Daniel 7:1-8

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary^[a] of his account.

2 Daniel said, "In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea.

3 Four huge beasts^[b] came up from the sea,^[c] each different from the other.

4 "The first was like a lion^[d] but had eagle's wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.

5 "Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear.^[e] It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.'

6 "While I was watching, another beast appeared. It was like a leopard^[f] with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads and was given authority to rule.

7 "While I was watching in the night visions, a fourth beast^[g] appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had 10 horns.^[h]

8 "While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn,^[i] a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it.^[j] There were eyes in this horn like a man's, and it had a mouth that spoke arrogantly.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit beginning
• [b]. Dn 7:17
• [c]. Rv 13:1
• [d]. Rv 13:2
• [e]. Rv 13:2
• [f]. Rv 13:2
• [g]. Dn 7:19,23
• [h]. Dn 7:20,24; Rv 12:3; 13:1
• [i]. Dn 7:11,20-21,24-26
• [j]. Dn 7:20,24