Commentary on Daniel - Volume 2

1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me Daniel, in addition to the vision previously offered to me.

2I saw in a vision, and while I was seeing, I happened to be in Susan the capital, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in a vision, and behold I was near the river Ulai.

3Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, A single ram stood before the river; it had two horns: The horns were lofty, and one was higher than the other, And this lofty one grew up last.

4I saw the ram butting westward, and northward, and southward; No beasts could stand before him: No one could snatch anything from his hand: Thus he did according to his pleasure, and magnified himself.

5And I was attentive, and behold! A he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, And yet he never touched the ground: The goat, too, had a remarkable horn between its eyes.

6Then he approached the ram possessing the two horns, which I had seen standing on the river’s bank, And he ran at him with the fury of his bravery.

7Then I saw him approach the ram, and exasperate himself against him, He smote the ram, and broke both his horns; The ram had no power to stand before his face: For he threw the ram upon the ground and trampled upon him, And no one could deliver the ram from his power.

8Then the he-goat magnified himself amazingly; And when he was in his strength, his mighty horn was broken; The four conspicuous ones arose in its place towards the four winds of heaven.

9And from one of these came forth a single small horn, And magnified himself surprisingly towards the south, and the east, and the desirable land.

10Then it magnified itself towards the heavenly army, And it cast down upon the earth some of that army and of the stars, and trampled upon them.

11Besides this, it magnified itself against the prince of the army, and the continual sacrifice was removed from him, and the place of his sanctuary was profaned.

12And time was given to the continual sacrifice, in consequence of wickedness, and it shall cast forth truth upon the ground, and shall succeed, and fare prosperously.

13Then I heard a holy one speaking, And the speaking holy one said to the wonderful one, How long will the vision of the perpetual sacrifice, and the desolating wickedness be permitted to last? How long will the sanctuary and the army be trampled down?

14And he said to me, Unto evenings and mornings 2300: Then the sanctuary shall be re-cleansed.

15know it happened while I Daniel was gazing on the vision, and was seeking intelligence, Behold! there stood before me as it were the appearance of a man.

16Then I heard a man’s voice in Ulai, which cried, and said, Gabriel, teach this man the vision.

17Then he approached my standing-place; And at his arrival I was frightened and fell upon my face, Then he said to me, Understand, O son of man; Because the vision is for a definite time.

18Moreover, while he was talking to me, I swooned away with my face to the ground; then he touched me, and restored me to my place as before.

19Then he said, Behold! I will inform thee of what shall happen at the close of the indignation: For the end of the period is determined.

20The ram which thou sawest with two horns, represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.

21The he-goat is the king of Greece, (Jayan,) and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

22But this was broken, and as four horns stood forth in its stead, so four kingdoms shall arise out of the nation, yet not to be compared with him in strength.

23And at the end of their kingdom, when these wicked ones have departed, a king shall exist, fierce of countenance, and skilled in enigmas.

24And his fortitude shall be strengthened, but not by his own strength: He shall overthrow wonderfully, and prosper, and succeed, and destroy the mighty, and the people of the holy ones.

25And according to his intelligence his craft shall prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in peace he shall destroy multitudes. Even against the prince of princes shall he stand up, and shall be broken without hand.

26The vision of the morning and evening which has been pronounced is truth. Do thou therefore seal up the vision, because it extends to many days.

27Then I Daniel suffered deep sorrow and languor for some days: Yet I rose and did the king’s business; I was struck with astonishment at the vision, yet no one perceived it.