Daniel 8.2-In His Vision, Daniel Saw Himself in the Palace of Susa in the Province of Elam Beside the Ulai Canal
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday July 2, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 8:2-Daniel Receives a Vision From God in Susa, the Citadel in the Province of Elam at the Ulai Canal
Lesson # 230
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 8:1.
Daniel 8:1 During the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, the king, a vision appeared to me, I, Daniel after the one appearing to me previously. (Author’s translation)
Daniel 8:2 I looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. (NASB95)
Not translated is the conjunction wa, which begins verse 2 and is emphatic meaning that it is introducing a statement which is advancing upon and intensifying upon the previous statement in verse 1, which tells the reader that a vision appeared to Daniel during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
“I looked” is the first person masculine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb rā∙ʾā(h) (רָאָה) (raw-aw), which means “to stare” in the sense of steadily looking at something with studious attention and with openmouthed wonder and amazement.
It is used of course with Daniel as its subject and refers to Daniel looking at a prophetic revelatory vision with studious attention and with open mouth wonder and amazement.
“In the vision” is composed of the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh) “in” and its object is the articular masculine singular form of the noun ḥā·zôn (חָזוֹן) (khaw-zone´), “the vision.”
The noun ḥā∙zôn denotes that Daniel received revelation from God in which extrasensory audiovisual experiences, which were revelatory in character, were perceived by him.
God communicated with him in a vision what would transpire in the future on planet earth and specifically what would take place with regards to the empires of Media-Persia and Greece.
The noun ḥā∙zôn means “vision” and refers to prophetic, supernatural revelation from God and describes an appearance of something in Daniel’s mind that was a supernatural revelation to communicate a truth to him, not seen as a sensory perception.
It speaks of revelation from God the Holy Spirit with regards to the Father’s will for planet earth and specifically contains information about two future world empires, namely Media-Persia and Greece.
The noun denotes that Daniel received this revelation while he was in a trance or altered state of consciousness in which extrasensory audiovisual experiences, which were revelatory in character, were perceived by him in the privacy of his own bedroom.
Here Daniel was in an altered state of consciousness while God revealed His future plans for planet earth.
The noun ḥā∙zôn is the object of the preposition bĕ, which is a marker of cause indicating the basis or the reason why Daniel was in a trance like state staring.
He was doing so “because of” his vision.
“And while I was looking” defines specifically what Daniel was doing when this vision appeared to him.
“While I was looking” is composed of the third person masculine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb hā∙yā(h) (הָיָה) (haw-yaw), “was” and then we have the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh) “while” and its object is the qal active infinitive construct form of the verb rā∙ʾā(h) (רָאָה) (raw-aw), “looking” and then we have the first person singular independent personal pronoun ʾǎnî (אֲנִי) (an-ee), “I.”
The independent personal pronoun ʾǎnî means “I myself” and is employed for emphasis, stressing with the reader that this is Daniel’s personal account regarding this vision which appeared to him during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
The verb hā∙yā(h) denotes existing in a certain state or condition.
Here it denotes Daniel’s trance like state when he received this revelation from God through a vision regarding His will for planet earth.
Once again, the verb rā∙ʾā(h) means “to stare” in the sense of steadily looking at something with studious attention and with openmouthed wonder and amazement.
It is again used of course with Daniel as its subject and refers to Daniel looking at a prophetic revelatory vision with studious attention and with open mouth wonder and amazement.
This time the verb is not in the imperfect conjugation but rather the infinitive construct form and is also the object of the preposition bĕ, which is a marker of a state or condition.
When an infinitive construct form of a verb occurs as the object of a preposition, the nuance of the infinitive construct is then a function of the preposition and the context.
Here the preposition bĕ and the infinitive construct form of this verb rā∙ʾā(h) are expressing Daniel’s state of staring at this vision which appeared to him.
Again, the conjunction wa is not translated and this time means “when” or “as” since it is used as a temporal marker relating points of time.
Therefore, this word indicates that “when” or “as” Daniel was staring in a trance like state, he was in the palace of Susa in the province of Elam when this vision appeared to him.
“The citadel of Susa” refers to the chief city of Susiana or Elam and of all Persia in which the Persian kings passed the winters during the Achaemenid period (Nehemiah 1:1; Esther 1:2, 5).
This city was located approximately 230 miles east of Babylon and was situated on the Euleus or Choaspes, River on the spot now occupied by the village of Shush or Schush.
On this site there are some extensive ruins, which extend some twelve miles from one end to the other and consisting of hills of earth and rubbish which contain broken pieces of brick and colored tile.
At the foot of these mounds is the tomb of Daniel.
A small building is erected on this spot where his remains are said to reside.
“Elam” refers to an area covering the territory of the Zagros Mountain range and of modern Luristan and Khuszistan, northeast of the Persian Gulf (in modern Iran) with its capital being Susa.
“The Ulai Canal” refers to an artificial canal in Susa which was of some size and not a river in the ordinary sense of the word.
Daniel 8:2 Indeed, I was staring because of this vision. Specifically, I myself was in a trance like state staring as I myself was in Susa, the citadel, which was in the province of Elam. Furthermore, I was staring because of this vision as I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. (My translation)
In verse 1, Daniel informed the reader that a vision appeared to him. He identifies the time period in which this occurred, namely during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
Now, here in verse 2, he informs the reader as to his geographical location when this took place.
In verse 2, Daniel advances upon and intensifies his previous statement in verse 1 in the sense that he goes from telling the reader that a vision appeared to him to informing the reader that he was staring because of this vision.
The rest of the chapter tells us why he was transfixed to the vision, namely it was apocalyptic presenting in symbolic imagery Alexander’s Greek Empire conquering the Persian Empire.
The latter is symbolized by a ram with two horns with one longer than the other.
The former is symbolized by a male goat with a conspicuous horn between its eyes.
Daniel explains further by providing even more details.
He was in a trance like state staring as he was located geographically in Susa, the citadel, which was in the province of Elam, beside the Ulai Canal, which was an artificial canal about nine hundred feet wide that flowed near Susa on the northeast.
Today this canal is dry.
The fact Daniel is in the capital city of the Persian Empire some 200 miles east of Babylon where he served under Belshazzar the king of Babylon in the city of Babylon is significant.
It indicates that in the vision Daniel was transported by the Holy Spirit from Babylon to the Persian capital when he received this vision, much like Ezekiel’s experience (Ezekiel 8:3; 40:1).
The contents of chapter 8 indicate that God the Holy Spirit transported Daniel to the Persian capital because Media-Persia would conquer Babylon and be the next world-wide empire after Babylon.
This contributes to Daniel in a trance like state staring because of this vision.
There is a possibility that Daniel was on a diplomatic mission for Belshazzar but Daniel chapter 5 makes clear that Daniel was not a significant player in Belshazzar’s administration.
Therefore, in the vision Daniel was no longer in Babylon but in Persia.
It does not appear that Babylon controlled Susa during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
In fact, it is highly unlikely since Babylon was in decline at the time and Media-Persia was on the rise as a world power.