Daniel 8:3

 Daniel 8:3

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

a. NASB 1995:  Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was [fn]longer than the other, with the [fn]longer one coming up last.   [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

b. NKJV: Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.  [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified Bible: And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a [single] ram which had two horns [representing two kings of Medo-Persia: Darius the Mede, then Cyrus]; and the two horns were high, but one [Persia] was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: I raised my eyes and looked, and behold a ram standing before the stream, and it had horns. The horns are high, but one is higher than the other, and the higher one is coming up last.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

e. ESV: I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: 

a. [Then I] lifted up [Strong: 5375 נָשָׂא nâsâʼ, naw-saw'; or נָסָה nâçâh; (Psalm 4:6 [7]), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative:—accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ( man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, × needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, swear, take (away, up), × utterly, wear, yield.]

b. [mine] eyes [Strong: 5869 עַיִן ʻayin, ah'-yin; probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):—affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), × me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, + think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).]

c. [and] saw [Strong: 7200 רָאָה râʼâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.]

d. [and] behold [Strong: 2009 הִנֵּה hinnêh, hin-nay'; prolongation for H2005; lo!:—behold, lo, see.]

e. [there] stood [Strong: 5975 עָמַד ʻâmad, aw-mad'; a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive):—abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.]

f. before [Strong: 6400 פָּנִים pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]

g. [the] river [Strong: 180 אוּבָל ʼûwbâl, oo-bawl'; or (shortened) אֻבָל ʼubâl ; from H2986 (in the sense of H2988); a stream:—river.]

h. a [Strong: 259 אֶחָד ʼechâd, ekh-awd'; a numeral from H258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:—a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

i. ram [Strong: 352 אַיִל ʼayil, ah'-yil; from the same as H193; properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree:—mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram, tree.]

j. [which had two] horns [Strong: 7161 קֶרֶן qeren, keh'-ren; from H7160; a horn (as projecting); by implication, a flask, cornet; by resemblance. an elephant's tooth (i.e. ivory), a corner (of the altar), a peak (of a mountain), a ray (of light); figuratively, power:—× hill, horn.]

2. “...and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.”

a. [and the two] horns [Strong: 7161 קֶרֶן qeren, keh'-ren; from H7160; a horn (as projecting); by implication, a flask, cornet; by resemblance. an elephant's tooth (i.e. ivory), a corner (of the altar), a peak (of a mountain), a ray (of light); figuratively, power:—× hill, horn.]

b. [were] high [Strong: 1364 גָּבֹהַּ gâbôahh, gaw-bo'-ah; or גָּבוֹהַּ gâbôwahh; (fully) from H1361; elevated (or elated), powerful, arrogant:—haughty, height, high(-er), lofty, proud, × exceeding proudly.]

c. [but] one [Strong: 259 אֶחָד ʼechâd, ekh-awd'; a numeral from H258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:—a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

d. [was] higher [Strong: 1364 גָּבֹהַּ gâbôahh, gaw-bo'-ah; or גָּבוֹהַּ gâbôwahh; (fully) from H1361; elevated (or elated), powerful, arrogant:—haughty, height, high(-er), lofty, proud, × exceeding proudly.]

e. than [Strong: 4480 מִן min, min; or מִנִּי minnîy; or מִנֵּי minnêy; (constructive plural) (Isaiah 30:11); for H4482; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses:—above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, × neither, × nor, (out) of, over, since, × then, through, × whether, with.]

f. [the] other [Strong: 8145 שֵׁנִי shênîy, shay-nee'; from H8138; properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again:—again, either (of them), (an-) other, second (time).]

g. [and the] higher [Strong: 1364 גָּבֹהַּ gâbôahh, gaw-bo'-ah; or גָּבוֹהַּ gâbôwahh; (fully) from H1361; elevated (or elated), powerful, arrogant:—haughty, height, high(-er), lofty, proud, × exceeding proudly.]

h. came up [Strong: 5927 עָלָה ʻâlâh, aw-law'; a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative:—arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, × mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.]

i. last [Strong: 314 אַחֲרוֹן ʼachărôwn, akh-ar-one'; or (shortened) אַחֲרֹן ʼachărôn; from H309; hinder; generally, late or last; specifically (as facing the east) western:—after (-ward), to come, following, hind(-er, -ermost, -most), last, latter, rereward, ut(ter) most.]

1). This angel is identified as Gabriel 

a). Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

2). This ram is identified by Gabriel as the Media-Persian Empire. 

a). Daniel 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.