The Meaning of Daniel 7:8 Explained

Daniel 7:8

KJV: I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

YLT: I was considering about the horns, and lo, another horn, a little one, hath come up between them, and three of the first horns have been eradicated from before it, and lo, eyes as the eyes of man are in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

Darby: I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another, a little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

ASV: I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I considered  the horns,  and, behold,  there came up  among  them another  little  horn,  before  whom there were three  of  the first  horns  plucked up by the roots:  and, behold,  in this  horn  [were] eyes  like the eyes  of man,  and a mouth  speaking  great things. 

What does Daniel 7:8 Mean?

Study Notes

little horn
The vision is of the end of Gentile world-dominion. The former Roman empire (the iron kingdom of Daniel 2:33-35 ; Daniel 2:40-44 ; Daniel 7:7 will have ten horns (i.e. kings, Revelation 17:12 corresponding to the ten toes of the image. As Daniel considers this vision of the ten kings, there rises up amongst them a "little horn" (king), who subdues three of the ten kings so completely that the separate identity of their kingdoms is destroyed. Seven kings of the ten are left, and the "little horn." He is the "king of fierce countenance" typified by that other "king of fierce countenance," Antiochus Epiphanes, Daniel 8:23-25 the "prince that shall come" of Daniel 9:26 ; Daniel 9:27 the "king" of Daniel 11:36-45 the "abomination" of; Daniel 12:11 ; Matthew 24:15 the "man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians 2:4-8 and the "Beast" of Revelation 13:4-10 . See "Beast"; Daniel 7:8 ; Revelation 19:20 .

Verse Meaning

Daniel noticed an eleventh horn arising among the10 , which displaced three of the10 horns. This horn had human eyes, probably symbolic of intelligence, and a mouth that spoke boastfully (cf. Daniel 7:11; Daniel 7:20; Daniel 7:25). This is evidently Antichrist (cf. Isaiah 27:1; Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 1 John 2:18; 1 John 4:3; Revelation 13; Revelation 17; Revelation 19). Daniel saw another "little horn" in another vision that he reported having ( Daniel 8:9-11). However, the differences between these two little horns argue for their being different rulers, as my comments on Daniel 8:9-11 will show. Rulers represent the nations that they lead, as well as the rulers themselves (cf. Daniel 7:17; Daniel 7:23).

Context Summary

Daniel 7:1-14 - God's Everlasting Dominion
This chapter enumerates the succession of world-empires and rulers which bridge the gulf of centuries from the Captivity to the Second Advent. The lion represents Babylon, whose cruel and mighty kingdom was animated by marvelous intelligence; the bear, Persia; the leopard, Greece under Alexander the Great; and the fourth beast, with great iron teeth, Rome. The ten horns are ten kings, and these probably represent great European kingdoms which have succeeded, or may yet succeed, to the heritage of the Roman empire. The Ancient of Days is sitting today upon His throne, His snow-white raiment betokening His purity, the fire of His throne bespeaking His antagonism to all things that offend and work iniquity. The government of the world is on shoulders which are well able to carry it, and He will cause all things to work out His purpose, which is to promote and assure the glory of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 7

1  Daniel's vision of the four beasts,
9  and of God's kingdom
15  The interpretation thereof

What do the individual words in Daniel 7:8 mean?

Was considering I horns the and there was horn another a little one coming up - among them and three of horns the first - were plucked out by the roots - before whom and there [were] eyes like eyes of a man the in horn this and a mouth speaking pompous words
מִשְׂתַּכַּ֨ל הֲוֵ֜ית בְּקַרְנַיָּ֗א וַ֠אֲלוּ קֶ֣רֶן אָחֳרִ֤י זְעֵירָה֙ סִלְקָ֣ת [ביניהון] (בֵּֽינֵיהֵ֔ן) וּתְלָ֗ת מִן־ קַרְנַיָּא֙ קַדְמָ֣יָתָ֔א [אתעקרו] (אֶתְעֲקַ֖רָה) [קדמיה] (קֳדָמַ֑הּ) וַאֲל֨וּ עַיְנִ֜ין כְּעַיְנֵ֤י אֲנָשָׁא֙ בְּקַרְנָא־ דָ֔א וּפֻ֖ם מְמַלִּ֥ל רַבְרְבָֽן

מִשְׂתַּכַּ֨ל  Was  considering 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שְׂכַל  
Sense: (Ithpael) to consider, contemplate.
בְּקַרְנַיָּ֗א  horns  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural determinate
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
וַ֠אֲלוּ  and  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֲלוּ  
Sense: behold!, lo!.
קֶ֣רֶן  horn 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
אָחֳרִ֤י  another 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: אָחֳרִי  
Sense: other, another.
זְעֵירָה֙  a  little  one 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: זְעֵיר  
Sense: a little, small.
סִלְקָ֣ת  coming  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סְלַק  
Sense: to ascend, come up.
[ביניהון]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
(בֵּֽינֵיהֵ֔ן)  among  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine plural
Root: בֵּין  
Sense: between.
וּתְלָ֗ת  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular
Root: תַּלְתָּא  
Sense: three.
קַרְנַיָּא֙  horns  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural determinate
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
קַדְמָ֣יָתָ֔א  first 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural determinate
Root: קַדְמָי  
Sense: former, first.
[אתעקרו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person masculine plural
(אֶתְעֲקַ֖רָה)  were  plucked  out  by  the  roots 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person feminine plural
Root: עֲקַר  
Sense: to pluck, be rooted up.
[קדמיה]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
(קֳדָמַ֑הּ)  before  whom 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: קֳדָם  
Sense: before, in front of.
וַאֲל֨וּ  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֲלוּ  
Sense: behold!, lo!.
עַיְנִ֜ין  [were]  eyes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עַיִן  
Sense: eye.
כְּעַיְנֵ֤י  like  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עַיִן  
Sense: eye.
אֲנָשָׁא֙  of  a  man  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
בְּקַרְנָא־  in  horn 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
דָ֔א  this 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: דָּא  
Sense: this, one … to … another.
וּפֻ֖ם  and  a  mouth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֻּם  
Sense: mouth.
מְמַלִּ֥ל  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מְלַל  
Sense: (Pael) to speak, say.
רַבְרְבָֽן  pompous  words 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: רַב  
Sense: great.