SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:1
¶ En el año tercero del reinado del rey Belsasar, me apareció una visión a mí, Daniel, después de aquella que me había aparecido antes.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Daniel 8:1
Verse 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 chap. ii. 4 to the end of chap. vii., 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar , etc.] Which some say was the last year of his reign; but, according to Ptolemy’s canon, he reigned seventeen years; and so says Josephus f308 ; however, this, as well as the preceding vision, were seen before what happened recorded in the “fifth” and “sixth” chapters. The following vision was seen by Daniel, according to Bishop Usher and Dean Prideaux in the year of the world 3451 A.M., and 553 B.C. Mr. Bedford places it in 552 B.C.; and Mr. Whiston f312 , very wrongly, in 537 B.C., two years after the death of Belshazzar. The prophet having, in the preceding chapters, related what concerned the Chaldeans, he wrote in the Chaldee language; but now, henceforward, writing of things which concerned the Jews more especially, and the church and people of God in later times, he writes in the Hebrew tongue. A vision appeared unto me, even to me Daniel ; and not another; which is said for the certainty of it; whether it was seen by him waking, or in a dream, as the former vision, is not certain; it seems rather as if he was awake at first, though he afterwards fell prostrate to the ground, and into a deep sleep; yet the Syriac version takes it to be a dream, and so renders the first clause of the next verse: “after that which appeared to me at the first”; at the beginning of Belshazzar’s reign, in the first year of it, recorded in the preceding chapter; which was concerning the four monarchies in general, and particularly concerning the fourth or Roman monarchy, of which a large account is given; and the Chaldean monarchy being near at an end, here the two monarchies between, namely, the Persian and Grecian, are in this vision described.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Daniel's vision of the ram and the he-goat. (Dan. 8:1-14) The interpretation of it. (Dan. 8:15-27) Dan. 8:1-14 God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of othe kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Coul we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns wa the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcom by a he-goat. This was Alexander the Great. Alexander, when abou thirty-three years of age, and in his full strength, died, and showe the vanity of worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a ma happy. While men dispute, as in the case of Alexander, respecting the death of some prosperous warrior, it is plain that the great Firs Cause of all had no more of his plan for him to execute, and therefor cut him off. Instead of that one great horn, there came up four notabl ones, Alexander's four chief captains. A little horn became a grea persecutor of the church and people of God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed out. It prospered, and at one tim nearly destroyed the holy religion God's right hand had planted. It is just with God to deprive those of the privileges of his house wh despise and profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances by the want of them, who would not know it by the enjoymen of them. Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and determined but not the time when it should come. If we would know the mind of God we must apply to Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdo and knowledge; not hid from us, but hid for us. There is muc difficulty as to the precise time here stated, but the end of it cannot be very distant. God will, for his own glory, see to the cleansing of the church in due time. Christ died to cleanse his church; and he wil so cleanse it as to present it blameless to himself.
Dan. 8:15-27 The eternal Son of God stood before the prophet in the appearance of a man, and directed the angel Gabriel to explain the vision. Daniel's fainting and astonishment at the prospect of evils he saw coming on his people and the church, confirm the opinion tha long-continued calamities were foretold. The vision being ended, charge was given to Daniel to keep it private for the present. He kep it to himself, and went on to do the duty of his place. As long as we live in this world we must have something to do in it; and even thos whom God has most honoured, must not think themselves above their business. Nor must the pleasure of communion with God take us from the duties of our callings, but we must in them abide with God. All who ar intrusted with public business must discharge their trust uprightly and, amidst all doubts and discouragements, they may, if tru believers, look forward to a happy issue. Thus should we endeavour to compose our minds for attending to the duties to which each is appointed, in the church and in the world __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
בשׁנת 8141 שׁלושׁ 7969 למלכות 4438 בלאשׁצר 1112 המלך 4428 חזון 2377 נראה 7200 אלי 413 אני 589 דניאל 1840 אחרי 310 הנראה 7200 אלי 413 בתחלה׃ 8462
