Daniel 7:1-8

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

1 In the first year of 1Belshazzar king of Babylon, 2Daniel saw a dream and 3visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
2 Daniel declared,[a]"I saw in my vision by night, and behold, 4the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
3 And four great beasts 5came up out of the sea, different from one another.
4 The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, 6another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'
6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a 7leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and 8dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, 9terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; 10it devoured and broke in pieces 11and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and 12it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, 13there came up among them another horn, a little one, 14before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and 15a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 7

This chapter contains Daniel's vision of the four beasts, The time, place, manner, writing, and declaration of the vision, Da 7:1, the rise of the beasts, and the description of them, Da 7:2-8, the judgment of God upon them, especially the last, and the delivery of universal monarchy to his Son, Da 7:9-14, the interpretation of the vision at the request of Daniel, being greatly affected with it, Da 7:15-18, a particular inquiry of his about the fourth beast, concerning which a full account is given, Da 7:19-27, all which caused in him many thoughts of heart, and reflections of mind, Da 7:28.

Cross References 15

  • 1. See Daniel 5:1
  • 2. [Daniel 1:17]
  • 3. ver. 15; Daniel 2:28; Daniel 4:5
  • 4. Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4; [Ezekiel 37:9; Zechariah 2:6; Revelation 7:1]
  • 5. [Revelation 13:1]
  • 6. [Daniel 2:39]
  • 7. [Habakkuk 1:8; Revelation 13:2]
  • 8. [Daniel 11:5]
  • 9. ver. 19, 23
  • 10. ver. 19, 23
  • 11. ver. 19, 23
  • 12. ver. 20; [Revelation 12:3; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:12]
  • 13. [ver. 20, 21, 24; Daniel 8:9]
  • 14. [ver. 20, 21, 24; Daniel 8:9]
  • 15. ver. 20; [Revelation 13:5, 6]

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Aramaic answered and said
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.