Daniel 8:21
New International Version
The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.

New Living Translation
The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire.

English Standard Version
And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

Berean Standard Bible
The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

King James Bible
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

New King James Version
And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

New American Standard Bible
The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

NASB 1995
“The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

NASB 1977
“And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Amplified Bible
The shaggy (rough-coated) male goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

Christian Standard Bible
The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.

American Standard Version
And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Contemporary English Version
the goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the powerful horn between his eyes is the first of its kings.

English Revised Version
And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The hairy male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.

Good News Translation
The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king.

International Standard Version
The demonic goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is its first king.

Majority Standard Bible
The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

NET Bible
The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.

New Heart English Bible
The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

World English Bible
The rough male goat is the king of Greece. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the young male goat, the hairy one, [is] the king of Javan; and the great horn that [is] between its eyes is the first king;

Young's Literal Translation
And the young he-goat, the hairy one, is the king of Javan; and the great horn that is between its eyes is the first king;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the hairy he goat, the king of Grecia: and the great horn which is between his eyes, he the first king.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the he goat, is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn that was between his eyes, the same is the first king.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Furthermore, the he-goat among she-goats is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn, which was between his eyes, is the same one, the first king.

New American Bible
The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king.

New Revised Standard Version
The male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Alexandrus And the kid of the goats is the King of the Greeks, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The he-goat is the King of the Greeks: and the great horn which was between his eyes, he is the first king.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gabriel Interprets Daniel's Vision
20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22The four horns that replaced the broken one represent four kingdoms that will rise from that nation, but will not have the same power.…

Cross References
Daniel 7:6
Next, as I watched, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard, and on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

Daniel 11:3-4
Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. / But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

Daniel 2:39
But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

Zechariah 9:13
For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Isaiah 10:13-14
For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers. / My hand reached as into a nest to seize the wealth of the nations. Like one gathering abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. No wing fluttered, no beak opened or chirped.’”

Jeremiah 49:35-38
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will shatter Elam’s bow, the mainstay of their might. / I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them to all these winds. There will not be a nation to which Elam’s exiles will not go. / So I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives. I will bring disaster upon them, even My fierce anger,” declares the LORD. “I will send out the sword after them until I finish them off. ...

Ezekiel 26:7-14
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with cavalry and a great company of troops. / He will slaughter the villages of your mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp to your walls, and raise his shields against you. / He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes. ...

Joel 3:6
You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.

Habakkuk 1:6-11
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. / They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty. / Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour. ...

Matthew 24:15
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),

Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Acts 17:6-7
But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, / and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”

Romans 1:14-16
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. / That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. / I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24
Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, / but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, / but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.


Treasury of Scripture

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

the rough.

Daniel 8:5-7
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes…

Daniel 10:20
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

the great.

Daniel 8:8
Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

Daniel 11:3
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

Jump to Previous
Eyes First Goat Great Grecia Greece Hairy He-Goat Horn Javan Kingdom Large Male Represents Rough Shaggy Young
Jump to Next
Eyes First Goat Great Grecia Greece Hairy He-Goat Horn Javan Kingdom Large Male Represents Rough Shaggy Young
Daniel 8
1. Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat.
13. The two thousand three hundred days of the suspension of the daily sacrifice.
15. Gabriel comforts Daniel, and interprets the vision.














The shaggy goat
In the vision of Daniel, the "shaggy goat" symbolizes the kingdom of Greece. The imagery of a goat is significant in ancient Near Eastern symbolism, often representing power and aggression. Historically, the goat was associated with the Greek god Pan, a deity of the wild and rustic music, which aligns with the untamed and forceful nature of the Greek empire under Alexander the Great. The Hebrew word for goat here, "צָפִיר" (tsaphir), emphasizes the rough and unkempt nature of the animal, reflecting the swift and unbridled expansion of Greece.

represents the king of Greece
This phrase directly identifies the goat as a symbol for the "king of Greece," which historically refers to Alexander the Great. Alexander's conquests were unprecedented, and his empire stretched from Greece to Egypt and into the heart of Asia. The Greek term for "king," "βασιλεύς" (basileus), denotes a ruler with absolute power, fitting for Alexander's role in history. The prophetic vision accurately foretells the rise of Greece as a dominant world power, fulfilling God's sovereign plan as revealed to Daniel.

and the large horn between his eyes
The "large horn" signifies a singular, prominent power or leader, which in this context is Alexander the Great himself. Horns in biblical symbolism often represent strength and authority. The Hebrew word "קֶרֶן" (qeren) for horn underscores the might and prominence of Alexander's rule. Positioned "between his eyes," it suggests a central, guiding force, indicating Alexander's pivotal role in the expansion and influence of the Greek empire.

is the first king
This phrase identifies Alexander as the "first king" of the unified Greek empire. Historically, Alexander is recognized as the first to consolidate the Greek city-states into a single empire, marking the beginning of the Hellenistic period. The term "first" here, "רִאשׁוֹן" (rishon) in Hebrew, not only denotes chronological precedence but also implies preeminence and foundational significance. Alexander's leadership set the stage for the cultural and political landscape of the ancient world, influencing subsequent generations and fulfilling the prophetic vision given to Daniel.

Verse 21. - And the rough goat is the King of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Again all the versions agree in omitting the word "rough," and in inserting "of the goats," as in the fifth verse. The authority of these is much too great to be resisted. The Massoretic reading is probably due to a confluence of readings, as the word translated "rough" also means "goats." The omission of the word "of the goats" is probably due to the inclusion of שָׂעִיר (sa'eer). Here, as in the previous case, "king" stands for dynasty; and this is proved by the fact that there is implied a series of kings, of whom the great horn is the first.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The shaggy
הַשָּׂעִ֖יר (haś·śā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8163: Shaggy, a he-goat, a faun

goat
וְהַצָּפִ֥יר (wə·haṣ·ṣā·p̄îr)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6842: A male goat

represents the king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Greece,
יָוָ֑ן (yā·wān)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3120: Javan -- a son of Japheth, also his descendants and their land

and the large
הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ (hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

horn
וְהַקֶּ֤רֶן (wə·haq·qe·ren)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7161: A horn, a flask, cornet, an elephant's tooth, a corner, a peak, a ray, power

between
בֵּין־ (bên-)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

his eyes
עֵינָ֔יו (‘ê·nāw)
Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

is
ה֖וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

the first
הָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃ (hā·ri·šō·wn)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

king.
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king


Links
Daniel 8:21 NIV
Daniel 8:21 NLT
Daniel 8:21 ESV
Daniel 8:21 NASB
Daniel 8:21 KJV

Daniel 8:21 BibleApps.com
Daniel 8:21 Biblia Paralela
Daniel 8:21 Chinese Bible
Daniel 8:21 French Bible
Daniel 8:21 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Daniel 8:21 The rough male goat is the king (Dan. Da Dn)
Daniel 8:20
Top of Page
Top of Page