Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 8:5
And as I was considering, behold, a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.
5. considering ] paying attention, reflecting ( ): not, as in Dan 7:8 (where the word is a different one), contemplating.
a he goat ] For the he-goat (though the Heb. word is different), the leader of the flock, as a symbol of a prince or ruler, cf. Isa 14:9; Isa 34:6; Eze 39:18; Zec 10:3.
on ] over; its course carried it over the whole earth (the hyperbole, as in Dan 4:1, though it is true that Alexander penetrated further to the east than any Assyrian or Babylonian king of whom we know). Cf. 1Ma 1:3, where it is said of him that he ‘went through to the ends of the earth’ ( ).
and touched not the ground ] as though flying, such was the incredible rapidity of its course. The Heb. is properly, ‘and there was none touching the earth,’ a more graphic and forcible expression than simply, ‘and it touched not the earth.’ One is reminded involuntarily of Homer’s description of the horses of Erichthonius ( Il. xx. 226 9), and of Vergil’s of the huntress Camilla ( Aen. vii. 807 811, ‘Illa vel intactae segetis,’ &c.).
a notable horn ] a conspicuous horn; lit. a horn of sight. Explained in Dan 8:21 to signify Alexander.
Alexander the Great crossed the Hellespont in the spring of b.c. 334. Having routed the Persian forces, which had assembled to oppose his advance, at the Granicus, he marched through Asia Minor, receiving the submission of many cities and peoples; and in Nov. b.c. 333, defeated Darius Codomannus, with great loss, at Issus, on the E. border of Cilicia. Having reduced Tyre (July 332), he marched through Palestine and conquered Egypt, founding in memory of the event the afterwards celebrated city of Alexandria. In 331 he crossed the Euphrates, and gave the final blow to the power of Persia at Arbla, a little E. of Nineveh. Having made a triumphal entry into Babylon, he took possession of Persepolis and Susa, the two official capitals of the Persian kings. Darius meanwhile had fled into Bactria, where he was slain by conspirators; and Alexander, pursuing after him (330), secured only his corpse. Alexander then started for the further East. First, he invaded Hyrcania (on the S. of the Caspian Sea), then he passed on to Bactria and Sogdiana, after which, retracing his steps, he crossed (327) the Indus, and found himself in the country now called the Punjaub. Defeating Porus, a powerful Indian king, he subjugated the country; and then, with a large fleet, sailed down the Indus to its mouth. Thence (326) he returned through Gedrosia and Carmania (N. of the Persian Gulf) to Persepolis; and afterwards (325) to Susa. In 324 he was again in Babylon. There ambassadors from Greece and other parts were waiting to salute him, and greet him as the conqueror of Asia. He was planning further conquests, in particular, an expedition into Arabia, when he was seized with a fever, which after 11 days carried him off (June 28, b.c. 323), at the early age of 32.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
5 7. A he-goat, with a conspicuous horn between its eyes, appearing from the west, attacked the ram, and beat it down to the ground. The empire of the Greeks; the horn (cf. Dan 8:21) being Alexander the Great.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And as I was considering – As I was looking on this vision. It was a vison which would naturally attract attention, and one which would not be readily understood. It evidently denoted some combined power that was attempting conquest, but we are not to suppose that Daniel would readily understand what was meant by it. The whole scene was future – for the Medo-Persian power was not yet consolidated in the time of Belshazzar, and the conquests represented by the ram continued through many years, and those denoted by the he-goat extended still much further into futurity.
Behold, an he-goat came from the west – In Dan 8:21, this is called the rough-goat, There can be no doubt as to the application of this, for in Dan 8:21 it is expressly said that it was the king of Grecia. The power represented is that of Greece when it was consolidated under Alexander the Great, and when he went forth to the subjugation of this vast Persian empire. It may serve to illustrate this, and to show the propriety of representing the Macedonian power by the symbol of a goat, to remark that this symbol is often found, in various ways, in connection with Macedon, and that, for some reason, the goat was used as emblematic of that power. A few facts, furnished to the editor of Calmets Dictionary, by Taylor Combe, Esq., will show the propriety of this allusion to Macedonia under the emblem of a goat, and that the allusion would be readily understood in after-times. They are condensed here from his account in Taylors Calmet, v. 410-412.
