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Contemporary English Version

Daniel 8:4

The ram went charging toward the west, the north, and the south. No other animals were strong enough to oppose him, and nothing could save them from his power. So he did as he pleased and became even more powerful.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Horn;   The Topic Concordance - Empires/world Powers;   Last Days;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Beasts;   Medo-Persian Kingdom;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Alexander;   Darius;   Macedonia;   Shushan;   Vision;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apocalyptic literature;   Vision;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Allegory;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Persia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Daniel, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Thessalonians, Second Epistle to the;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Horns;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Darius;   Persia;   Ulai;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Alexander;   Cyrus;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deliver;   Gore;   Mystery;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Apocalypse;   Jose the Galilean;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.
Hebrew Names Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
King James Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
English Standard Version
I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
New American Standard Bible
I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and made himself great.
New Century Version
I watched the sheep charge to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could save another animal from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became very powerful.
Amplified Bible
I saw the ram (Medo-Persia) charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could rescue [anything] from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I sawe the ramme pusshing against ye West, and against the North, and against the South: so that no beastes might stande before him, nor could deliuer out of his hand, but he did what he listed, and became great.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself.
Berean Standard Bible
I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
Complete Jewish Bible
I saw the ram pushing to the west, north and south; and no animals could stand up against it; nor was there anyone that could rescue from its power. So it did as it pleased and became very strong.
Darby Translation
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, and no beast could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; and he did according to his will, and became great.
Easy-to-Read Version
I watched the ram run into things with its horns. I watched the ram run to the west, to the north, and to the south. No animal could stop the ram, and no one could save the other animals. That ram did whatever it wanted, and it became very powerful.
George Lamsa Translation
I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward: and no beasts could stand before him, and there was none that could deliver out of his hands; but he did according to his will, and became great.
Good News Translation
I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant.
Lexham English Bible
I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward, and none of the beasts stood before it, and there was no rescuing from its power, and it did what it wanted and it became strong.
Literal Translation
I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward, so that no beasts could stand before him, and none could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will and became great.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I sawe that this ramme pu?hed with his hornes, agaynst the west, agaynst the north, and agaynst the south: so that no beestes might stonde before him, ner defende them from his power: but he dyd as him listed, and waxed greatly.
American Standard Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
Bible in Basic English
I saw the sheep pushing to the west and to the north and to the south; and no beasts were able to keep their place before him, and no one was able to get people out of his power; but he did whatever his pleasure was and made himself great.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
King James Version (1611)
I saw the ramme pushing Westward, & Northward, and Southward: so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliuer out of his hand, but he did according to his will, and became great.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I saw that this ramme pushed with his hornes against the west, against the north, and against the south: so that no beastes might stand before him, nor defend them from his power, but he did as him listed, and became great.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I saw the ram butting westward, and northward, and southward; and no beast could stand before him, and there was none that could deliver out of his hand; and he did according to his will, and became great.
English Revised Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
World English Bible
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Aftirward Y siy the ram wyndewynge with hornes ayens the eest, and ayens the west, and ayens the north, and ayens the south; and alle beestis myyten not ayenstonde it, nether be delyuered fro the hondis of it. And it dide bi his wille, and was magnefied.
Update Bible Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
Webster's Bible Translation
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
New English Translation
I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.
New King James Version
I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.
New Living Translation
The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.
New Life Bible
I saw the ram pushing to the west, to the north, and to the south. No other animals could stop him or be saved from his power. He did as he pleased and made himself great.
New Revised Standard
I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. All beasts were powerless to withstand it, and no one could rescue from its power; it did as it pleased and became strong.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I saw the ram, pushing strongly westward and northward and southward, so that no wild beast could stand before him, and none could deliver out of his hand, - but he did according to his own pleasure, and shewed himself great.
Douay-Rheims Bible
I saw the ram pushing with his horns against the west, and against the north, and against the south: and no beasts could withstand him, nor be delivered out of his hand: and he did according to his own will, and became great.
Revised Standard Version
I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power; he did as he pleased and magnified himself.
Young's Literal Translation
I have seen the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, and no living creatures do stand before it, and there is none delivering out of its hand, and it hath done according to its pleasure, and hath exerted itself.

