The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
Parallel translations
- WEB The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
- KJV The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
- BSB The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
- NASB The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
- NLT The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Gabriel identifies the two-horned ram as the kings of Media and Persia. The vision is given a plain, historical interpretation.
Overview
The angel explicitly names the ram as the Medo-Persian empire, removing all guesswork. Such direct interpretation anchors apocalyptic imagery in concrete history. It confirms that God's prophetic word concerns real nations and events, demonstrating His detailed foreknowledge and rule over the kingdoms of men.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Dan 8:3Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
- Dan 11:1–2“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 8:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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