(1) Caranus, the first king of the Macedonians, commenced his reign 814 years before the Christian era. The circumstance of his being led by goats to the city of Edessa, the name of which, when he established there the seat of his kingdom, he converted into AEgae, is well worthy of remark: Urbem Edessam, ob memoriam muneris AEgas populam AEgeadas. – Justin, lib. vii. c. 1. The adoption of the goat as an emblem of Macedon would have been early suggested by an important event in their history.
(2) Bronze figures of a goat have been found as the symbol of Macedon. Mr. Combe says, I have lately had an opportunity of procuring an ancient bronze figure of a goat with one horn, which was the old symbol of Macedon. As figures representing the types of ancient countries are extremely rare, and as neither a bronze nor marble symbol of Macedon has been hitherto noticed, I beg leave to trouble you with the few following observations, etc. He then says, The goat which is sent for your inspection was dug up in Asia Minor, and was brought, together with other antiquities, into this country by a poor Turk. The annexed engraving is a representation of this figure. The slightest inspection of this figure will show the propriety of the representation before us. Mr. Combe then says, Not only many of the individual towns in Macedon and Thrace employed this type, but the kingdom itself of Macedon, which is the oldest in Europe of which we have any regular and connected history, was represented also by a goat, with this peculiarity, that it had but one horn.
(3) In the reign of Amyntas the First, nearly 300 years after Caranus, and about 547 years before Christ, the Macedonians, upon being threatened with an invasion, became tributary to the Persians. In one of the pilasters of Persepolis, this very event seems to be recorded in a manner that throws considerable light on this subject. A goat is represented with an immense horn growing out of the middle of his forehead, and a man in a Persian dress is seen by his side, holding the horn with his left hand, by which is signified the subjection of Macedon. The subjoined is the figure referred to, and it strikingly shows how early this symbol was used.
(4) In the reign of Archelaus of Macedon, 413 b.c., there occurs on the reverse of a coin of that king the head of a goat having only one horn. Of this coin, so remarkable for the single horn, there are two varieties, one (No. 1) engraved by Pellerin, and the oth. er (No. 2) preserved in the cabinet of the late Dr. W. Hunter.
(5) There is a gem, says Mr. Combe, engraved in the Florentine collection, which, as it confirms what has been already said, and has not hitherto been understood, I think worthy of mention. It will be seen by the drawing of this gem that nothing more or less is meant by the rams head with two horns, and the goats head with one, than the kingdoms of Persia and Macedon, represented under their appropriate symbols. From the circumstance, however; of these characteristic types being united, it is extremely probable that the gem was engraved after the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. These remarks and illustrations will show the propriety of the symbol used here, and show also how readily it would be understood in after-times. There is no evidence that Daniel understood that this ever had been a symbol of Mace-donia, or that, if he had, he could have conjectured, by any natural sagacity, that a power represented by that symbol would have become the conqueror of Media and Persia, and every circumstance, therefore, connected with this only shows the more clearly that he was under the influence of inspiration. It is affirmed by Josephus (Ant. b. xi. ch. viii.) that when Alexander was at Jerusalem, the prophecies of Daniel respecting him were shown to him by the high priest, and that this fact was the means of his conferring important favors on the Jews. If such an event occurred, the circumstances here alluded to show how readily Alexander would recognize the reference to his own country, and to himself, and how probable the account of Josephus is, that this was the means of conciliating him toward the Jewish people. The credibilty of the account, which has been called in question, is examined in Newton on the Prophecies, pp. 241-246.
On the face of the whole earth – He seemed to move over the whole world – well representing the movements of Alexander, who conquered the known world, and who is said to have wept because there were no other worlds to conquer.
And touched not the ground – Margin, none touched him in the earth. The translation in the text, however, is more correct than that in the margin. He seemed to bound along as if he did not touch the ground – denoting the rapidity of his movements and conquests. A similar description of great beauty occurs in Virgil, AEn. vii. 806, following of Camillia:
Cursu pedum pravertere ventos.
Illa vel intactae segetis per summa volaret
Gramina, nec teneras cursu laesisset aristas,
Vel mare per medium fluctu suspensa tumenti
Ferretiter, celeres nec tingeret aequore plantas
Nothing would better express the rapid conquests of Alexander the Great than the language employed by Daniel. He died at the early age of thirty-three, and having been chosen generalissimo of the Greeks against the Persians at the age of twenty-one, the whole period occupied by him in his conquests, and in his public life, was but twelve years; yet in that time he brought the world in subjection to his arms. A single glance at his rapid movements will show the propriety of the description here. In the year 334 b.c., he invaded Persia, and defeated the Persians in the battle of the Granicus; in the year 333, he again defeated them at the battle of Issus, and conquered Parthia, Bactria, Hyrcania, Sogdiana, and Asia Minor. In the year 332, he conquered Tyre and Egypt, and built Alexandria. In the year 331, he defeated Darius Codomanus, and in 330 completed the conquest of the Persian empire. In the year 328, he defeated Porus, king of India, and pursued his march to the Ganges. In these few years, therefore, he had overrun nearly all the then known world, in conquests more rapid and more decisive than had ever before been made.
