This is one of the oddest verses in the entire Bible, and as such, one of the hardest to translate from the Hebrew. It breaks all the rules of Hebrew grammar.

In Hebrew grammar, all words have gender. The masculine nouns go with the masculine verbs, and the feminine nouns go with the feminine verbs. However, in verse 12, there are no masculine verbs to go with the masculine nouns.

This is odd to the English reader as few words have gender, e.g., king-queen, goose-gander. English grammar uses word order to match nouns with verbs. We almost always have the subject first, followed by the predicate with verbs, verb phrases, etc.

This ungrammatical phrasing cannot be an accident. This is the kind of mistake a four-year-old makes with language, e.g., “I runned all the way here.” It is like this verse has a giant red flag that says, “Look at me”. But the question is WHY?

And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through transgression; and truth was cast down to the ground, and the horn acted and prospered. Dan 8:12

 Parsing Chart

If this is the first time you have seen a parsing chart on a Hebrew passage, you likely recognize nouns, masculine singular, prepositions, and adjectives. It is the verb tenses that are completely foreign to the English speaker. Hebrew does not have past, present, or future. The verb tenses in this verse are niphel, hiphel, and qal perfect.

Because English is restricted to past, present, and future, we become obsessed with determining the chronological or sequential order of everything. Hebrew doesn’t work like that. This can make translating really difficult sometimes. Niphel and hiphel are causative tenses; something or someone is behind the action or forcing the action. Qal perfect is completed action, similar to the past tense in English. There are other Hebrew tenses, but this is not a lesson on Hebrew grammar.

And host (army/war/service) common noun masculine singular

give (/given/put /set) niphel imperfect third person feminine 

upon (to) preposition particle

the continually adjective

(in/at/with) (transgression/rebellion) noun masculine singular

and cast (throw/fling) hiphel imperfect third person feminine singular 

truth common noun feminine singular

the land (earth/ground) common noun feminine singular 

and to (do make) qal perfect third person singular feminine 

and prosper (succeed/rush) hiphel third person feminine singular 

Missing from this text in Hebrew are the words “burnt” and “offering.” The translators have changed the adjective “continual” and added the noun “burnt offering.” This is a presumption on their part, as there are several ‘continual’ ceremonies. Not just the burnt offerings. This is another example of why one cannot trust translations. Translators mistakenly thought the context of this passage was solely about the temple. Because it states that this will be for “evening and morning,” any of the daily temple sacrifices might be meant.

There is no reason to limit “evening and morning” to one category of offerings. Several rituals in the Torah instruct the Tabernacle/Temple to be continual, not just evening and morning sacrifices. These sacred rituals are part of the broader contract that the people promised to uphold:

•  The Burning of Incense Ex. 10:8
•  The Evening and Morning Sacrifice Ex. 29:38
•  The Fire upon the Altar Lev. 6:17
•  The Burning of the Menorah Lev. 24:4
•  The Sabbath Day Lev. 24:8
•  The Bread on the Table Num. 4:7

Our Translation

And the host (the chosen people} was given (to the little horn]) together with the continual because of the transgression (of God’s people—their abounding irreverence, ungodliness, and lack of piety) and righteousness and truth were cast down to the ground, and the rebellious (little horn) accomplished this (by divine permission) very successfully.