Daniel 8:26
in Daniel 8The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come.
KJV
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
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This verse in Daniel 8
Commentary
11 notes on this verseVerse 26. "Thou therefore seal up the vision, because it shall come to pass after many days." Having explained the vision which we have examined above to the best of our ability, the angel Gabriel adds at the end: "Thou therefore seal up the vision, because it shall come to pass after many days." By the mention of a seal, he showed that the things spoken were of a hidden character and not accessible to the ears of the multitude, or susceptible of comprehension prior to their actual fulfilment by the events themselves.
This site's exposition
shut thou up the vision
on Daniel 8:26-27
The vision of the evening and the morning is declared true, and Daniel is told to shut it up, for it belongs to many days yet to come, a sealing the commentators set beside Daniel's own sealed book at 12:4, the same prophet given visions kept for a later reading. Daniel's response is bodily rather than merely intellectual: he faints and is sick certain days, then rises to do the king's business, astonished at what he has seen. The chapter ends with an admission rare in prophecy, none understood it, the older writers noting that even the seer himself is left short of full comprehension of his own vision.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
That these things are true, just as has been said, Daniel himself testifies. For he spoke in this way, "And it happened when I saw the vision and I sought to understand, and behold, there stood before me an appearance of a man, and I heard the voice of a man above the midst of the Ubal, and he called and he said, 'Gabriel cause him to understand that vision.' And he came and stood holding me, and when he came, I was astounded and fell upon my face and he said to me, 'Understand son of man. For the vision is for the end of time.' And while he spoke with me I was astounded and I fell upon my face upon the ground and he touched me and stood me on my feet and he said, 'Behold, I myself make known to you what will be at the end of wrath. For the vision is of the end of time. The ram which you saw, who had horns, he is the king of the Persians and Medes. And the male goat is king of the Greeks. And the great horn which was above the midst of his eyes, he is the first king. And after he is shattered, four horns stood up after him, four kings from his nation shall arise and not in his strength. And at the end of their kingdom, when their sins are full, a king, shameless in countenance, shall arise, and who understands riddles. And his rule shall be strong and not in his own strength and he shall destroy wonderful things and he shall prosper and he shall practice and he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people, and the yoke of his chain shall prosper. Cunning is in his hand and in his heart he shall be magnified and in cunning he shall destroy many and he shall stand for the destruction of many and he shall shatter people as eggs in a hand. And the vision of evening and morning which was said is true. […]
"Seal up the vision because it will be in many days time," that is, leave it obscure for many people; I have made it clear to you in your longing before the event.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and after these things write." This shows that what is now undisclosed is to be explained through experience and the course of the events themselves. And from the heavenly voice the Evangelist learned that the voices are …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And a 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v11-12
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true,.... That is, of the 2300 evenings and mornings, or natural days; unto which time the daily sacrifice was to cease, and the sanctuary and host trodden under foot; and then the sanctuary would be cleansed.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
That vision of the evening and morning is true, in the proper sense of the words, and needs no explication. How unlikely soever it might be that God should suffer his own sanctuary to be thus profaned, yet it is true, it is too true, so it shall be.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
He shall cause craft to prosper - They subdued as many by their diplomatic skill and political intrigues as they did by the sword. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes - Against Christ, for it was by the Roman authority that he was condemned to death and crucified; and their persecutions had nearly destroyed the Christian religion; but the house was founded on a rock. But he shall be broken without hand - The tide was turned by the invisible hand of God; and thus heathen Rome was overcome, and converted to Christianity.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
shut . . . up . . . vision--implying the vision was not to be understood for the present. In Re 22:10 it is said, "Seal not the vision, for the time is at hand." What in Daniel's time was hidden was more fully explained in Revelation, and as the time draws nearer, it will be clearer still. it shall be for many days--It refers to remote times (Eze 12:27).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the vision of the evening and the morning - That is, of the two thousand three hundred days. See Dan 8:14, and the margin on that verse. The meaning here is, “the vision pertaining to that succession of evenings and mornings.” Perhaps this appellation was given to it particularly because it pertained so much to the evening and morning sacrifice. Is true - Shall be certainly accomplished. This was said by the angel, giving thus to Daniel the assurance that what he had seen Dan 8:9-14 was no illusion, but would certainly come to pass. Wherefore shut thou up the visions - Seal it up. Make a record of it, that it may be preserved, and that its fulfillment may be marked. See the notes at Isa 8:16. For it shall be for many days - That is, many days will elapse before it will be accomplished. Let a fair record, therefore, be made of it, and let it be sealed up, that it may be preserved to prepare the people for these events. “When” these things would come thus fearfully upon the people of Judea, they would be the better able to bear these trials, knowing the period when they would terminate.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמַרְאֵ֨ה | umareh | and [the] vision of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| הָעֶ֧רֶב | haerev | the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
| וְהַבֹּ֛קֶר | vehaboker | and the morning | H1242 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נֶאֱמַ֖ר | neemar | it has been told | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֱמֶ֣ת | ʾemet | [is] truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| ה֑וּא | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| סְתֹ֣ם | setom | keep secret | H5640 → | 14 times |
| הֶֽחָז֔וֹן | hechazon | the vision | H2377 → | 35 times |
| כִּ֖י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְיָמִ֥ים | leyamim | [it is] for days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רַבִּֽים׃ | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
וּמַרְאֵ֨הand [the] vision of
umarehH4758 →103 times
הָעֶ֧רֶבthe evening
haerevH6153 →134 times
וְהַבֹּ֛קֶרand the morning
vehabokerH1242 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נֶאֱמַ֖רit has been told
neemarH559 →5305 times
אֱמֶ֣ת[is] truth
ʾemetH571 →127 times
ה֑וּאit
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
סְתֹ֣םkeep secret
setomH5640 →14 times
הֶֽחָז֔וֹןthe vision
hechazonH2377 →35 times
כִּ֖יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לְיָמִ֥ים[it is] for days
leyamimH3117 →2304 times
רַבִּֽים׃many
rabimH7227 →454 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
Daniel 12:4But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”
it leads to
- Daniel 12:9
“Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 10:4
When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 22:10
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
- Daniel 8:17
As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
- Daniel 12:13
But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
- Daniel 12:9
Through
Daniel 12:9“Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
it leads to
- Daniel 12:4
But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 12:4
Through
Daniel 10:14Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days.”
it leads to
- Daniel 2:28
But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your…
- Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Daniel 2:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Daniel
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10:4; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.27.1-2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER EIGHT; John Calvin, Commentary on the Prophet Daniel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8:26.