And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes – The goat represented the Macedonian power, and all this power was concentrated in the person of Alexander – undoubtedly denoted by the single horn – as if all the power of Greece was concentrated in him. The margin is, a horn of sight. This corresponds with the Hebrew – the word rendered notable ( chazut) meaning, properly, look, appearance, and then something conspicuous or remarkable. The literal translation would be, a horn of appearance; that is, conspicuous, large – Gesenius, Lexicon
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 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 , 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, Da 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An he-goat; Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia and all Greece, called a he-goat because the Greeks were called geans, as was their sea, that country and its islands abounding in goats, as the word signifies, goatish. The word
he-goat signifies a
young he-goat; for so was Alexander, called pellaeus juvenis. The he-goat goes before the flock, Jer 1:8. This notes him to be the Grecian captain and leader. This he-goat answers to the belly and thighs of the image, and to the leopard and third beast.
On the face of the whole earth, i.e. in that part of Asia where he opposed Xerxes, and overran all the Eastern empire.
Touched not the ground; therefore called a
leopard with wings, for he conquered with incredible swiftness in a short time, for in six years space he overcame the Medes and Persians, Babylon, Egypt, and all the countries round far and near; as if he had but travelled over them, he so came, saw, and overcame them.
A notable horn between his eyes: this was Alexander the Great, the western emperor. Creatures that have one horn are therefore strong, as the monoceros or unicorn, Num 23:22.
Between his eyes, noting his power and policy; also his wise council, captains, and conduct, as Parmenio, Clitus, Philotes, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. he-goatGrco-Macedonia.
notable hornAlexander.”Touched not . . . ground,” implies the incredibleswiftness of his conquests; he overran the world in less than twelveyears. The he-goat answers to the leopard (Da7:6). Caranus, the first king of Macedonia, was said to have beenled by goats to Edessa, which he made the seat of his kingdom,and called ge, that is, “goat-city.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And as I was considering,…. The ram, and the strange things done by him; wondering that a creature of so little strength, comparatively with other beasts, should be able to do such exploits: and thinking with himself what should be the meaning of all this, and what would be the issue of it,
behold, an he goat came from the west; which is interpreted of the king or kingdom of Grecia, which lay to the west of Persia; and a kingdom may be said to do what one of its kings did; particularly Alexander, king of Macedon, in Greece, who, with the Grecian army under him, marched from thence to fight the king of Persia; and which might be signified by a “he goat”, because of its strength, its comeliness in walking, and its being the guide and leader of the flock: and also it is remarkable, that the arms of Macedon, or the ensigns carried before their armies, were a goat, ever since the days of Caranus; who following a flock of goats, was directed to Edessa, a city of Macedon, and took it; and from this circumstance of the goats called it Aegeas, and the people Aegeades, which signifies “goats”; and put the goat in his arms q.
On the face of the whole earth; all that lay between Greece and Persia, all Asia; yea, all the whole world, at least as Alexander thought, who wept because there was not another world to conquer: hence Juvenal says r, “unus Pelloeo juveni non sufficit orbis”; one world was not enough for this young man.
And touched not the ground; as he went; he seemed rather to fly in the air than to walk upon the earth; with such swiftness did Alexander run over the world, and make his conquests: in six or eight years time he conquered the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, Babylon, Egypt, and all the neighbouring nations; and afar off, Greece, Thrace, Illyricum, and even the greatest part of the then known world: hence the third or Grecian monarchy under him is said to be like a leopard, with four wings of a fowl on its back s, [See comments on Da 7:6] he conquered countries as soon almost as another could have travelled over them; in his marches he was swift and indefatigable. Aelianus t reports, that he marched, clad in armour, thrice four hundred, that is, twelve hundred furlongs, upon a stretch; and, before his army could take any rest, fought his enemies, and conquered them. Some render the words, “whom no man touched in the earth” u; that is, none could oppose, resist, and stop him; he bore down and carried all before him; there was no coming at him, so as to touch him, or hurt him; he was so swift in his motions, and so powerful in his army.
