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title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Daniel 8:1. In the third year of the reign of - Belshazzar — We now come once more to the Hebrew, the Chaldee part of the book being finished. As th"
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Verse [Daniel 8:1](../../../kjv/daniel/8/1). ***In the third year of the reign of - Belshazzar*** — We now come once more to the *Hebrew*, the *Chaldee* part of the book being finished. As the Chaldeans had a particular interest both in the *history* and *prophecies* from [Daniel 2:4](../../../kjv/daniel/2/4) to the end of [Daniel 7:28](../../../kjv/daniel/7/28), the whole is written in *Chaldee*, but as the prophecies which remain concern times posterior to the Chaldean monarchy, and principally relate to the *Church and people of God generally*, they are written in the Hebrew language, this being the tongue in which God chose to reveal all his counsels given under the *Old Testament* relative to the *New*.

Verse [Daniel 8:2](../../../kjv/daniel/8/2). ***I saw in a vision*** — Daniel was at this time in Shushan, which appears to have been a strong place, where the kings of Persia had their summer residence. It was the capital of the province of Elam or the Elymais; which province was most probably added to the Chaldean territories by Nebuchadnezzar; see [Jeremiah 49:34-35](../../../kjv/jeremiah/49/34-35). Here was Daniel's ordinary residence; and though here at this time, he, in vision, saw himself on the *banks of the* *river Ulai*. This is the same as the river *Euleus*, which divided Shushan or Susiana from Elymais.

Verse [Daniel 8:3](../../../kjv/daniel/8/3). ***A ram which had*****two*****horns*** — In the former vision there were *four beasts*, pointing out *four empires*; in this we have but *two*, as only *two empires* are concerned here, viz., the *Grecian* and the *Persian*. The Babylonish empire is not mentioned; its fate was before decided, and it was now at its close.
By the *ram*, the empire of the Medes and Persians was pointed out, as explained by the angel Gabriel, [Daniel 8:20](../../../kjv/daniel/8/20); and particularly Cyrus, who was the founder of that empire. Cyrus was the son of Cambyses, king of Persia; and grandson of Astyages, king of Media, by his daughter Mandane, who had been given in marriage to Cambyses. Cyrus marrying Roxana, the daughter and only child of his uncle Cyaxares, called in Scripture *Ahasuerus*, succeeded to both crowns, and thus united Media and Persia. A *ram* was the symbol of the Persians; and a ram's head with two horns, one higher than the other, appears as such in different parts of the ruins of *Persepolis*. See the plates of these ruins in the supplement to the seventh volume of the ancient part of the *Universal History*.
This ram had *two horns*; that is, *two kingdoms*, viz., *Media* and *Persia*; but one was *higher than the other*; and the higher *came up* *last*. *Media*, signified by the *shorter horn*, was the more *ancient* of the two kingdoms. *Persia*, the *higher horn*, had come up but lately, and was of little historic or political consequence till the time of Cyrus; but in the reigns of this prince and his immediate successors, Persia attained a political consequence greatly superior to that possessed at any time by the kingdom of Media; therefore, it is said to have been the *higher*, and to have come up *last*.

Verse [Daniel 8:4](../../../kjv/daniel/8/4). ***I saw the ram pushing westward*** — The Persians, who are signified by the *ram*, as well as their *founder Cyrus*, pushed their conquests *west, north* and *south*. The principal theatre of their wars, says *Calmet*, was against the SCYTHIANS, *northward*; against the GREEKS, *westward*; and against the EGYPTIANS, *southward*.
***He did according to his will*** — There was no other nation at that time that could stay the progress of the Persian arms.

Verse [Daniel 8:5](../../../kjv/daniel/8/5). ***Behold, a he-goat*** — This was *Alexander the Great*; and a *goat* was a very proper symbol of the Grecian or Macedonian people. Bp. *Newton* very properly observes that, *two hundred* years before the time of Daniel, they were called *AEgeadae*, the *goats'* *people*; the origin of which name is said to be as follows: Caranus, their first king, going with a multitude of Greeks to seek a new habitation in Macedonia, was advised by an oracle to take the *goats* for his guides; and afterwards, seeing a herd of goats flying from a violent storm, he followed them to *Edessa*, and there fixed the seat of his empire, and made the *goats* his ensigns or standards; and called the place *AEge* or *AEgea*, the *goats' town;* and the people *AEgeadae*, the *goats' people*; names which are derived from αιξαιγος, a *goat*. The city *AEge* or *AEgea*, was the usual burying-place of the Macedonian kings; and, in reference to this origin, Alexander called his son by Roxana, *Alexander* *AEgus*, Alexander the *goat*. All this shows the very great propriety of the symbol here used.
***Came from the west*** — Europe lies westward of Asia.
***On the face of the whole earth*** — Carrying every thing before him.
***Touched not the ground*** — Seemed to fly from conquest to conquest. By the time Alexander was *thirty* years of age he had conquered all Asia: and, because of the rapidity of his conquests, he is represented as a *leopard* with four wings, in the preceding vision.
***A notable horn between his eyes.*** — This, says the angel, is the *first king*, [Daniel 8:21](../../../kjv/daniel/8/21), that is, the first kingdom of the Greeks in Asia, which was erected by Alexander; and continued some years in his brother *Philip Aridaeus*, and in his two young sons, *Alexander AEgus* and *Hercules*. See *Newton*.

