Daniel 8:9 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →From one of the four horns a little horn emerges and grows exceedingly great toward the south, the east, and the glorious land.
What Does Daniel 8:9 Mean?
Out of one of the four horns rises a smaller horn that swells until it becomes exceedingly great, reaching south, east, and toward 'the pleasant land,' a name for the land of Israel. From among the successor kingdoms a single ruler arises who turns his ambition against the people and place set apart for God.
What begins as 'little' becomes a great oppressor, a pattern that recurs whenever pride fixes its eye on what is holy. The phrase 'the pleasant land' tenderly names the homeland of the covenant people as precious, the very ground toward which this horn stretches its hand. The vision is preparing the reader to see a power that will assault the worship of God Himself. Yet the same God who names the land pleasant will not abandon it, and the horn's reach, however wide, has a measured end.
Daniel 8:9 in the Original Language
tsevi (צְבִי), 'pleasant' or 'glorious' -- a term of beauty and honor here naming the cherished land of God's people.
Frequently Asked Questions About Daniel 8:9
What does Daniel 8:9 mean?
From one of the four horns a little horn emerges and grows exceedingly great toward the south, the east, and the glorious land.