The Vision of the Ram and the Male Goat: Here in chapter 8 the language reverts back to Hebrew. When the Aramaic section began, the narrator introduced it by saying, “The astrologers answered the king in Aramaic” (2:4). There is no explanation given in chapter 8 for the change back. The author inherited the Aramaic material (2:4b–7:28) but shaped it for his purposes. He then added chapters 1 (actually, 1:1–2:4a) and 8–12 in Hebrew.

Chapter 8 is linked to chapter 7 explicitly by informing the reader that this vision came after the earlier one (8:1). The two chapters share some similarities but also are distinguished by certain differences. Both begin with a chronological heading locating the vision in the reign of King Belshazzar: chapter 7 is dated to his first year, chapter 8 to his third.…