Daniel 2:43

43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples ^[a] will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

Daniel 2:43 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 2:43

And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay
That is, iron among the clay; otherwise iron and clay will not mix and cement together, as is affirmed in the latter part of the verse; but as some of these toes were of iron, and others of clay, or some part of them were iron, and some part of them of clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men;
the Romans shall mix with people of other and many nations that shall come in among them, and unite in setting up kingdoms; or these kingdoms set up shall intermarry with each other, in order to strengthen their alliances, and support their interests: thus France, Spain, Portugal, and other nations; those of the royal families marry with each other, with such views: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed
with clay;
and yet these ties of marriage and of blood shall not cause them to cleave to and abide by one another; but ambition and worldly interests will engage them to take part with each other's enemies, or to go to war with one another, to the weakening and hurting each other; and thus the potsherds of the earth will dash one another to pieces; and those who are more powerful, like the iron, will trample the weaker like miry clay under their feet.

Daniel 2:43 In-Context

41 And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

45 And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future.

Footnotes

• [a]. Aramaic the seed of men