What Does Daniel 7:20 Mean in the King James?

And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Daniel 7:20 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The horn’s power is written in projection: it rises, watches, speaks grandly, and makes itself look larger than its peers.

THE MEANING

This verse exposes the shape of intimidation: power rises among others, makes rivals fall, watches, boasts, and presents itself as greater than its peers. The vision makes the threat visible in the very spectacle by which it commands attention.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The verse undoes the belief that the largest presence or grandest voice is therefore the truest authority; here, that excess belongs to the threatening horn.

THE ROOT

קַרְנַיָּא

qarnayyā

GROWS FROM

קרן

Horn; a projecting point, with a related use for a ray or beam.

The verse’s Aramaic word for horns belongs to the same ⁨קרן⁩ family as a ray or beam: a horn is a form thrust outward, a visible projection. The horn’s eyes and mouth make that projection watchful and boastful.

ALSO GROWS

qeren: Horn; also a ray or beam.

קֶרֶן

This noun shares all three consonants with the verse’s word for horns, linking the horn’s force with what projects outward.

qāran: To send out rays; to shine.

קָרַן

This verb shares the same three consonants and reveals that the root can describe something projecting visibly beyond itself.

THE PATTERN

Self-exalting power makes its claim visible through outsized speech and appearance.

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:8 · KJVThe horn’s eyes and grand speech make its rising power visible, echoing the same threatening spectacle.

The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

Psalm 12:3 · KJVProud speech advertises itself as power, while the verse shows that boastful words do not make that power secure.

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Revelation 13:5 · KJVThe mouth again makes domination audible through grand speech, while its granted duration shows that its reach has a limit.

THE THREAD

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Exodus 34:29 · KJV

Daniel’s horn and the verb describing Moses’ shining face share ⁨קרן⁩: the same consonants can name a horn and the sending out of rays. The root connects both images through outward projection, while the scenes give that projection different forms: imposing prominence here, a shining face there.

This reading is from Selah Verse.

You can read any verse this way in the app, keep it as a card, and send it on.

Get Selah Verse

A Bible app where you send verses from your keyboard and in Messages, and every verse has a Deep Dive.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us