Daniel 7:1-14

Listen to Daniel 7:1-14

Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man

1 In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head [as he lay] on his bed; then he wrote down the dream [and] [the] {summary} of [the] words {as follows}:
2 Daniel {explained} and said, "I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring [up] the great sea.
3 And four great beasts [were] coming up from the sea, differing {from one another}.
4 The first [was] like [a] lion and {had} [the] wings of an eagle. I was watching until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and it was raised on [its] feet like a human, and a human heart was given to it.
5 And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks [were] in its mouth between its teeth, and so {it was told}, "Arise, eat much flesh!"
6 After this I was watching and look, another [beast] like a leopard; {it had four wings} of a bird on its back, and {the beast had} four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and {it had} {great iron teeth}, [and it was] devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all [the other] beasts {that preceded it} {and it had ten horns}.
8 I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up {among} them, and three of the earlier horns {were rooted out} from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of [a] human in this horn and [also] a mouth [that was] speaking boastfully.
9 "{I continued watching} until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing [was] like white snow and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool and his throne [was] a flame of fire and its wheels [were] burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued forth and flowed {from his presence}; thousands [upon] thousands served him and ten thousand [upon] ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and [the] books were opened.
11 "{I continued watching} then because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn [who was] speaking; {I continued watching} until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given [over] to burning with fire.
12 And [as for] the remainder of the beasts, {their dominion was taken away}, but a prolongation {of their life} was given to them for a season and a time.
13 "{I continued watching} in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and {was presented} before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages [would] serve him; his dominion [is] a dominion {without end} that will not cease, and his kingdom [is one] that will not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:1-14 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.

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Footnotes 32

  • [a] Or "the visions"
  • [b] Literally "head"
  • [c] Literally "saying"
  • [d] Literally "answered"
  • [e] Literally "this from this"
  • [f] Literally "for him/it"
  • [g] Or "ribs"
  • [h] Literally "they were saying"
  • [i] Literally "and [there were] to it four wings"
  • [j] Literally "to the beast"
  • [k] Literally "[were] to it"
  • [l] Literally "teeth of iron for it great"
  • [m] Or "residue"
  • [n] Literally "that preceding her/it"
  • [o] Literally "and ten horns for her/it"
  • [p] Literally "between"
  • [q] Literally "dehorned"
  • [r] Or "humankind"
  • [s] Literally "I was watching"
  • [t] Or "ablaze with"
  • [u] Aramaic "wheel"
  • [v] Literally "from before him"
  • [w] Literally "I was watching"
  • [x] Aramaic "in then"
  • [y] Literally "I was watching"
  • [z] Literally "they took away their dominion"
  • [aa] Literally "in life"
  • [ab] Literally "I was watching"
  • [ac] Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
  • [ad] Literally "they presented him"
  • [ae] Aramaic "and"
  • [af] Literally "of eternity"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.