Daniel 7:3

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.

Daniel 7:3 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 7:3

And four great beasts came up from the sea
Which are afterwards interpreted of four kings or kingdoms, ( Daniel 7:17 ) , which rose up in the world, not at once, but successively, and out of the sea or world, through the commotions and agitations of it; and these are the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; compared to "beasts", because of the rapine and violence, cruelty, oppression, and tyranny, by which they were obtained, set up, supported, and maintained; and to "great ones", being not like single separate kingdoms, as the kingdom of Israel, and the like, but consisting of many kingdoms and nations, and so like beasts of an enormous size: diverse one from another;
in their situation, language, manner, strength, and power; hence expressed by divers sorts of beasts, as the lion, bear, leopard; as in Nebuchadnezzar's dream by different metals, gold, silver, brass, and iron.

Daniel 7:3 In-Context

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and penned the sum of the matters.

2 Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven fought the great sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.

4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings; I beheld until the its wings were plucked off, and it was removed from the earth, and it stood up on its feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

5 And behold the second beast, like unto a bear, which went off to one side, and it had three ribs between its teeth; and thus was said unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.