And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes; or, “a horn of vision”: which in Da 8:21 is interpreted of the first king of Greece, that is, when it became a monarchy; who was Alexander the great; and very properly called a “horn”, being possessed of great power and authority; and a notable one, very remarkable and famous, as he has been in all ages since: “a horn of vision” w as it may be rendered; a very visible and conspicuous one, to be seen afar off, and which attracted the eyes of all unto it: its situation was “between the eyes of the goat”, denoting his sagacity, wisdom, prudence, craft, and cunning; being attended and surrounded with his father Philip’s wise counsellors as Parmenio, Philotas, Clitus, and others. It is remarkable that by the Arabs Alexander is called Dulcarnaim, or Dhilcarnain; that is, one having two horns x: the reason of which was, he affected to be the son of Jupiter Hammon, and therefore at feasts and public entertainments would put on the purple and horns of Hammon: hence, as Clemens of Alexandria observes y, he is by the statuaries represented as horned, or wearing horns; but then, as Arnobius z and others take notice, Hammon is made by the painters and statuaries to have ram’s horns; whereas it seems more likely that Alexander’s were goat’s horns, since the goat was in the arms of Macedon; and so Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who mimicked Alexander in his armour, is said to have goat’s horns on his helmet, upon the top of his crest a; and to such ensigns is the allusion here.
q Justin ex Trogo, l. 7. c. 1. r Satyr. 10. s Alexander was remarkable for the agility of his body, as appeared by his mounting his horse Bucephalus (Plutarch in Vita Alexandri), to the admiration of his father, and all that beheld him; as well as famous for the quick marches of his army, and his very swift and expeditious execution of his signs. “Plurimum pedum celeritate pollebat”; he greatly excelled in swiftness of foot, says the historian: and again, “armatusque de navi, tripudianti similis prosiluit”; he leaped armed out of the ship like one that danced (Suppl. in Curt. l. 1. p. 16. l. 2. p. 26) And he himself, speaking of the countries he had conquered, says, “quas tanta velocitate domuimus”: and elsewhere, “cujus velocitatem nemo valuisset effugere”. And of Bessus it is said, that “Alexandri celeritate perterritus”. And Cobares, the magician calls him “velocissimus rex” (Curt. Hist. l. 6. c. 3. l. 7. c. 4. 7.). And another historian says (Justin ex Trogo, l. 11. c. 2. l. 12. c. 9.) that having observed the enemy’s city forsook by them, “sine ullo satellite desiliit in planitiem urbis”: and again, “tanta celeritate instructo paraloque exercitu Graeciam oppressi ut quem venire non senserant, videre se vix crederant”. t Var. Hist. l. 10. c. 4. u quem neme attingebat in terra, Junius Tremellius. w “cornu visionis”, Montanus “visibile sive visendum”, Vatablus “conspicuum”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. x See Gregory, de Aeris & Epochis, c. 11. p. 158, 159. y Protreptic. ad Gentes, p. 36. z Adv. Gentes, l. 6. p. 233. a Plutarch. in Vita Pyrrhi.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here another change is shown to the Prophet, namely, Alexander’s coming to the east and acquiring. for himself the mighty sway of the Persians, as afterwards happened. With the view, then, of procuring confidence for his prediction, he says, he was attentive He doubtless dwells upon the reverence with which he received the vision to exhort us to the pursuit of piety, and also to modesty and attention. The Prophet, therefore, was not carried away in imagination by a dream which could be called in question; he knew this vision to have been set before him by God, and acknowledged his duty to receive it with modesty and humility. Wherefore, I was attentive, and behold a he-goat came forth from the west, says he. The situation of Macedon with respect to Persia must be noticed. As the Greeks were situated to the west, of Persia, the Prophet says, the he-goat came from the west, and went over the surface of the whole earth These words signify the very extensive dominion of Alexander, aid. the terror of surrounding nations. His arrival in Asia with a very insignificant army is well known. He thought 30,000 men sufficient, after he had been created their general by the States of Greece. Hence, the passage is to be understood not of numbers, but of the terror inspired on all sides; for, although he advanced with but a moderate force, yet he terrified the whole earth.
