Daniel 8:3 kjv
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Daniel 8:3 nkjv
Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
Daniel 8:3 niv
I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.
Daniel 8:3 esv
I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
Daniel 8:3 nlt
As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one.
Daniel 8 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 8:3 | ...behold, a ram which had two horns; and the horns were high; | Dan 8:3 |
| Daniel 8:3 | but one was higher than the other, and that was higher afterward. | Dan 8:3 |
| Daniel 8:20 | The ram which thou sawest and had two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. | Dan 8:20 |
| Daniel 8:21 | And the rough great goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. | Dan 8:21 |
| Daniel 7:5 | And behold another beast, a second like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: | Dan 7:5 |
| Daniel 7:6 | After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had on the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. | Dan 7:6 |
| Daniel 2:39 | And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. | Dan 2:39 |
| Jer 51:11 | Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: set up the watchtowers, make very strong the watch of the enemy; lay the places of ambush together; for the LORD hath prepared the imaginations of the Chaldeans, to destroy the house of Babylon. | Jer 51:11 |
| Isa 41:25 | Who hath raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. | Isa 41:25 |
| Isa 14:29 | Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. | Isa 14:29 |
| Ezek 26:12 | And they shall make a spoil of thy wares, and lay thy merchandise in the midst of the water, and shall break thy houses down, and thy pleasant palaces they shall lay in the midst of the waters: and they shall be no more: | Ezek 26:12 |
| 1 Sam 17:43 | And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. | 1 Sam 17:43 |
| Psa 135:7 | He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. | Psa 135:7 |
| Nah 3:5 | Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. | Nah 3:5 |
| Hab 1:8 | Their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. | Hab 1:8 |
| Acts 2:2 | And suddenly there was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. | Acts 2:2 |
| Matt 10:39 | He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. | Matt 10:39 |
| Luke 12:32 | Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. | Luke 12:32 |
| John 15:5 | I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. | John 15:5 |
| John 3:8 | The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. | John 3:8 |
| Rev 13:1 | And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads the names of blasphemy. | Rev 13:1 |
Daniel 8 verses
Daniel 8 3 Meaning
The vision of Daniel 8:3 describes a ram with two long horns standing before a river. This ram represents a powerful king and kingdom. The two horns symbolize two kings who will succeed this initial king, ruling with the same authority. The prophecy focuses on the succession and the nature of their reign.
Daniel 8 3 Context
This vision is part of Daniel's broader prophetic experience in chapter 8. He is at the palace in Susa, near the Ulai River. The vision is a continuation and elaboration of the prophecies concerning the rise and fall of empires that began in chapter 2 and continued in chapter 7. This specific part of the vision, depicting the ram, directly foreshadows the Medo-Persian Empire. Daniel is seeking understanding of God's plan for His people and the nations, especially in relation to the future of Israel and Jerusalem. The historical context is during the Babylonian exile, a period when understanding God's sovereignty over nations was crucial for maintaining faith.
Daniel 8 3 Word analysis
- Vau (ו): And (conjunction, often initiating the next action or detail)
- 'enāh (הִנֵּה): Behold, look (interjection calling for attention to what is about to be seen)
- 'ayil (אַיִל): Ram (a male sheep, symbolically representing power, strength, and leadership)
- 'aśēr (אֲשֶׁר): Which, who (relative pronoun connecting the ram to its description)
- yēśēqūpān (יֵּשׂוּפָּן): Standing (from the root YSQP, indicating presence or placement)
- lə‧Ɓə‧dân (לִפְנֵי): Before (preposition indicating position relative to something)
- ''nôr (אֹר)`: River (a flowing body of water, in this context the Ulai canal)
- śə‧nê (שְׁנֵי): Two (numeral, indicating duality)
- qə‧rān-ōt (קַרְנָיִם): Horns (plural of 'eren, symbols of power, authority, or kings)
- gə‧dōl-ōt (גְּדֹלֹת): Great, large (adjective describing the horns' prominence)
- wə-haq•qə‧rān gā‧wō‧aqh (וְהַקֶּרֶן גַּאֲוָה): And the horn was high (gā‧wō‧aqh from GW` meaning to be high, lifted up, proud)
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And behold, a ram" (וְהִנֵּה אַיִּל): This introductory phrase vividly draws the reader's attention to the symbolic representation of power.
- "which had two horns" (אֲשֶׁר־לֹו קַרְנָיִם): The presence of two horns signifies a dual-headed kingdom or two ruling monarchs.
- "and the horns were high" (וְהַקַּרְנַיִם גְּדֹלֹת): "Great" or "high" implies prominence, power, and possibly arrogance.
- "but one was higher than the other" (וְהַגְּדֹלָה גְּבַהּ מֵהַקָּטֹנֶת): This detail specifically points to a succession where one successor surpasses the other in stature or dominion.
- "and that was higher afterward" (וְהַגְּבֹהָה אַחַרִיָּה): This emphasizes the ascendancy of the second, higher horn in time.
Daniel 8 3 Bonus section
The choice of a ram is significant. Rams are often symbols of strength, leadership, and at times, brute force in ancient Near Eastern iconography. In the Bible, a ram can also represent Israel (Ezekiel 27:18), but in this context of prophecy, it clearly symbolizes a gentile world power confronting the destinies of God's people. The vision uses vivid animal imagery, a common prophetic method, to convey complex political and historical events. The contrast between the ram and the goat seen later in chapter 8 (representing Greece) is deliberate, setting up a narrative of succession and conflict between empires that directly impacted Israel. The prophetic language focuses on the rising and falling of nations, asserting God's ultimate sovereignty over all earthly powers.
Daniel 8 3 Commentary
Daniel sees a ram standing by a river, a powerful image of a future kingdom. This ram is identified by interpretation in Daniel 8:20 as the kings of Media and Persia. The two horns represent the dual nature of this kingdom, a united empire composed of two dominant entities or rulers. The prophecy specifically highlights a succession: one horn, symbolizing a king, was higher, meaning more significant or powerful, and this second horn gained preeminence afterward. This aligns with the historical reality of the Medo-Persian Empire, which initially saw the Medes in a dominant position, but the Persians eventually rose to become the superior ruling power, uniting the two. The placement by the river suggests the location or operational theater of this empire.