Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Daniel
Book: Daniel
Chapter: 8
Overview:
Daniel's
Vision of the
Ram and the he-
Goat.
(1-14) The
interpretation of it.
(15-27)
1-14 God gives
Daniel a foresight of the
Destruction of other
kingdoms, which in their
Day were as powerful as that of
Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are
gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own
Day.
The
Ram with two horns was the second empire, that of
Media and
Persia. He saw this
Ram overcome
By a he-
Goat. This was
Alexander the Great.
Alexander, when about thirty-three years of
Age, and in his full strength, died, and showed the vanity of
worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a
Man happy.
While men dispute, as in the case of
Alexander, respecting the
Death of some prosperous warrior, it is
Plain that the great
First Cause of all had
No more of his plan for him to execute,
and therefore cut him off. Instead of that one great
Horn, there
came up four notable ones,
Alexander's four chief captains. A
little
Horn became a great persecutor of the
Church and people
of
God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed
out. It prospered, and at one time nearly destroyed the holy
religion
God's right
Hand had planted. It is just with
God to
deprive those of the privileges of his
House who despise and
profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances
By
the want of them, who would not know it
By the enjoyment of
them.
Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and
determined; but not the time when it should come. If we would
know the mind of
God, we must apply to
Christ, in whom are hid
all the treasures of
Wisdom and knowledge; not hid from us, but
hid for us. There is much difficulty as to the precise time here
stated, but the
End of it cannot be very distant.
God will, for
his own
Glory, see to the cleansing of the
Church in due time.
Christ died to cleanse his
Church; and he will
So cleanse it as
to present it blameless to himself.
15-27 The eternal
Son of God stood before the
Prophet in the
appearance of a
Man, and directed the
Angel Gabriel to explain
the
Vision.
Daniel's fainting and astonishment at the prospect
of evils he saw coming
On his people and the
Church, confirm the
opinion that long-continued calamities were foretold. The
Vision
being ended, a charge was given to
Daniel to keep it private for
the present. He kept it to himself, and went
On to do the duty
of his place. As long as we live in this world we must have
something to do in it; and even those whom
God has most
honoured, must not think themselves above their business. Nor
must the pleasure of
Communion with
God take us from the duties
of our callings, but we must in them abide with
God. All who are
intrusted with public business must discharge their trust
uprightly; and, amidst all doubts and discouragements, they may,
if true believers, look forward to a happy issue. Thus should we
endeavour to compose our minds for attending to the duties to
which each is appointed, in the
Church and in the world.