But he did not touch the ground, says he. This refers to his swiftness, for he rather flew than traveled either on foot or by sea, so incredible was his speed in this expedition. For if any one had galloped through regions completely at peace, he could not have passed through Asia more speedily. Hence a he-goat was shewn to the Prophet who did not touch the ground, that is, who was borne along with a rapid impulse, like that of lightning itself. And the goat had a horn, says he, between its eyes — a remarkable horn. We know how much glory Alexander acquired for himself in a short time, and yet he did not undertake the war in his own name, or on his own responsibility, but he used every artifice to obtain from the Grecian States the office of general-in-chief against the Persians, as perpetual enemies. We are well acquainted with the hostility of the Persians to the Greeks, who, though often compelled to retreat with great disgrace, and infamy, and loss of troops, still kept renewing the war, as they had abundance of men and of pecuniary resources. When Alexander was created general of the whole of Greece, he had a remarkable horn between his eyes; that is, he took care to have his title of general made known to increase his personal superiority. Besides, it was sufficiently prominent to constitute him alone general of the whole army, while all things were carried on according to his will, as he had undertaken the war. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet says, the horn was visible between the eyes of the goat It follows, It came to the ram, which had two horns; that is, it came against the king of the Medes and Persians. Cyrus also had seized on Babylon, and had subdued many kings, but two horns are assigned to the ram, since the Persian kings had united the Medes in alliance to themselves. Hence one he-goat with his horn, came against the ram which had two horns, and ran against it in the ardor of its bravery Thus the perseverance of Alexander is denoted, as he hastened so as to surpass all expectation by the speed of his arrival. For Darius continued in security, although he had collected a large army, but Alexander rushed forwards in the boldness of his strength, and surrounded the enemy by his celerity. It follows: —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) An he goat.This, according to Dan. 8:21, means the Greek empire, the large horn being the first king, or Alexander the Great. It may be remarked that the goat and the ram form the same contrast as the panther and the bear. Matchless activity is contrasted with physical strength and brutal fierceness.
Touched not the ground.An exact prediction of the early conquests of Alexander, all whose movements were characterised by marvellous rapidity. This is expressed by the wings of a fowl (Dan. 7:6).
A notable horn.See margin. This is explained (Dan. 8:21) to be Alexander himself.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. This he-goat was the Grecian empire impersonated in Alexander the Great (Dan 8:21), as the Babylonian in Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:38). The marvelous rapidity of Alexander’s conquests is well pictured by the goat which seemed to rush over the ground without touching it. (Compare the four-winged leopard, Dan 7:6.) The Grecian empire is symbolized as a goat with one notable or conspicuous horn, because it rose and reached its culmination in Alexander, who in a very few years conquered the entire world, and almost literally took possession of the face of the whole earth. The Arabic designation of Alexander as the “two horned” has no reference to this passage (Prince), but probably grew out of the Egyptian legend that he was the son of Amon, whose symbol was a ram. In the Syriac version of the pseudo-Callisthenes he is also given this title. (Compare Budge, History of Alexander.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Mighty He-Goat – The Greek Empire.
‘And as I was considering, behold a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a notable horn between its eyes.’
As we are specifically told later (Dan 8:21) this he-goat represents Greece, to the west of the Persian empire. Greece had been well known for centuries as a source of trade, and it had provided contingents of very effective mercenaries for foreign armies, including the Egyptian and Persian armies. ‘Over the face of the whole earth’ means the Mediterranean ‘earth’, but now stretching into Europe as well. ‘Did not touch the ground.’ They skimmed over the ground, demonstrating the speed of their conquests. The notable horn was no doubt Alexander the Great.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 8:5. An he-goat came from the west This is interpreted Dan 8:21 to be the king, or kingdom of Grecia. A goat is very properly made the type of the Grecian or Macedonian empire, because the Macedonians at first, about two hundred years before Daniel, were denominated AEgeadae or the goat’s people. The reason of their being so named is thus assigned. Caranus, their first king, going with a multitude of Greeks to seek new habitations in Macedonia, was commanded by the oracle to take the goats for his guides to empire; 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, made the goats his ensigns or standards, and called the place AEge, or AEgea, that is to say, The Goat’s Town, and the people, AEgeadae, or The Goat’s People; names which allude to, and are derived from the Greek word [aix] a goat. To this may be added, that the city AEgae or AEge was the usual burying-place for the Macedonian kings. It is also remarkable, that Alexander’s son by Roxana was named Alexander AEgus, or the son of the goat. Alexander himself ordered the statuaries to represent him with a horn upon his head, that he might appear to be the son of Jupiter Ammon; and some of Alexander’s successors are represented in their coins with goat’s horns. This he-goat came from the west; and who is ignorant that Europe lies westward of Asia? He came on the face of the whole earth, carrying every thing before him in all the three parts of the world then known. And he touched not the ground: his marches were so swift, and his conquests so rapid, that he might be said, in a manner, to fly over the whole earth without touching it. For the same reason, the same empire in chap. 7: was likened to a leopard, which is a swift noble animal; and, to denote the greater quickness and impetuosity, to a leopard with four wings. And the he-goat had a notable horn between his eyes. This horn, says the angel, is the first king, or kingdom, of the Greeks, in Asia, which was erected by Alexander the Great, and continued some years in his brother Philip Aridaeus, and his two young sons, Alexander AEgus, and Hercules. See Bishop Newton, p. 9, &c. Dr. Sharpe’s Rise and Fall, &c. p. 47 and Prideaux’s Connection, part 2: book 8: ann. 330.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The principal feature of this history, in the battle of rams and he-goats, (meaning the kings of the earth,) is what is said of this creature magnifying himself against the Prince of the host, even Jesus and his people. And the host given unto him, against the daily sacrifice, can mean no other than the obstruction given by the king to the ordinances of God’s house. The history of the Church confirms this. An Eastern monarch of the name of Antiochus, literally prohibited the Jews from this daily sacrifice, as we are informed in history.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.
