Daniel 8:12
in Daniel 8And in the rebellion, the host and the daily sacrifice were given over to the horn, and it flung truth to the ground and prospered in whatever it did.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
KJV
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
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This verse in Daniel 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseVerses 11, 12. And as for the statement, "And he glorified himself even against the Prince of Power," this means that he lifted himself up against God and persecuted His saints. He even took away the endelekhismos or "continual offering" which was customarily sacrificed in the morning and at even, and he prevailed to the casting down of the "place of His sanctuary." And he did not do this by his own prowess, but only "on account of the sins of the people."
This site's exposition
came forth a little horn
on Daniel 8:9-12
Out of one of the four horns comes a little horn that grows toward the south, the east, and the pleasant land, the land of Israel, and the bench identifies him with near unanimity as Antiochus the fourth, called Epiphanes by himself and Epimanes, the madman, by those he ruled. He magnifies himself even to the prince of the host, takes away the daily sacrifice, and casts down the place of the sanctuary, the desecration of the Jerusalem temple that provoked the Maccabean revolt. An host is given him against the sacrifice by reason of transgression, the text naming Israel's own unfaithfulness as the occasion even while the horn's cruelty is condemned in full.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
He says, "And on account of him the sacrifice was disturbed," [Daniel 8:11] and "righteousness was hurled to the ground." [Daniel 8:12] For Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, being from the race of Alexander, was king. And having reigned over Syria and seizing all Egypt under himself, later he came to Jerusalem and he entered into the Most Holy Place and took all the treasures which were in the house of the Lord and the golden lampstand and the table and the altar and he committed great murder in the land and he spoke immoderate words and prevented sacrifice and offering, and he built a sacred grove and built idols in the city, and sacrificed a pig, even a common animal, so that what was spoken by the prophet may be fulfilled, "And on account of him the sacrifice was disturbed and righteousness was hurled to the ground and the Most Holy Place and the power was trampled until evening and morning one thousand and three hundred days." [Daniel 8:11-14]
The Medieval Church1 voice
"The sanctuary was cast to the ground." Indeed, when Antiochus gets into Jerusalem and kills forty thousand [inhabitants] and rapes the women, he then enters the temple, destroys the candlestick, breaks the table of the breads of the presence and all the vessels of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The interpretation of this vision by an angel, showing that the ram signified the Persian empire, the he-goat the Grecian, and the little horn a king of the Grecian monarchy, that should set himself against the Jews and religion, which was Antiochus Epiphanes,
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But transgression was not at the full (Da 8:23) under Antiochus; for Onias the high priest administered the laws in godliness at the time (2 Maccabees 3:1). Therefore the "transgression" must refer to that of the Jews hereafter restored to Palestine in unbelief. the truth--the worship of the true God.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And a host was given him - That is, power; or perhaps the host of heaven - the priesthood - the whole sacrificial system, by reason of transgression. They had filled up the measure of their iniquities, in rejecting the Lord that bought them; and the daily sacrifice, being no longer of use, was given up with the rest to destruction. Cast down the truth - Probably the whole Jewish ritual and religion. Practiced, and prospered - Prosperity or success followed all their acts.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And a host was given him - The Vulgate renders this, “and strength - robur - was given him, etc.” Theodotion, “and sin was permitted - ἐδόθη edothē - against the sacrifice; and this righteousness was cast on the ground; so he acted and was prospered.” Luther renders it, “and such might (or power, macht) was given him.” The Syriac renders it, “and strength was given him, etc.” Bertholdt renders it, Statt jenes stellte man den Greuel auf, “instead of this (the temple) there was set up an abomination.” Dathe, “and the stars were delivered to him” - tradita ei fuerunt astra, seu populus Judaicus. Maurer understands it also of the Jewish people, and interprets it, “and an army - exercitus - the people of the Jews was delivered to destruction, at the same time with the perpetual sacrifice, on account of wickedness, that is, for a wicked thing, or for impure sacrifices.” Lengerke renders it, as in our translation, “an host - ein Heer - was Wen up to him at the same time with the daily offering, on account of evil.” The word “host” (צבא tsâbâ') is doubtless to be taken here in the same sense as in Dan 8:10, where it is connected with heaven - “the host of heaven.” If it refers there to the Jewish people, it doubtless does here, and the appellation is such a one as would not unnaturally be used. It is equivalent to saying “the army of the Lord,” or “the people of the Lord,” and it should have been rendered here “and the host was given up to him;” that is, the people of God, or the holy people were given into his hands. Against the daily sacrifice - This does not convey any clear idea. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And a time will be given for the daily sacrifice A set time will be given for the daily sacrifice to be discontinued because of transgression.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And until the Prince of the host That is the Temple, which is the House of the Holy One, blessed be He, the Prince of the host. He blasphemed the Holy One, blessed be He.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְצָבָ֛א | vetzava' | and an army | H6635 → | 485 times |
| תִּנָּתֵ֥ן | tinaten | it will be set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַתָּמִ֖יד | hatamid | the perpetual [offering] | H8548 → | 104 times |
| בְּפָ֑שַׁע | befasha' | in transgression | H6588 → | 93 times |
| וְתַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ | vetashlekh | and it will throw down | H7993 → | 125 times |
| אֱמֶת֙ | ʾemet | truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| אַ֔רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְעָשְׂתָ֖ה | veasetah | and it will act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְהִצְלִֽיחָה׃ | vehitzlichah | and it will succeed | H6743 → | 65 times |
וְצָבָ֛אand an army
vetzava'H6635 →485 times
תִּנָּתֵ֥ןit will be set
tinatenH5414 →2011 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַתָּמִ֖ידthe perpetual [offering]
hatamidH8548 →104 times
בְּפָ֑שַׁעin transgression
befasha'H6588 →93 times
וְתַשְׁלֵ֤ךְand it will throw down
vetashlekhH7993 →125 times
אֱמֶת֙truth
ʾemetH571 →127 times
אַ֔רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
וְעָשְׂתָ֖הand it will act
veasetahH6213 →2628 times
וְהִצְלִֽיחָה׃and it will succeed
vehitzlichahH6743 →65 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 13:7Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
it leads to
- Daniel 7:21
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing against them,
- Revelation 11:7
When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
- Daniel 7:21
Through
Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live…
it leads to
- Malachi 3:15
So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”
- Psalms 92:7
that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.
- Psalms 37:1
Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
- Psalms 73:3–28
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Psalms 51:4
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.
- Malachi 3:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Daniel
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.26.7; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8:12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER EIGHT; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.