Verse [Daniel 8:6](../../../kjv/daniel/8/6). ***And he came to the ram.*** — This and the following verse give an account of the overthrow of the Persian empire by Alexander.
***And ran unto him in the fury of his power*** — The conflicts between the Greeks and the Persians were excessively severe. Alexander first vanquished the generals of Darius, at the river *Granicus*, in Phrygia; he next attacked and totally routed Darius, at the straits of *Issus*, in Cilicia; and afterwards at the plains of *Arbela*, in Assyria. One can hardly read these words, says Bp. *Newton*, "the ram - which I had seen standing by the river, ran unto him in the fury of his power," without having the image of Darius' army standing and guarding the *river Granicus* and of Alexander on the *other side*, with his forces plunging in swimming across the stream, and rushing on the enemy, with all the fire and fury that can be conceived.

Verse [Daniel 8:7](../../../kjv/daniel/8/7). ***And brake his two horns*** — Subdued Persia and Media; sacked and burnt the royal city of *Persepolis*, the capital of the Persian empire, and, even in its *ruins*, one of the wonders of the world to the present day. This he did because "he was moved with choler" against Darius, who had endeavoured to draw off his captains with bribes, and had laboured to induce some of his friends to assassinate him. Alexander, finding this, would listen to no proposals of peace; and was determined never to rest till he had destroyed Darius and his whole empire. In Media, Darius was seized and made prisoner by some of his own treacherous subjects, and afterwards basely murdered.
***There was no power in the ram to stand before him*** — Alexander's victories over the Persians were as *easy* as they were *rapid* and *decisive*.
***He cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him*** — Totally destroyed the *family*, and overturned the whole *monarchy*.

Verse [Daniel 8:8](../../../kjv/daniel/8/8). ***The he-goat waxed very strong*** — He had subdued nearly the whole of the then known world.
***The great horn was broken*** — Alexander died in the height of his conquests, when he was but about *thirty-three* years of age. His natural brother, Philip Aridaeus, and his two sons, Alexander AEgus and Hercules, kept up the show and name of the Macedonian kingdom for a time; but they were all murdered within *fifteen* years; and thus *the great horn*, the Macedonian kingdom, *was* *broken*, Alexander's family being now cut off.
***And for it came up four notable ones*** — The regal family being all dead, the governors of provinces usurped the title of kings; and Antigonus, one of them, being slain at the battle of *Ipsus*, they were reduced to *four*, as we have already seen.
1. SELEUCUS, who had Syria and Babylon, from whom came the *Seleucidae*, famous in history.
2. LYSIMACHUS, who had Asia Minor.
3. PTOLEMY, son of *Lagus*, who had Egypt, from whom sprang the *Lagidae*. And,
4. CASSANDER, who had Greece and the neighbouring countries. These held dominion *towards the four winds of heaven*.
*Cassander* had the *western* parts, *Lysimachus* had the *northern* regions, *Ptolemy* possessed the *southern* countries, and *Seleucus* had the *eastern* provinces.

Verse [Daniel 8:9](../../../kjv/daniel/8/9). ***Out of one of them came forth a little horn*** — Some think that *Antiochus Epiphanes* is meant; but Bp. *Newton* contends that it is the *Roman* government that is intended; and although very *great* at its *zenith*, yet very *little* in its *rising*.
***Waxed-great toward the south*** — The Romans made *Egypt* a province of their empire, and it continued such for some centuries.
***Toward the east*** — They conquered *Syria*, and made it a province.
***Toward the pleasant*****land.**] *Judea*, so called [Psalms 106:24](../../../kjv/psalms/106/24); [Jeremiah 3:19](../../../kjv/jeremiah/3/19); [Daniel 11:16](../../../kjv/daniel/11/16); [Daniel 11:41](../../../kjv/daniel/11/41). It is well known that they took Judea, and made it a province; and afterwards burnt the city and the temple, and scattered the Jews over the face of the earth.

Verse [Daniel 8:10](../../../kjv/daniel/8/10). ***The host of heaven*** — The *Jewish hierarchy*. The *stars*, the *priests* and *Levites*. The *powers* or *host of heaven* are probably intended by our Lord, [Matthew 24:29](../../../kjv/matthew/24/29), to signify the whole Jewish hierarchy.

Verse [Daniel 8:11](../../../kjv/daniel/8/11). ***Even to the prince of the host*** — They seemed, in this case, to fight against God himself.
***The daily*****sacrifice*****was taken away*** — By the destruction of the city and temple; and has never been restored from that day until now.

Verse [Daniel 8:12](../../../kjv/daniel/8/12). ***And a host was given him*** — That is, *power*; or perhaps *the host of heaven* - the *priesthood* - the whole sacrificial system, by reason of *transgression*. They had filled up the measure of their iniquities, in rejecting the Lord that bought them; and the *daily sacrifice*, being no longer of use, was given up with the rest to destruction.
***Cast down the truth*** — Probably the whole Jewish ritual and religion.
***Practised, and prospered.*** — Prosperity or success followed all their acts.

Verse 13. ***One saint speaking, and another saint said*** — One *angel* asked another how long the sanctuary was to be trodden down?

Verse 14. ***Unto two thousand and three hundred days*** — Though literally it be *two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings*. Yet I think the *prophetic day* should be understood here, as in other parts of this prophet, and must signify so many *years*. If we date these years from the vision of the he-goat, (Alexander's invading Asia,) this was A.M. 3670, B.C. 334; and *two thousand* *three hundred* years from that time will reach to A.D. 1966, or *one* *hundred and forty-one* years from the present A.D. 1825. This will bring it near to the time mentioned [Daniel 7:25](../../../kjv/daniel/7/25), where see the note.

Verse 15. ***As the appearance of a man.*** — Supposed to be the *Messiah*.

Verse 17. ***At the time of the end*****shall be*****the vision.*** — Or, as *Houbigant*, "The vision shall have an end at the proper time."

Verse [Daniel 8:20](../../../kjv/daniel/8/20). ***The ram which thou sawest*** — See this explained under the vision itself, [Daniel 8:3](../../../kjv/daniel/8/3), &c.

Verse [Daniel 8:22](../../../kjv/daniel/8/22). ***But not in his power.*** — The *four kingdoms* which shall arise out of the Macedonian empire shall not be of Alexander's power or *family*, nor have his strength and dignity.

Verse [Daniel 8:23](../../../kjv/daniel/8/23). ***When the transgressors are come to the full*** — When the utmost degradation has taken place, by the *buying* and *selling* of the *high priesthood*; for *Onias* was ejected for a sum of money, to make room for wicked *Jason*; and Jason again was supplanted for a greater sum by a worse man, if possible, than himself, *Menelaus*; and the golden vessels of the temple were sold to pay for this sacrilegious purchase. Thus transgressions were come to the full, before the Romans had commission to destroy Jerusalem and its temple, c.
***A king of fierce countenance*** — The *Roman government*, as before for *king* is often taken for *kingdom* or *empire*.
***Understanding dark sentences*** — Very learned and skilful in all things relating to government and its intrigues. The *learning* of Rome is proverbial to the present time.

Verse [Daniel 8:24](../../../kjv/daniel/8/24). ***But not by his own power*** — The strength of the other kingdoms consisted in themselves; but the Roman empire, as a *horn* or *kingdom* of the *goat*, was *not mighty by its own power* - was not strong by virtue of the *goat*, but drew its nourishment and strength from Rome and Italy. There grew the trunk and body of the tree; though the branches extended over Greece, Asia, Syria, and Egypt. - Bp. *Newton*.
***Shall destroy wonderfully*** — In the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans *ninety-seven thousand* Jews were made captives, and *eleven* *hundred thousand* were slain. So they destroyed this once mighty and holy people!

Verse [Daniel 8:25](../../../kjv/daniel/8/25). ***He shall cause craft to prosper*** — They subdued as many by their *diplomatic skill* and *political intrigues* as they did by the *sword*.
***He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes*** — Against *Christ*; for it was by the *Roman* authority that he was condemned to death and crucified; and their persecutions had nearly destroyed the Christian religion; but the house was founded on a *rock*.
***But he shall be broken without hand.*** — The tide was turned by the invisible hand of God; and thus heathen Rome was overcome, and converted to Christianity.

Verse [Daniel 8:26](../../../kjv/daniel/8/26). ***The vision of the evening and the morning which was**********told is true*** — That mentioned in [Daniel 8:14](../../../kjv/daniel/8/14).
***For it*****shall be*****for many days.*** — Not less than *two thousand three* *hundred* years!

Verse [Daniel 8:27](../../../kjv/daniel/8/27). ***Daniel fainted*** — To foresee the desolations that were coming on the land, the city, the temple, and the people.
***Did the king's business*** — Transacted the affairs of state that belonged to my department, after having been sick for certain days through the effects of this vision. He had a pious and feeling heart; and he was distressed for the desolations that were coming upon his people.

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