Ver. 5. And as I was considering. ] Such as are studious shall see more of God’s mind. Rev 1:12
Behold, an he-goat came from the west,
And touched not the ground.
And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
a Josephus.
b Sic Darius dicitur Aiil – i.e., Aries Persiae, Hebraice et Chaldaice, Elam.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Dan 8:5-8
5While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power. 8Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Dan 8:5 a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground This refers to Greece (cf. Dan 8:21; Dan 11:3). Notice the speed of the victory (334-331 B.C.) and direction from which Alexander III, known as Alexander the Great, came. This parallels the leopard with four wings of Dan 7:6.
the surface of the whole earth This is a hyperbolic statement which refers to the known world of the day.
a conspicuous horn between his eyes This refers to Alexander III, known as Alexander the Great, who conquered the whole known world and died at the age of 32 (cf. Dan 8:8; Dan 8:21-22; Dan 11:4).
The term conspicuous (BDB 303) is very similar to the term vision (BDB 302) in Dan 8:1. In Isaiah it is used for a vision or oracle several times (cf. Isa 21:2; Isa 29:11). It means conspicuous only in this context (Dan 8:5; Dan 8:8).
Dan 8:6-7 rushed at him in his mighty wrath. . .and he was enraged at him We know that Persia, under Darius III, attacked Greece several times over the Hellespont (490 and 480 B.C.). This made Greece so angry that when Alexander finally crossed this narrow gap of water in 334 B.C. with thirty thousand soldiers and five thousand cavalry, he engaged the Persian army with over 600,000 soldiers and soundly defeated them several different times. Alexander would not make a peace treaty with Persia!
If one reads Daniel 8 alone, he would expect one decisive battle, but in fact, there were three major decisive battles. The prediction is true, but fuzzy (as are all apocalyptic details, see note at Dan 8:4).
Dan 8:8 the male goat magnified himself exceedingly See note at Dan 8:4-5.
the large horn was broken and in its place came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven This refers to the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.) in Babylon at the age of 32 or 33 caused by swamp fever. The unexpected, sudden death of Alexander caused great and prolonged conflict throughout his kingdom. The governors or generals who were dominant as separate regional satraps throughout his kingdom continued to maintain their control.
1. Antigonus in Asia
2. Demetrius in Greece
3. Ptolemy in Egypt
4. Cassander in Macedonia
5. Lysimachus in Thrace
6. Zipoetes in Bithynia
7. Mithradates in Pontus
8. Seleucus in Syria/Babylon
Of these eight power centers, Numbers 1, 3, , 8 became dominant.
