Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 8:7

"And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand." — Daniel 8:7 (ASV)

And I saw him, come close unto the ram - The ram was standing on the banks of the Ulai, and in the very heart of the empire. This representation is undoubtedly designed to denote that the Grecian power would attack the Persian in its own dominions. Perhaps the vision was represented at the place that would be the capital of the empire in order to denote this.

And he was moved with choler against him - (that is, against the ram). This means with wrath or anger. That is, he acted as if he were furiously enraged. This is not an improper representation.

Alexander, though spurred on by ambition as his ruling motive, yet might, without impropriety, be supposed to represent the concentrated wrath of all Greece on account of the repeated Persian invasions.

It is true, the Persians had been defeated at Leuctra, Marathon, and Salamis; their hosts had been held in check at Thermopylae; they had never succeeded in subduing Greece; and the Grecians, in defending their country, had covered themselves with glory.

It is also true that the wrongs inflicted or attempted on the Greeks had never been forgotten, and it cannot be doubted that the remembrance of these wrongs was a motive that influenced many a Greek at the battles of the Granicus, Issus, and Arbela. It would be one of the most powerful motives to which Alexander could appeal in stimulating his army.

And brake his two horns - This means he completely prostrated his power, as Alexander did when he overthrew Darius Codomannus and subjugated the Medo-Persian empire to himself. That empire ceased at that time and was merged into that of the son of Philip.

And there was no power in the ram to stand before him - That is, to resist him.

But he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him - This was an act strikingly expressive of the conduct of Alexander. The empire was crushed beneath his power and, as it were, trampled to the earth.

And there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand - This means there were no auxiliaries that the Persian empire could call to its aid that could save it from the Grecian conqueror.