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20 “The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.[a] 21 The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king. 22 The four that rose in its place when it was shattered are four kingdoms that will issue from his nation, but without his strength.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:20 The Medes and Persians: the Medes had been allies of the Babylonians in destroying the Assyrian empire (late seventh century B.C.), and Cyrus the Persian defeated the Medes en route to conquering the Babylonians. The Book of Daniel, however, treats the Medes and Persians as a dual kingdom; cf. also 5:28; 6:9; and note on 6:1.

But a powerful king[a] shall appear and rule with great might, doing as he wills. No sooner shall he appear than his kingdom shall be broken and divided in four directions under heaven; but not among his descendants or in keeping with his mighty rule, for his kingdom shall be torn to pieces and belong to others.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:3 A powerful king: Alexander the Great, who broke Persian dominance by his victory at Issus in 333 B.C.

21 [a]“There shall arise in his place a despicable person, to whom the royal insignia shall not be given. He shall enter by stealth and seize the kingdom by fraud.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:21 Here begins the career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.