John Calvin Commentary Daniel 8:5-6

"And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power." — Daniel 8:5-6 (ASV)

Here another change is shown to the Prophet, namely, Alexander’s coming to the east and acquiring for himself the mighty sway of the Persians, as later happened. Then, with the aim of securing confidence for his prediction, he says, he was attentive. He undoubtedly dwells upon the reverence with which he received the vision to encourage us to pursue piety, and also modesty and attention.

Therefore, the Prophet was not carried away in imagination by a dream that could be questioned; he knew this vision had been set before him by God, and he acknowledged his duty to receive it with modesty and humility. Therefore, he says, I was attentive, and behold a he-goat came forth from the west.

The location of Macedon relative to Persia must be noted. Since the Greeks were located to the west of Persia, the Prophet says, the he-goat came from the west, and went over the surface of the whole earth. These words signify Alexander's very extensive dominion and the terror of surrounding nations.

His arrival in Asia with a very small army is well known. He considered 30,000 men sufficient after he had been made their general by the Greek states. Thus, the passage is to be understood not in terms of numbers, but of the terror inspired on all sides; for, although he advanced with only a moderate force, he still terrified the whole earth.

He says, But he did not touch the ground. This refers to his swiftness, for he seemed to fly rather than travel either on foot or by sea, so incredible was his speed in this expedition. For if anyone had galloped through regions completely at peace, he could not have passed through Asia more quickly.

Thus, a he-goat was shown to the Prophet who did not touch the ground, that is, who was carried along with a rapid impulse, like that of lightning itself. He says, And the goat had a horn between its eyes — a remarkable horn.

We know how much glory Alexander acquired for himself in a short time. Yet, he did not undertake the war in his own name or on his own responsibility, but he used every scheme to obtain from the Greek states the office of general-in-chief against the Persians, as their perpetual enemies.

We are well aware of the hostility of the Persians toward the Greeks. Although often compelled to retreat with great disgrace, infamy, and loss of troops, the Persians still kept renewing the war, as they had an abundance of men and financial resources. When Alexander was made general of all Greece, he had a remarkable horn between his eyes; that is, he took care to have his title as general made known to increase his personal authority.

Besides, it was prominent enough to establish him as the sole general of the entire army, with all things being carried out according to his will, as he had undertaken the war. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet says, the horn was visible between the eyes of the goat.

It follows, It came to the ram, which had two horns; that is, it came against the king of the Medes and Persians. Cyrus also had seized Babylon and had subdued many kings, but two horns are assigned to the ram because the Persian kings had united the Medes in an alliance with themselves.

Thus, one he-goat with his horn came against the ram which had two horns, and ran against it in the ardor of its bravery. Thus, Alexander's perseverance is indicated, as he hurried so as to surpass all expectation by the speed of his arrival.

For Darius remained secure, although he had gathered a large army, but Alexander rushed forwards in the boldness of his strength, and surrounded the enemy with his swiftness. It follows: