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Daniel 8:20

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Daniel 8:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
Daniel 8:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Daniel 8

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end.
18Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
19And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.
20The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22And as for that which was broken, in the place whereof four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
23And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns, etc.] Here begins the particular explanation of the above vision, and of the first thing which the prophet saw in it, a ram with two horns: which two horns, he says, are the kings of Media and Persia; Darius the first king was a Mede, and Cyrus, that succeeded him, or rather reigned with him, was a Persian: or rather the ram with two horns signifies the two kingdoms of the Medes and Persians united in one monarchy, of which the ram was an emblem; (see Gill on “<270803>Daniel 8:3”) for Darius and Cyrus were dead many years before the time of Alexander; and therefore could not personally be the two horns of the ram broken by him; nor is it to be…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The ram which thou sawest ... - See the notes at Daniel 8:3. This is one of the instances in the Scriptures in which symbols are explained. There can be no doubt, therefore, as to the meaning. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“8:20 The smaller horn represents Media, which began as an independent kingdom in 670 BC. The larger horn represents Persia, which dominated Media during Cyrus’s reign (see 7:5).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Dan 8:3, Dan 11:1, Dan 11:2 Daniel 8:21”
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Related study paths

Read Daniel 8 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification