Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 8:21
And the rough goat [is] the king of Greece: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
21. the rough he – goat ] Dan 8:5. The word rendering ‘rough’ ( s‘r), treated as a subst., is the usual old Hebrew word for a he-goat (Gen 37:31, &c.): the word here rendered ‘he-goat’ ( phr) being properly the Aramaic word for the same animal (Ezr 6:17, and in the Targums), and being found in Heb. only in late passages ( Dan 8:5 ; Dan 8:8; 2Ch 29:21; Ezr 8:35). Perhaps, therefore, s‘r is not intended here to be an adj., but is simply the old Heb. synonym of phr, added by way of explanation; and the whole expression should be rendered simply the he-goat.
Grecia ] or, as we should now say, Greece. So Dan 10:20; Dan 11:2 (but Zec 9:13 ‘Greece’); and similarly Grecians for Greeks, Joe 3:6, Act 6:1 al. The Heb. (both here and elsewhere) is Yavan, Gen 10:2; Gen 10:4 = 1Ch 1:5; 1Ch 1:7; Isa 66:19; Eze 27:13; Eze 27:19 (?), i.e. , – , the name by which the ‘Greeks’ were known also to the Assyrians and Egyptians. The reason is to be found in the fact that the ‘Ionians’ on the west coast of Asia Minor were that branch of the Greeks which was the earliest to develope civilization, and to engage extensively in commerce; it was thus the first to become generally known in the Eastern world.
the first king ] i.e. Alexander the Great.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the rough goat – See the notes at Dan 8:5. In Dan 8:5 he is called a he-goat. Here the word rough or hairy – s’ayr – is applied to it. This appellation is often given to a goat Lev 4:24; Lev 16:9; Gen 37:31. It would seem that either term – a he-goat, or a hairy-goat – would serve to designate the animal, and it is probable that the terms were used indiscriminately.
Is the king of Grecia – Represents the king of Greece. The word here rendered Grecia ( yavan) denotes usually and properly Ionia, the western part of Asia Minor; but this name was extended so as to embrace the whole of Greece. See Aristoph. Acharn. 504, ibique Schol.; AEschyl. Pers. 176, 561; Gesenius, Lexicon Latin Vulgate and Theodotion, here render it the king of the Grecians, and there can be no doubt that the royal power among the Greeks is here referred to. See the notes at Dan 8:5.
And the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king – Alexander the Great. The first that consolidated the whole power, and that was known in the East as the king of Greece. So he is expressly called in 1 Macc. 1:1: The first over Greece. Philip, his father, was opposed in his attempts to conquer Greece, and was defeated. Alexander invaded Greece, burned Thebes, compelled the Athenians to submit, and was declared generalissimo of the Grecian forces against the Persians.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The king of Grecia; of Javan, or Ion, or Joan, which properly is Asia the Less, which was inhabited by Javan, Gen 10:2, but spread over all Greece, and all spake Greek, and the sea was thence called the Ionian Sea, See more in Bochart.
The first king, i.e. Alexander the Great; called the Great from his great power, success, and possessions; and the
first king, i.e. in Asia, and by his exploits and victories over the Persian monarchy; for else there were other kings of Greece before him, but none of them in the sense aforesaid.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. the first kingPhilip wasking of Macedon before Alexander, but the latter was the first who,as a generalissimo of Greece, subdued the Persian empire.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia,…. Including all the kings of it, from Alexander to the end of the Grecian monarchy; or rather the kingdom of Greece, which began in him, and continued until it was destroyed by the Romans: this was signified by the rough or hairy goat, especially when Alexander was at the head of it, for his strength and prowess, his swiftness in his marches over rocks and mountains, his majesty and grandeur, and also his lust and uncleanness;
[See comments on Da 8:5]:
and the great host that is between his eyes is the first king; this is Alexander, who, though he was not the first king of Macedon, his father Philip, and others, were kings before him; yet was the first king of the Grecian monarchy, which took place on the Persian monarchy being destroyed by him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
By the word “Javan” the Hebrews designate not only the Greeks but the: Macedonians, and the whole of that tract which is divided by the Hellespont, from Asia Minor as far as Illyricmn. Therefore the meaning is — the king of Greece.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
Ver. 21. And the rough goat. ] Hirtus hircus. See on Dan 8:5 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
is = representeth. It is the Figure of speech Metaphor (App-6).
king: or, kingdom.
Grecia = Greece.
is the first king = representeth the first king: i.e. Alexander the Great (Dan 8:5).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 8:21
Dan 8:21 And the roughH8163 goatH6842 is the kingH4428 of Grecia:H3120 and the greatH1419 hornH7161 thatH834 is betweenH996 his eyesH5869 is the firstH7223 king.H4428
Dan 8:21
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Alexander the Great
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
first king
i.e. Alexander the Great.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the rough: Dan 8:5-7, Dan 10:20
the great: Dan 8:8, Dan 11:3
Reciprocal: Num 24:24 – Chittim Isa 23:15 – one king Jer 48:25 – horn Eze 27:13 – Javan Dan 7:6 – lo Zec 9:13 – against
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 8:21. King of Grecia means the royalty in general, for a particular one of the kings will be alluded to at the erd of the verse. First king is explained at verse 5.