I agree with E. J. Young that the four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven may be an idiom of universal rule not relating specifically to any four generals. Apocalyptic literature is designed to give an emotional general impression, not detailed facts of history.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
he goat = a leaper of the goats. The acknowledged symbol of Greece, as the ram was of Persia (see Dan 8:3), because the first colony was directed by an oracle to take a goat for a guide and build a city, which they did, and called it Egeae (from Aix = a goat). Figures of a goat are found to-day on ancient Macedonian monuments.
from the west. Hebrew. ma’rab. Not the place of origin, but the direction from it. In Dan 8:4 the Hebrew = to the west.
on = over.
notable = conspicuous.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 8:5
Dan 8:5 And as IH589 wasH1961 considering,H995 behold,H2009 an he goatH6842 H5795 cameH935 fromH4480 the westH4628 onH5921 the faceH6440 of the wholeH3605 earth,H776 and touchedH5060 notH369 the ground:H776 and the goatH6842 had a notableH2380 hornH7161 betweenH996 his eyes.H5869
Dan 8:5
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
As with the ram with the two horns, we are not left with any doubt as to the identity of the “he goat”. It is positively identified by Gabriel in Verse 21, “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king”. The first king of Greece as a world empire was Alexander the Great otherwise known as Alexander III of Macedon.
Alexander assumed the kingship of Macedon following the death of his father Philip II, who had unified most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian supremacy in a federation called the League of Corinth. The decisive battle of Philip’s conquest of Greece occurred in 338 BC at Chaeronea in Boeotia, when Philip beat the Athenians and their allies. The military feat that won the battle that day was a cavalry charge by his son, Alexander, who was only eighteen years old at the time. When Alexander’s father died in 336 BC at an assassin’s hand, Alexander quickly consolidated his power and set out to conquer the world at the age of twenty-one.
In 334 BC, Alexander crossed over into Asia Minor to begin a conquest of Persia. The Persian Empire covered most of the known world: Asia Minor, the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Iran. Alexander’s army numbered about thirty thousand infantry and only five thousand cavalry. He had no navy and he had no money.
Alexander moved quickly to gain a few sure victories, so he could gain money and supplies. He first focused on the coastal cities so that he could gain control of the ports. By doing that, the Persian navy had no place to make landfall. After cutting off the Persian navy, he took his conquest into the mainland of Asia Minor. Alexander was a ferocious warrior and accompanied his soldiers into the thickest parts of the battles. His troops grew intensely loyal to him as a result of his personal involvement in the hand to hand combat.
He quickly overran Asian Minor after defeating the Persian forces that controlled the territory, and after seizing all the coastal cities, he turned inland towards Syria in 333 BC. There he engaged the main Persian army under the leadership of king Darius. Alexander personally led a cavalry charge against him at a city called Issus. The Persians were a much larger force but were defeated anyway and they retreated towards Mesopotamia and left Alexander free to continue south. Alexander then seized the coastal towns along the Phoenician and Palestinian coasts. After that, he continued south and conquered Egypt.
Alexander then moved down the Phoenican coast and conquered the city of Tyre, which was the central headquarters of the Persian navy. When Tyre fell, Darius realized he would be unable to defeat Alexander and offered to give him all of the Persian Empire west of the Euphrates River, hoping to keep Mesopotamia, Persia and the northern territories.
Alexander refused the offer and in 331 BC, he crossed the Euphrates river into Mesopotamia. Darius met him near the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, the city that had been destroyed by the Chaldeans only three centuries earlier and was defeated by Alexander’s smaller force. In January of 330 BC, Alexander conquered Babylon which was the wealthiest city of the Persian Empire. Alexander, who had started with almost no resources had at his disposal the royal treasury of the Persian Empire. The fall of Babylon marked the end of the power of the Persian Empire. After that, Alexander moved through the rest of the territory with relative ease.
Having conquered what was then the known world, Alexander had pushed his army to the very limits of civilization as he knew it. But he saw that the world extended further and he wanted to go onward and everything he saw. Alexander and his army pushed east, through Scythia (northern Iran), and all the way to what is today known as Pakistan and India. He had conquered Bactria at the foot of the western Himalayas, gained a huge Bactrian army, and married a Bactrian princess named Roxane. But when he tried to push on past Pakistan, his army grew tired, and he abandoned the eastward conquest in 327 BC.
In 324 BC, Alexander returned to Babylon. He was at that time, literally, king of the known world, and began to lay down his strategies for consolidating his new empire. But his plans were never carried out because in 323 BC, at the age of thirty-three, he contracted a fever and died. Upon his death, the Greek Empire fell into a civil war while his most powerful generals fought over the territories and it was divided up into four distinct kingdoms.
