223 THE “LITTLE HORN” OF DAN 7,8: MALEVOLENT OR BENIGN? through the use of hwzx in Dan 7,20 indicates that the eleventh horn was guilty of not paying due deference to God. The final change made in Dan 7,20 to the description of the little horn as it appeared in Dan 7,8 is to render a passive verb by a different, active one. No longer are three horns “uprooted from before him”, i.e. by a power other than himself; rather they “fall from before him” inferring that his strength was so great that they, the three horns, were overcome by him. That the horn in Dan 7,20 is different from the “little horn” of Dan 7,8 is further reinforced in Dan 7,21. There Daniel relates that he saw in a further vision that “the same horn waged war with the holy ones and prevailed against them.” This introduces an event that was not men- tioned in the vision 37, an event contrary to the character of the little horn as it was expressed there. In 7,24-25 the theme of arrogance continues, becoming much more explicit, for the eleventh horn “will speak words against the Most High and will wear out the holy ones of the Most High and will aspire to change (hyn#hl) the times (Nynmz) and the law (td) [...]”. Speaking against God is the opposite of what the little horn did in Dan 7,8, for there he “spoke great things” in praise of the Deity rather than in denigration of him. Even in 7,20 where the character of the (little) horn had changed, it was not said that he spoke against God himself. Aspiring to change the times and the law in 7,25 indicates an attempt to usurp what is God’s prerogative and overthrow his order of worship, for Dan 2,21 makes it clear that it is the Deity who “changes ()n#hm […] the times ()ynmz)”, and Dan 6,6 (in conjunction with the story in that chapter) that the law (td) of God requires his followers to worship him daily 38. The eleventh horn then is no longer the humble servant of God who ap- The precise nature of the event cannot be discerned from Dan 7,21. For 37 various views about the identity of the “holy ones” (Ny#ydq) cf. COLLINS, Daniel, 313-317 Some scholars think td in Dan 7,25 indicates the Torah: e.g. R.H. 38 CHARLES, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel (Ox- ford 1929) 194; LUCAS, Daniel, 194. Others recognize it is used elsewhere in the sense of a decree: e.g. C.L. SEOW, Daniel (Westminster Bible Companion; Louisville, KY – London 2003) 111; GOLDINGAY, Daniel, 181. Ezra 7,12.14.21.25.26 refers to the td of God, and the use of the plural in 7,25 underlines that td can indicate individual decrees. Dan 6,6 also refers to a decree of God rather than a king as in Dan 2,9.13.15, and is the probable background to 7,25. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati