Daniel 8:8

8:8 The male goat acted even more arrogantly. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns ¹  in its place, ²  extending toward the four winds of the sky. ³ 

Daniel 8:5

8:5 While I was contemplating all this, ⁴  a male goat ⁵  was coming from the west over the surface of all the land ⁶  without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn ⁷  between its eyes.

¹ tn The word “horns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

² 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.

³ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

⁴ tn The words “all this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

⁵ tn Heb “and behold, a he-goat of the goats.”

⁶ tn Or “of the whole earth” (NAB, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

⁷ tn Heb “a horn of vision” [or “conspicuousness”], i.e., “a conspicuous horn,” one easily seen.