Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
two horns—The "two" ought not to be in italics, as if it were not in the original; for it is expressed by the Hebrew dual. "Horn" in the East is the symbol of power and royalty.
one . . . higher than . . . other . . . the higher came up last—Persia, which was of little note till Cyrus' time, became then ascendant over Media, the more ancient kingdom. Darius was sixty-two years old (Daniel 5:31) when he began to reign; during his short reign of two years, being a weak king (Daniel 6:1-3), the government was almost entirely in Cyrus' hands. Hence HERODOTUS does not mention Darius; but XENOPHON does under the name of Cyaxares II. The "ram" here corresponds to the "bear" (Daniel 7:5), symbolizing clumsy firmness. The king of Persia wore a jewelled ram's head of gold instead of a diadem, such as are seen on the pillars at Persepolis. Also the Hebrew for "ram" springs from the same root as "Elam," or Persia [NEWTON]. The "one horn higher than the other" answers to the bear "raising itself on one side" (compare Note, see on Daniel 7:5).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Daniel 8:3:
Daniel 2:22
Daniel 10:1
Zechariah 6:1
Revelation 5:6
Revelation 17:10
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