Contextual Overview

1 Daniel wrote: In the third year of King Belshazzar of Babylonia, I had a second vision 2 in which I was in Susa, the chief city of Babylonia's Elam Province. I was beside the Ulai River, 3 when I looked up and saw a ram standing there with two horns on its head—both of them were long, but the second one was longer than the first. 4 The ram went charging toward the west, the north, and the south. No other animals were strong enough to oppose him, and nothing could save them from his power. So he did as he pleased and became even more powerful. 5 I kept on watching and saw a goat come from the west and charge across the entire earth, without even touching the ground. Between his eyes was a powerful horn, 6 and with tremendous anger the goat started toward the ram that I had seen beside the river. 7 The goat was so fierce that its attack broke both horns of the ram, leaving him powerless. Then the goat stomped on the ram, and no one could do anything to help. 8 After this, the goat became even more powerful. But at the peak of his power, his mighty horn was broken, and four other mighty horns took its place—one pointing to the north and one to the east, one to the south and one to the west. 9 A little horn came from one of these, and its power reached to the south, the east, and even to the holy land. 10 It became so strong that it attacked the stars in the sky, which were heaven's army. Then it threw some of them down to the earth and stomped on them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

pushing: Daniel 5:30, Daniel 7:5, Daniel 11:2, Isaiah 45:1-5, Jeremiah 50:1 - Jeremiah 51:64

neither: Daniel 8:7, Job 10:7, Psalms 7:2, Psalms 50:22, Micah 5:8

but: Daniel 5:19, Daniel 11:3, Daniel 11:16, Daniel 11:36, Isaiah 10:13, Isaiah 10:14

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:2 - Who can stand Psalms 44:5 - push Jeremiah 51:28 - the kings Daniel 2:32 - breast Daniel 2:39 - another kingdom Daniel 5:28 - Thy Daniel 8:12 - and it practiced

Cross-References

Genesis 8:17
Let out the birds, animals, and reptiles, so they can mate and live all over the earth."
Genesis 8:19
the living creatures left in groups of their own kind.
2 Kings 19:37
One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.
Isaiah 37:38
One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.
Jeremiah 51:27
The Lord said: Signal the nations to get ready to attack. Raise a flag and blow a trumpet. Send for the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Choose a commander; let the cavalry attack like a swarm of locusts.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward,.... That is, with his horns, as rams do; these kingdoms using all their power and strength, wealth and riches, in fighting with and subduing nations, and pushing on their conquests in all parts here mentioned; to the west, Babylon, Syria, Asia, and part of Greece; to the north, Iberia, Albania, Armenia, Scythia, Colchis, and the inhabitants of the Caspian sea; and to the south, Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and India; all which places were conquered by Cyrus and his successors. No mention is made of the east, because this ram stood in the east, facing the west; and at the right and left were the north and south; and so Cyrus is said to come from the east, Isaiah 46:11.

So that no beast might stand before him: no, not the first beast, the Babylonian monarchy, which; fell into the hands of Cyrus; nor any other king or kingdom he and his successors fought against:

neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; or power; Croesus, the rich king of Lydia, and other allies of the king of Babylon, assisted him against Cyrus, and endeavoured to prevent his falling into his hands, but all in vain:

but he did according to his will, and became great; none being able to oppose him, he carried his arms where he pleased, and imposed what tribute he thought fit, and obliged them to do whatever was his will; and so became great in power and dignity, in riches and wealth: this monarchy was very large and extensive, and very rich and wealthy, in the times of Cyrus and his successors; and especially in the times of Darius, the last monarch of it, conquered by Alexander, who is described as follows:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward - Denoting the conquests of the united kingdom. The east is not mentioned, for none of the conquests of the Medo-Persian empire extended in that direction: Yet nothing could better express the conquests actually made by the Medo-Persian empire than this representation. On the west the conquests embraced Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor; on the north, Colchis, Armenia, Iberia, and the regions around the Caspian Sea; and on the south, Palestine, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Lybia. - Lengerke. This Medo-Persian power is represented as coming from the east. Isaiah 41:2 : “who raised up the righteous man from the east, etc.” Isaiah 46:11 : “calling a ravenous bird from the east, etc.”

He did according to his will, and became great - This expresses well also the character of the Medo-Persian empire. It extended over a great part of the known world, subduing to itself a large portion of the earth. In its early conquests it met with no successful opposition, nor was it stayed until it was subdued by Greece - as at Leuctra and Marathon, and then as it was finally overthrown by Alexander the Great.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 8:4. I saw the ram pushing westward — The Persians, who are signified by the ram, as well as their founder Cyrus, pushed their conquests west, north and south. The principal theatre of their wars, says Calmet, was against the SCYTHIANS, northward; against the GREEKS, westward; and against the EGYPTIANS, southward.

He did according to his will — There was no other nation at that time that could stay the progress of the Persian arms.


 
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