Daniel 8:13
in Daniel 8Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
KJV
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
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This verse in Daniel 8
Commentary
12 notes on this verseVerse 13. "And I heard one of the saints speaking, and one saint said to another saint (I do not know which one), who was conversing with him." Instead of "another one which one I do not know" - the rendering of Symmachus (tini pote) which I too have followed - Aquila and Theodotion, and the Septuagint as well, have simply put the Hebrew word (p-l-m-n-y) phelmoni itself.
This site's exposition
How long shall be the vision
on Daniel 8:13-14
Two holy ones converse over Daniel's head, one asking how long the trampling of the sanctuary will last, and the answer comes as two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings, after which the sanctuary shall be cleansed. The commentators divide over the count itself, some reading it as twenty-three hundred full days, near six and a half years, others as twenty-three hundred half-sacrifices, morning and evening, near eleven hundred and fifty days, and both figures are named with their holders rather than settled here. The tradition ties the cleansing to the Maccabean rededication of the temple, later kept as Hanukkah, though the exact reckoning of days remains a question among the bench itself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
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] For it occurred in that time three and half years the most Holy Place continued desolate, and the one thousand three hundred days were fulfilled up to the uprising of Judas Maccabee after the death of Mathias his father and he withstood Antiochus and routed the army of Antiochus and freed the city and recovered the holy vessels and renewed the temple doing everything according to the law.
The word phelmouni means "a person" in Greek; Syriac, which is close to Hebrew, also confirms this. So blessed Daniel is saying, I heard one holy one asking another holy one. Clearly he is witnessing angels conversing and wanting to learn how long is the …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Plūmni: interior. This name is given to the angel on the basis of his actions and the place that he occupies; it indicates the one who is in the inside and close to the Judge and who knows the secrets and the events that are …
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,
The angels concern themselves in the affairs of the church, and enquire concerning them, if, as here, concerning its temporal salvations, much more do they desire to look into the great salvation, 1 Pet. i. One saint spoke of the thing, and another enquired concerning it. Thus John, who lay in Christ's bosom, was beckoned to by Peter to ask Christ a question, John xiii.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
One saint - That is, one holy angel. How long - How long shall Antiochus continue his vexations against the people and prevent the worship of God? This is, the treading down of the sanctuary, and the host.
Then I heard one saint speaking,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
that certain saint--Daniel did not know the names of these two holy angels, but saw only that one was speaking to the other. How long shall be the vision concerning . . . daily sacrifice--How long shall the daily sacrifice be suspended? transgression of desolation--literally, "making desolate," that is, Antiochus desolating profanation of the temple (Da 11:31;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
One saint speaking, and another saint said - One angel asked another how long the sanctuary was to be trodden down?
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then I heard one saint speaking - One holy one. The vision was now ended, and the prophet represents himself now as hearing earnest inquiries as to the length of time during which this desolation was to continue. This conversation, or these inquiries, he represents himself as hearing among those whom he calls “saints” - or holy ones - קדשׁ qâdôsh. This word might refer to a saint on earth, or to an angel - to any holy being.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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.
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֶשְׁמְעָ֥ה | vaeshmeah | and I heard ! | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶֽחָד־ | ʾechod- | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| קָד֖וֹשׁ | kadoosh | holy [one] | H6918 → | 116 times |
| מְדַבֵּ֑ר | medaber | speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶחָ֨ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| קָד֜וֹשׁ | kadoosh | holy [one] | H6918 → | 116 times |
| לַפַּֽלְמוֹנִ֣י | lapalmoni | to the certain [one] | H6422 → | |
| הַֽמְדַבֵּ֗ר | hamdaber | who was speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מָתַ֞י | matai | when? | H4970 → | |
| הֶחָז֤וֹן | hechazon | [will be] the vision | H2377 → | 35 times |
| הַתָּמִיד֙ | hatamid | the perpetual [offering] | H8548 → | 104 times |
| וְהַפֶּ֣שַׁע | vehapesha' | and the transgression | H6588 → | 93 times |
| שֹׁמֵ֔ם | shomem | desolate | H8074 → | 86 times |
| תֵּ֛ת | tet | to give over | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| וְקֹ֥דֶשׁ | vekodesh | and [the] sanctuary | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְצָבָ֖א | vetzava' | and an army | H6635 → | 485 times |
| מִרְמָֽס׃ | mirmas | trampling | H4823 → |
וָאֶשְׁמְעָ֥הand I heard !
vaeshmeahH8085 →1159 times
אֶֽחָד־one
ʾechod-H259 →971 times
קָד֖וֹשׁholy [one]
kadooshH6918 →116 times
מְדַבֵּ֑רspeaking
medaberH1696 →1141 times
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶחָ֨דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
קָד֜וֹשׁholy [one]
kadooshH6918 →116 times
לַפַּֽלְמוֹנִ֣יto the certain [one]
lapalmoniH6422 →
הַֽמְדַבֵּ֗רwho was speaking
hamdaberH1696 →1141 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
מָתַ֞יwhen?
mataiH4970 →
הֶחָז֤וֹן[will be] the vision
hechazonH2377 →35 times
הַתָּמִיד֙the perpetual [offering]
hatamidH8548 →104 times
וְהַפֶּ֣שַׁעand the transgression
vehapesha'H6588 →93 times
שֹׁמֵ֔םdesolate
shomemH8074 →86 times
תֵּ֛תto give over
tetH5414 →2011 times
וְקֹ֥דֶשׁand [the] sanctuary
vekodeshH6944 →469 times
וְצָבָ֖אand an army
vetzava'H6635 →485 times
מִרְמָֽס׃trampling
mirmasH4823 →
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
Luke 21:24They 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.
it leads to
- Daniel 12:7
And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 11:25
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles…
- Revelation 11:2
But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.
- Isaiah 63:18
For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
- Daniel 12:7
Through
Revelation 6:10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
it leads to
- Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…
- Revelation 19:2
Through
Daniel 9:27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple…
it leads to
- Matthew 24:15
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
- Daniel 12:11
And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.
- Mark 13:14
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
- Matthew 24:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Daniel
This page draws on 12 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); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.26.7-8; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8:13; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8:13.