Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

DANIEL 8:13KJV
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Daniel 8:13 (KJV)

What does Daniel 8:13 mean?

Daniel 8:13 describes Daniel overhearing a conversation between two holy beings, where one asks the other how long the troubling vision—specifically the interruption of daily sacrifices and the desecration of the sanctuary—will last, with both the sanctuary and its people being oppressed. This verse highlights a concern about the duration of suffering and desecration affecting the temple and those connected to it.

In this scene, Daniel is not speaking but listening as two "saints" or holy ones discuss the disturbing events shown in his vision. The question focuses on the period during which regular worship ("daily sacrifice") will be stopped and the sanctuary and its people ("the host") will be "trodden under foot," meaning dominated or defiled. The verse sets up the next part of the vision, where an answer about the length of this hardship is given.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 8:13

  • קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, H6918): Translated as "saint" or "holy one," this word refers to angelic or heavenly beings, not human saints. This detail shows that the conversation is happening among supernatural messengers, not people.
  • תָּמִיד (tamid, H8548): Rendered "daily," this word refers to the regular, ongoing sacrifices in the temple. The interruption of the "tamid" signals a major disruption in Israel's worship life.
  • פֶּשַׁע (pesha, H6588): Translated "transgression," this word often means a willful rebellion or serious offense. Here, it points to a specific act of desecration or sin that brings about the desolation.
  • שָׁמֵם (shamem, H8074): The word for "desolation," meaning devastation or ruin. This term emphasizes the severity of what happens to the sanctuary and its people.

Why Daniel 8:13 matters

  • Daniel 8:13 clarifies that the focus is not just on the loss of ritual but on a period of intense suffering and desecration for both the sanctuary and the community associated with it.
  • The verse connects the vision to a specific question of time, showing that the suffering has a limit and prompting the answer that follows in the next verse.
  • By recording a conversation between heavenly beings, Daniel 8:13 underscores the seriousness of the events and suggests that even in the spiritual realm, the duration of this hardship is a matter of concern.

Where else these words appear

“foot” Hebrew H4823 · used in 7 verses

  • Isaiah 5:5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
  • Isaiah 10:6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
  • Ezekiel 34:19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

“vision” Hebrew H2377 · used in 34 verses

  • 1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
  • Ezekiel 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
  • Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

“desolation” Hebrew H8074 · used in 87 verses

  • Leviticus 26:22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.
  • Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 27:35 All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.

“transgression” Hebrew H6588 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
  • Psalms 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
  • Lamentations 1:5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.