Alexander had dominated the face of the whole earth” so rapidly that his feet seemed to never touch the ground. The term, “the whole earth” is an apocalyptic figure for all of the known world to those who would first read Daniel’s account. In their perception, it was the whole earth. Alexander and his armies moved so fast that he conquered the greater part of that world of antiquity which skirted the Mediterranean Sea by 327 BC. Alexander began his reign in Macedonia in 336 BC. Nine years later, he had successfully conquered all of the Medo-Persian Empire and brought it under Grecian rule. This Grecian Empire, is the same as the brass of Nebuchadnezzars dream in chapter two and the leopard of Daniels dream-vision of chapter seven.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
an he goat: Dan 8:21, Dan 2:32, Dan 2:39, Dan 7:6
touched not the ground: or, none touched him in the earth, a notable horn. Heb. an horn of sight. Alexander the Great. Dan 8:8, Dan 8:21, Dan 11:3
Reciprocal: Num 24:24 – Chittim Dan 10:20 – the prince of Grecia Act 4:16 – a notable
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 8:5. Daniel was interested in the event he had just seen and wras thinking over it when another sight came before him. A he goat was selected by the Lord, that animal being rougher and stronger and better adapted to the action about to take place. The goat represented the Greek or Macedonian Empire which was the third of the world empires we have been reading about. Like the Babylonian Empire, its first king was not its greatest. The first of the Babylonian rulers was Nabopoiassar, but its greatest one was Nebuchadnezzar. The first ruler of the Macedonian Empire was Philip of Macedon, but by far its greatest one was his son Alexander, represented by a notable horn. In symbolic literature a horn represents power and authority, and Alexander surely possessed both. Touched not the ground is figurative and refers to the swiftness of Alexanders march across the Persian dominions. He covered that vast territory in twelve years with very little resistance.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 8:5. As I was considering, behold, a he-goat, &c. This is interpreted, Dan 8:21, to be the king, or kingdom, of Grecia. A goat is very properly made the type of the Grecian or Macedonian empire; because the Macedonians at first, about two hundred years before Daniel, were denominated gead, or the goats people; and upon this occasion, as heathen authors report: Caranus, their first king, going with a great multitude of Greeks to seek new habitations in Macedonia, was commanded by the oracle to take the goats for his guides to empire: and afterward, seeing a herd of goats flying from a violent storm, he followed them to Edessa, and there fixed the seat of his empire, made the goats his ensigns, or standards, and called the city ge, or, The Goats Town, and the people gead, or, The goats people. And to this may be added, that the city ge, or g, was the usual burying-place of the Macedonian kings. It is also very remarkable, that Alexanders son, by Roxana, was named Alexander gus, or the son of the goat; and some of Alexanders successors are represented on their coins with goats horns. This he-goat came from the west; and who is ignorant that Europe lies westward of Asia? He came on the face of the whole earth, carrying every thing before him in all the three parts of the world then known; and he touched not the ground His marches were so swift, and his conquests so rapid, that he might be said, in a manner, to fly over the ground without touching it. For the same reason, the same empire, in the former vision, was likened to a leopard, which is a swift, nimble animal; and, to denote the greater quickness and impetuosity, to a leopard with four wings. He flew, says Dean Prideaux, with victory, swifter than others can travel; often with his horse pursuing his enemies upon the spur whole days and nights; and sometimes making long marches for several days one after the other, as once he did in pursuit of Darius, of near forty miles a day, for eleven days together. So that, by the speed of his marches, he came upon his enemies before they were aware of him, and conquered them before they could be in a posture to resist him. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes This horn, says the angel, is the first king, or kingdom, of the Greeks in Asia, which was erected by Alexander the Great, and continued for some years in his brother, Philip Aridus, and his two young sons, Alexander gus and Hercules. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:5 And as I was considering, behold, {f} an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable {g} horn between his eyes.
(f) Meaning Alexander that came from Greece with great speed and warlike undertaking.
(g) Even though he came in the name of all Greece, yet he bore the title and dignity of the general captain, so that the strength was attributed to him, which is meant by this horn.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
3. The goat 8:5-8
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The text also identifies the male goat-goats are relatives of sheep-in this vision as representing Greece (Dan 8:21). History has confirmed the identification. Alexander the Great is clearly the conspicuous horn. Normally goats have two horns, so this goat was unusual. Under Alexander, the Greek armies advanced quickly from the west against Persia.
"Alexander’s conquest of the entire Near and Middle East within three years stands unique in military history and is appropriately portrayed by the lightning speed of this one-horned goat. Despite the immense numerical superiority of the Persian imperial forces and their possession of military equipment like war elephants, the tactical genius of young Alexander, with his disciplined Macedonian phalanx, proved decisive." [Note: Archer, "Daniel," p. 97.]