Out of one of them came forth a little horn, &c.— There are two ways of expounding this prophesy of the little horn; either by understanding it with the generality of interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, ancient and modern, of Antiochus Epiphanes, and considering Antiochus as a type of antichrist; or by leaving him wholly out of the question, and seeking another application. Now a horn, in the style of Daniel, does not signify any particular king, but is an emblem of a kingdom; and the little horn, in the former chapter, did not signify a single person, but a succession of persons claiming such prerogatives and exerting such powers as are there specified. In this vision likewise the two horns of the ram do not represent two kings, Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian, but the two kingdoms of Media and Persia; and for this plain reason, because the ram had all along two horns, even when he was attacked by the he-goat; but the two kingdoms of Media and Persia had been long united under one king. The horns of the he-goat prefigure not kings, but kingdoms. The first great horn does not typify Alexander himself, but the kingdom of Alexander, as long as the title continued united in him and his brother and two sons. The four horns which arose after the first was broken, are expressly said, Daniel 8:22 to be four kingdoms; and consequently it should seem that the little horn cannot signify Antiochus Epiphanes, or any single king, but must denote some kingdom; by kingdom meaning, what the ancients meant thereby, any government, whether monarchy or republic, or of what form soever. Now what kingdom was there which rose up during the subsistence of the four kingdoms of the Grecian empire, and was advanced to any greatness and eminence, but the Roman?—The general character certainly is better adapted to the Romans than to any other; let us then consider the particular properties and actions of this little horn. Out of one of the four kingdoms came forth, &c. This was applicable to the Romans, who were a new and different power, who rose up from small beginnings, to be an exceeding great empire; who first subdued Macedon and Greece, the capital kingdom of the goat, and hence enlarged their conquests over the rest. In this vision the Roman empire is not designed at large, but only the Roman empire as a horn of the goat. When the Romans first got footing in Greece, then they became this horn of the goat; out of this horn they came, and were at first a little horn, but in process of time over-topped the other horns. From Greece they extended their arms, and overran the other parts of the goat's dominion; and their actions within the dominions of the goat, and not their affairs in the western empire, are the principal subject of this prophesy. This horn, though little at first, waxed exceeding great, &c. It was to rise up in the north-west parts of those nations which composed the body of the goat, and thence was to extend its dominion towards Egypt, Syria, and Judaea. He waxed great; and so did the Roman empire, even within the territories of the goat.—Toward the south; the Romans made Egypt a province of their empire, and kept possession of it for several centuries: Toward the east also the Romans grew very powerful; conquering and making Syria a province, which was the eastern kingdom of the goat. And toward the pleasant land; that is, Judaea; for so it is called Psalms 106:24. Jeremiah 3:19 and ch. Daniel 11:16; Daniel 11:41. The Romans conquered and subdued the Jews; first made a province of their country, and then destroyed their city and temple, and dispersed the people; so that after so fatal a fall, they have never hitherto been able to rise again. The remainder of the prophesy relate's chiefly to the persecution and oppression of the people of God. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven, &c. By the stars are meant the Jewish state in general, (the mighty and the holy people, Daniel 8:24.) or the priests and Levites in particular; who are called stars, as they were eminent for their station, and illustrious for their knowledge; and the host of heaven, as they watched and served in the temple, and their service is denominated a warfare. See Numbers 8:24 in the original. Our Saviour making use of the same expressions, Matthew 24:29 in speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, this passage also may be more properly referred to that event. Yea, he magnified himself,—and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, &c. The Romans took away the daily sacrifice for many ages, and utterly destroyed the temple. The word עבא tsaba, translated host, Daniel 8:12 is rendered in ch. Daniel 10:1 and Job 7:1 an appointed time; accordingly, the verse may be read, An APPOINTED TIME was given against the daily sacrifice, &c. or, The last was given over for the transgressions against the daily sacrifice; and he cast down,—and he practised, &c. When the city of Jerusalem was besieged and taken by the Romans, the number of the captives amounted to 97,000, and of the slain to 1,100,000: and they carried their conquests and revenge so far, as to put an end to the government of the Jews, and entirely to take away their place and nation. See Bishop Newton, p. 3l, &c. Instead of pleasant land, at the end of the 9th verse, Houbigant reads the west, after the Arabic; denoting Judaea, which lay in the west of Asia.
Related Commentaries of Daniel 8:9
Daniel 8:9-12
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the hostc of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an hostd was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.