8:5 While I was contemplating all this, 1 a male goat 2 was coming from the west over the surface of all the land 3 without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn 4 between its eyes.
1 tn The words “all this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
2 tn Heb “and behold, a he-goat of the goats.”
3 tn Or “of the whole earth” (NAB, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
4 tn Heb “a horn of vision” [or “conspicuousness”], i.e., “a conspicuous horn,” one easily seen.
5 tn The word “horns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
6 sn The four conspicuous horns refer to Alexander’s successors. After his death, Alexander’s empire was divided up among four of his generals: Cassander, who took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus, who took Thrace and parts of Asia Minor; Seleucus, who took Syria and territory to its east; and Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt.
7 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.