Daniel 12:4 and 12:9, solidifying the idea that certain profound eschatological prophecies were not intended for full understanding or general dissemination during Daniel's immediate context. This distinguishes these apocalyptic prophecies from earlier prophetic books (like Isaiah or Jeremiah) which contained more immediate messages for the present generation.
• The Hebrew terms mar'eh (appearance/sight) and chazon (prophetic revelation/vision) are often used somewhat interchangeably in Daniel but sometimes highlight different facets. Mar'eh emphasizes the visual phenomenon Daniel experienced, while chazon focuses on the revealed message and its content. Here, "the vision of the evening and morning" refers to the specific mar'eh concerning the 2,300-day period, but Daniel is commanded to seal the chazon—the broader prophetic message encompassing the entire revelation.
• The concept of truth (אֱמֶת) is a fundamental attribute of God throughout Scripture. Its use here reinforces the divine origin and infallible nature of the prophecy, emphasizing that God's word stands in stark contrast to human error or deceit, thus establishing a polemic against pagan divinations that lacked inherent truth.

Daniel 8 26 Commentary

Daniel 8:26 encapsulates both the certainty of divine prophecy and the mystery of God's timing. Gabriel's emphatic declaration, "is true," anchors the vision in absolute reality, ensuring Daniel—and future readers—that these detailed pronouncements will undeniably come to pass. This contrasts with fleeting human predictions and validates God's omniscience and control over history. The subsequent command to "shut thou up the vision" is crucial. It does not imply that the vision is false or obscure, but rather that its complete unveiling and impact are reserved for a distant future, explicitly stated as "for many days." This period of sealing suggests a protection of the prophetic word from misinterpretation or premature attempts at fulfillment, awaiting God's perfect timing. The command points to both a literal preservation of the text (like a sealed scroll) and a symbolic deferral of full understanding until the relevant historical period illuminates its meaning. Ultimately, the verse serves as a reminder that God's plans operate on a divine timeline, often far removed from human expectations, but always unfailingly true.