Daniel 7:7

7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 1  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 2  It had two large rows 3  of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.

Daniel 7:20

7:20 I also wanted to know 4  the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes 5  and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 6 

Daniel 8:7

8:7 I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram 7  and struck it 8  and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. 9  The goat hurled the ram 10  to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power. 11 

1 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.

2 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.

3 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.

4 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

5 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.

6 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”

7 tn Heb “him.”

8 tn Heb “the ram.”

9 tn Heb “stand before him.”

10 tn Heb “he hurled him.” The referents of both pronouns (the male goat and the ram) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

11 sn The goat of Daniel’s vision represents Greece; the large horn represents Alexander the Great. The ram stands for Media-Persia. Alexander’s rapid conquest of the Persians involved three battles of major significance which he won against overwhelming odds: Granicus (334 B.C.), Isus (333 B.C.), and Gaugemela (331 B.C.).