Daniel 2:30-40

30 Mihi quoque non in sapientia, quae est in me plus quam in cunctis viventibus, sacramentum hoc revelatum est: sed ut interpretatio regi manifesta fieret, et cogitationes mentis tuae scires.
31 Tu rex videbas, et ecce quasi statua una grandis: statua illa magna, et statura sublimis stabat contra te, et intuitus eius erat terribilis.
32 Huius statuae caput ex auro optimo erat, pectus autem et brachia de argento, porro venter, et femora ex aere.
33 tibiae autem ferreae, pedum quaedam pars erat ferrea, quaedam autem fictilis.
34 Videbas ita, donec abscissus est lapis de monte sine manibus: et percussit statuam in pedibus eius ferreis, et fictilibus, et comminuit eos.
35 Tunc contrita sunt pariter ferrum, testa, aes, argentum, et aurum, et redacta quasi in favillam aestivae areae, quae rapta sunt vento: nullusque locus inventus est eis: lapis autem, qui percusserat statuam, factus est mons magnus, et implevit universam terram.
36 hoc est somnium. Interpretationem quoque eius dicemus coram te, rex.
37 Tu rex regum es: et Deus caeli, regnum, et fortitudinem, et imperium, et gloriam dedit tibi:
38 et omnia, in quibus habitant filii hominum, et bestiae agri: volucres quoque caeli dedit in manu tua, et sub ditione tua universa constituit: tu es ergo caput aureum.
39 Et post te consurget regnum aliud minus te argenteum: et regnum tertium aliud aereum, quod imperabit universae terrae.
40 Et regnum quartum erit velut ferrum. quomodo ferrum comminuit, et domat omnia, sic comminuet, et conteret omnia haec.

Daniel 2:30-40 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIAL 2

The subject of this chapter is a dream which Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed, but had forgot; upon which he calls his magicians and astrologers together, to tell him it, and the interpretation of it; threatening them with death if they did not, and promising them great rewards and honour if they did, Da 2:1-6, they urge the unreasonableness of the demand, and the impossibility of the thing; which so highly incensed the king, that he ordered their immediate destruction, Da 2:7-13, Daniel and his companions being in danger, he goes in to the king, and desires time, and he would show him what he had dreamed; which being granted, he spent it in prayer to God, Da 2:14-18, and the thing being revealed to him, he gave thanks to God, Da 2:19-23, and being introduced to the king, he both told him his dream, and the interpretation of it; which concerned the four monarchies of the world, and the everlasting kingdom of the Messiah, Da 2:24-45, upon which he was highly honoured, and greatly promoted by the king, Da 2:46-49.

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.