Daniel 8 — The ram, the goat, and the desecrated sanctuary — Hebrew, Aramaic and Old Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 8:10, 8:11, 8:25
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Daniel 8 — The ram, the goat, and the desecrated sanctuary
Source texts for Daniel 8: Hebrew / Aramaic
Source texts for Daniel 8: Old Greek
Verse 8:1 Same
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:1] In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that appeared to me at first.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:1] In the third year of Baltasar’s reign came the vision that I, Daniel, saw after seeing the first one.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both date this vision to the third year and relate it to Daniel’s earlier vision. The Masoretic text returns to Hebrew at this chapter.
Verse 8:2 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:2] I saw in the vision that, as I looked, I was in Susa the citadel, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai watercourse.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:2] I saw in the vision of my dream, while I was in the city of Susa in the country of Elymais, still beside the gate of Ailam,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names the citadel and Ulai watercourse; Greek the city and gate of Ailam. The Greek place is not silently changed into the Hebrew watercourse, although Greek later names Ulai in verse sixteen.
Verse 8:3 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:3] I lifted my eyes and saw a ram standing before the watercourse. It had two horns, and the horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one rose last.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:3] that, looking up, I saw a great ram standing opposite the gate. It had horns, one higher than the other, and the higher one was rising.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek calls the ram great and places it at a gate; Hebrew describes both horns as high and specifically says the higher rose last. Greek does not contain last.
Verse 8:4 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:4] I saw the ram charging westward, northward, and southward. No animals could stand before it, and no one could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and grew great.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:4] After this I saw the ram charging eastward, northward, westward, and southward. No animals stood before it, and no one rescued from its hands. It did as it wished and was exalted.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek adds an eastward charge, making four directions where Hebrew names three. Both retain the ram’s irresistible power and self-directed action.
Verse 8:5 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:5] As I was considering, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the earth. The goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:5] I was pondering, and a male goat came from the west over the earth’s surface without touching the earth. The goat had a single horn between its eyes.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The westward origin and movement above the earth agree. Hebrew calls the horn conspicuous and explicitly says the whole earth; Greek specifies one horn.
Verse 8:6 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:6] It came toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing before the watercourse and ran at it in the fury of its strength.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:6] It came against the horned ram that I had seen standing beside the gate and ran at it in furious anger.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The attack agrees, but Greek retains its gate setting, Hebrew the watercourse. Hebrew connects fury with strength; Greek uses anger language.
Verse 8:7 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:7] I saw it reach the ram, become enraged against it, strike the ram, and break its two horns. The ram had no strength to stand before it. The goat threw it to the earth and trampled it, and no one could rescue the ram from its power.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:7] I saw it approach the ram, become furious with it, strike it, and shatter its two horns. The ram no longer had strength to stand against the goat. It hurled the ram down upon the earth and crushed it, and no one could rescue the ram from the goat.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The attack, broken horns, helplessness, and absence of rescue correspond. Greek explicitly names the goat in the closing comparison and has crushing where Hebrew has trampling.
Verse 8:8 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:8] The male goat grew exceedingly great. But when it became strong, the great horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns rose in its place toward the four winds of heaven.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:8] The male goat grew exceedingly strong. When it became strong, its great horn was shattered, and four other horns rose behind it toward the four winds of heaven.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew places four conspicuous horns in the broken horn’s place; Greek says four other horns behind it. Both preserve the timing at the height of strength and the four winds.
Verse 8:9 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:9] From one of them came a horn, small at first, which grew exceedingly toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:9] From one of them a single strong horn sprouted. It grew strong and struck toward the south, toward the east, and toward the north.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew begins with a small horn and directs its growth toward the Beautiful, conventionally understood as the desirable land. Greek begins with a strong horn, describes striking, and names north as the third direction.
Verse 8:10 Disparate
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:10] It grew as high as heaven’s host, cast some of the host and some of the stars to the earth, and trampled them.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:10] It was raised as high as heaven’s stars, but was dashed to the earth from the stars and trampled by them,
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew makes the horn cast down and trample heavenly beings. Greek reverses the action: the raised horn is dashed down and trampled by the stars. Its passive verbs and by-them phrase are preserved.
Verse 8:11 Disparate
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:11] It magnified itself even against the prince of the host. From him the regular offering was taken away, and the foundation of his sanctuary was cast down.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:11] until the chief commander rescues the captivity. Because of him the ancient mountains were dashed down; their place and sacrifice were removed. He set it down upon the earth, and it prospered and came to pass, and the sanctuary will be made desolate.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek has a commander rescuing captivity, ancient mountains, their place, and a sacrifice, followed by difficult shifts of unexpressed subject and pronoun. Hebrew describes exaltation against the host’s prince, removal of the regular offering, and the sanctuary’s foundation. The Greek mountain and rescue clauses are retained; their syntax remains provisional.
Verse 8:12 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:12] A host will be given over, along with the regular offering, because of transgression. It cast truth to the earth, acted, and prospered.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:12] Sins came upon the sacrifice; righteousness was thrown down to the ground, and he acted and prospered.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names a host and truth; Greek sins upon the sacrifice and righteousness cast down. Hebrew’s relation of host to regular offering is syntactically difficult: along with is provisional, with against the offering another possible construction. The shifting subjects are not silently settled.
Verse 8:13 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:13] I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular speaker, “How long is the vision concerning the regular offering and the desolating transgression, the giving over of sanctuary and host to trampling?”
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:13] I heard another holy one speaking, and the other said to the speaking Phelmouni, “How long will the vision stand, and the sacrifice that was removed, and the sin of desolation that was given, and the holy places be made desolate for trampling?”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s uncommon designation for the speaker is rendered that particular speaker; Greek transliterates Phelmouni. Greek has plural holy places and no explicit host, with its own expanded descriptions of removed sacrifice and desolation.
