Daniel 8:4

8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal ¹  was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. ²  It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. ³ 

Daniel 11:40

11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the south will attack ⁴  him. Then the king of the north will storm against him ⁵  with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. ⁶  He ⁷  will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. ⁸ 

[8:4]  ¹ tn Or “beast” (NAB).

[8:4]  ² tn Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.

[8:4]  ³ tn In the Hiphil the Hebrew verb גָּדַל (gadal, “to make great; to magnify”) can have either a positive or a negative sense. For the former, used especially of God, see Ps 126:2, 3; Joel 2:21. In this chapter (8:4, 8, 11, 25) the word has a pejorative sense, describing the self-glorification of this king. The sense seems to be that of vainly assuming one’s own superiority through deliberate hubris.

[11:40]  ⁴ tn Heb “engage in thrusting.”

[11:40]  ⁵ tn The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.

[11:40]  ⁶ tn Heb “many ships.”

[11:40]  ⁷ tn This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.

[11:40]  ⁸ tn Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”