Daniel 7

In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote the dream down, and this is the account of its main points.

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

NoteBelshazzar ruled in Babylon as the last of its kings; he appears again in chapter 5, at the fall of the city. Dating this vision to his first year places it earlier than the events of chapters 5 and 6, so the book's visions are not in the same order as its stories. From here to the end of chapter 7 the book is written in Aramaic, the common international language of the Babylonian and Persian empires; the surrounding chapters at either end are in Hebrew.

2Daniel said: In my vision at night I looked, and there were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.

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

Note"The four winds of heaven" is a standard phrase for the four directions, winds blowing in from every quarter at once. "The great sea" in ordinary usage means the Mediterranean, but in visions like this one the sea also carries its older sense as the wild, unruly water out of which monsters come; the text leaves both senses open.

3Four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others.

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

NoteThe chapter never names the four kingdoms the beasts stand for, and readers have matched them to different empires, most commonly Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece, or Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. The vision itself gives only the sequence, not the names.

4The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I watched until its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up off the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and it was given the mind of a man.

4The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

NoteA lion with eagle's wings was familiar imagery in Babylon, where winged lions were carved beside palace and city gates. Being made to stand upright and given a human mind reverses the beast's nature rather than adding to it.

5Then there was another beast, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, "Get up and eat plenty of meat."

5And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

NoteBoth details here are obscure in the Aramaic. "Raised up on one side" may mean the bear was rearing, lopsided, or crouched ready to spring, and the word for "ribs" can also mean tusks. Translators have to choose; the original does not settle it.

6After this I looked, and there was another beast, like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like a bird's, and it had four heads. It was given the power to rule.

6After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7After this, in my visions at night, I saw a fourth beast. It was frightening and terrible and very strong, and it had large iron teeth. It ate its victims, crushed them, and trampled whatever was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.

7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

NoteA horn is the standard image in this literature for a ruler or a concentration of power, the strength an animal fights with. Ten horns means ten rulers arising from that kingdom, as verse 24 makes explicit.

8I was thinking about the horns when another horn, a little one, came up among them, and before it three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots. This horn had eyes like a man's eyes and a mouth that spoke boastful words.

8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Note"Great things" (here "boastful words") is the idiom for arrogant speech that oversteps human limits; verse 25 sharpens it into words spoken against God himself. Eyes on the horn mark it as a watching, calculating thing rather than a blind force.

9I kept watching until thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like clean wool. His throne was blazing fire, and its wheels were burning fire.

9I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Note"Ancient of Days" translates an Aramaic phrase meaning "one advanced in days", aged, and so venerable. It appears nowhere else in the Bible outside this chapter. White clothing and white hair signal purity and age; a throne on wheels pictures the seat of a ruler as a chariot that can move, the same image used of God's throne in Ezekiel. Thrones in the plural are set out for a court, not for one judge alone.

10A river of fire flowed out from in front of him. Thousands upon thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood in front of him. The court sat down to judge, and the books were opened.

10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Note"Thousands upon thousands" and "ten thousand times ten thousand" are idioms for a number past counting, not arithmetic. A court that "sat down" is a court formally convened and in session. Ancient courts kept written records of charges and verdicts, so opening the books means the evidence is produced and the case begins.

11I kept watching because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was killed, its body destroyed and thrown into the burning fire.

11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12As for the rest of the beasts, their power to rule was taken away, but they were allowed to go on living for a set period of time.

12As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

Note"A season and a time" is an idiom for a fixed, limited stretch, they keep their existence, but on borrowed time and without power.

13In my visions at night I looked, and there was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He came up to the Ancient of Days and was led in before him.

13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Note"Son of man" is ordinary Aramaic for "a human being"; "one like a son of man" means a figure with human appearance. The contrast is the point: the earlier powers rose out of the sea looking like animals, this one comes from heaven looking like a person. Coming with the clouds is language used elsewhere of God appearing. The Aramaic does not say who "they" are who lead him in.

14He was given the power to rule, and glory, and a kingdom, so that people of every nation and language would serve him. His rule is a rule that lasts forever and will never pass away, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Note"All people, nations, and languages" was the set formula used in imperial decrees for the many subject peoples of an empire; it appears repeatedly elsewhere in Daniel in exactly that official sense.

15I, Daniel, was troubled deep inside myself, and the visions in my mind alarmed me.

15I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

NoteThe King James "in the midst of my body" follows the Aramaic literally: the body is called a sheath, the spirit a blade inside it. The image is of distress reaching all the way in.

16I went up to one of those standing there and asked him what all this really meant. So he told me, and he explained to me what these things meant.

16I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Note"Those standing there" are attendants of the heavenly court described in verses 9 and 10. In visions of this kind such a figure regularly acts as the guide who explains what the seer has just watched.

17"These four great beasts are four kings who will rise up out of the earth.

17These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Note"Kings" and "kingdoms" are used interchangeably here: verse 17 says four kings, verse 23 explains the fourth beast as a kingdom. A king stands for the realm he rules.

18But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever, yes, forever and ever."

18But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Note"Saints" in the King James does not mean unusually holy individuals. The word means "holy ones", those set apart, and here translates an Aramaic term that may refer to the people of Israel, to heavenly beings, or to both together; scholars disagree, and the chapter does not settle it.

19Then I wanted to know what the fourth beast really meant, the one different from all the others and terribly frightening, with iron teeth and bronze claws, which ate its victims, crushed them, and trampled whatever was left with its feet.

19Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head, and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell. This was the horn with eyes and with a mouth that spoke very boastful words, and it looked more impressive than the others.

20And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21As I watched, this same horn made war against the holy people and was winning against them,

21I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they took possession of the kingdom.

22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Note"Judgment was given to the saints" is courtroom language and can mean either that the verdict was handed down in their favor or that the right to judge was handed over to them. The Aramaic allows both.

23This is what he said: "The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will be on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and break it in pieces.

23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24The ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king will rise, different from the earlier ones, and he will bring down three kings.

24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25He will speak words against the Most High and will wear down the holy people of the Most High. He will plan to change set times and laws, and they will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.

25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Note"Times and laws" are the fixed religious calendar, the appointed festivals and their dates, together with the legal code that governs daily practice; changing them would mean overturning a people's whole ordered way of life. "A time, times, and half a time" is deliberately vague counting, usually taken as one plus two plus a half, giving three and a half units, most often read as years. The word for "times" could be dual (two) or simply plural (several), so the total is not certain.

26But the court will sit to judge, and his power to rule will be taken away from him, wiped out and destroyed for good.

26But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27Then the kingdom, the power to rule, and the greatness of the kingdoms everywhere under heaven will be given to the people who are the holy people of the Most High. That kingdom will be a kingdom that lasts forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him."

27And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

NoteThe Aramaic slides between singular and plural here, and "him" at the end is ambiguous: the one served and obeyed may be the Most High, or the people who have been given the kingdom. Translators must pick one; the text does not.

28Here the account ends. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.

28Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.