Verse 8:14 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:14] He said to me, “Until evening-morning, two thousand three hundred; then the sanctuary will be vindicated.”
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:14] He said to him, “Until evening and morning, two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew addresses me and gives two thousand three hundred evening-morning without the noun days; Greek addresses him and explicitly gives days. Hebrew nitsdaq expresses being set right or vindicated, Greek cleansing. No calendar calculation is imposed.
Verse 8:15 Same
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:15] When I, Daniel, saw the vision, I sought understanding, and there stood before me one with the appearance of a man.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:15] As I, Daniel, watched the vision, I sought to understand, and there stood opposite me one like the appearance of a human.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both introduce Daniel’s effort to understand and a human-appearing figure before him.
Verse 8:16 Divergent
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:16] I heard a human voice between the banks of Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, make this one understand the vision.”
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:16] I heard a human voice in the midst of Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, give that one understanding of the vision.” The man cried out and said, “The vision concerns that command.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds the man’s statement relating the vision to that command. Both name Gabriel and Ulai; Hebrew’s between-Ulai expression is rendered with banks as the implied spatial complement, while Greek says in the midst.
Verse 8:17 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:17] He came near where I stood. At his coming I was terrified and fell upon my face. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, for the vision concerns the time of the end.”
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:17] He came and stood beside where I stood. As he came, I was disturbed and fell upon my face. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, for this vision is still for an appointed hour.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The approach, fear, and prostration agree. Hebrew expressly names the time of the end; Greek here says an appointed hour without end, adding completion language in verse nineteen.
Verse 8:18 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:18] While he spoke with me, I fell into deep sleep with my face to the earth. He touched me and made me stand where I had stood.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:18] As he spoke with me, I fell asleep face down on the ground. He touched me and raised me on the spot,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both describe sleep, touch, and raising. Hebrew specifies restoration to Daniel’s standing position; Greek says on the spot and continues into the next verse.
Verse 8:19 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:19] He said, “Look! I am making known to you what will happen at the latter end of the indignation, for it concerns the appointed time of the end.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:19] and said to me, “Look! I am reporting what will happen at the end of the wrath to the sons of your people; it will still remain until the hours of the appointed time of completion.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek explicitly names the sons of Daniel’s people and speaks of remaining until the appointed hours. Both place the explanation at wrath’s end, with Hebrew’s more compressed appointed-end statement.
Verse 8:20 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:20] The ram you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:20] The ram you saw with the horns is the king of the Medes and Persians.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew identifies plural kings; Greek a singular king governing both named peoples.
Verse 8:21 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:21] The hairy male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:21] The male goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king himself.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The national and first-king identifications correspond. Hebrew explicitly calls the goat hairy; Greek emphasizes the first king himself.
Verse 8:22 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:22] The broken horn and the four that arose in its place mean that four kingdoms will arise from the nation, but not with his strength.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:22] As for the four horns that were shattered and rose behind it, four kings of his nation will arise, but not according to his strength.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew distinguishes the broken horn from its four replacements and identifies four kingdoms. Greek grammatically describes the four horns as shattered and rising behind it and identifies four kings. Its unusual plural construction is retained.
Verse 8:23 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:23] At the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors reach their full measure, a king will arise, fierce of face and understanding riddles.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:23] At the end of their kingship, when their sins reach fullness, a king will arise, shameless in face and understanding riddles.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names the transgressors’ completion and a fierce-faced king; Greek the fullness of their sins and a shameless-faced king. Both give him understanding of riddles.
Verse 8:24 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:24] His strength will grow mighty, though not by his own strength. He will destroy astonishingly, prosper, and act; he will destroy the mighty and the people of the holy ones.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:24] His strength will be made firm, though not by his own strength. He will destroy astonishingly, prosper, and act; he will destroy rulers and a people of holy ones.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both retain the paradox of strength not his own and the destructive success. Hebrew’s mighty are Greek rulers; both explicitly include the holy people as victims.
Verse 8:25 Disparate
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:25] Through his understanding he will make deceit prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart and destroy many while they are at ease. He will rise against the prince of princes, but will be broken without a hand.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:25] His intent will be against the holy ones; falsehood will prosper in his hands, and his heart will be exalted. By deceit he will make many disappear, rise for the destruction of men, make a “gathering of a hand,” and sell.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew ends with the king confronting the prince of princes and being broken without human agency. Greek instead continues his hostile action and ends with the difficult synagogen cheiros and apodosetai, provisionally gathering of a hand and sell. The final verb is middle; sell is a documented middle sense [L1], while a giving-back interpretation remains possible. The exact construction and unstated object require further review; no Hebrew defeat clause is inserted.
Verse 8:26 Different
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:26] The vision of the evening and the morning that was told is true. But you, close up the vision, for it concerns many days.”
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:26] The evening-and-morning vision was found to be true. Now the vision is closed up, for it is still for many days.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew commands Daniel to close the vision; Greek describes it as closed. Both affirm truth and a distant period of many days.
Verse 8:27 Similar
Hebrew / Aramaic–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[8:27] I, Daniel, was overcome and sick for days. Then I rose and did the king’s work, but I was appalled by the vision, and no one understood it.
Old Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[8:27] I, Daniel, was weak for many days. Then I rose and again conducted royal affairs. I was undone by the vision, and there was no one who understood.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both end with illness, resumption of royal work, and uncomprehending distress. Greek explicitly says many days and again; Hebrew uses two expressions for Daniel’s incapacity.