Daniel Chapter 7

Old Testament Major Prophet 28 Verses

What is Daniel 7 about?

Faithfulness in Babylonian exile and apocalyptic visions of four world empires, the Son of Man, and the end of the age. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
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.
2Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea.
3And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
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 to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man`s heart was given to it.
5And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, [and] the wheels thereof burning fire.
10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.
12And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, 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.
15As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth.
18But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
20and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other [horn] which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
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 to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.
25And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, etc.] Daniel having finished the historical part of his book, and committed to writing what was necessary concerning himself and his three companions, and concerning Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the Mede, proceeds to the prophetic part, and goes back to the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, seventeen years before his death, and the fall of the Babylonish monarchy last mentioned; for so long Belshazzar reigned, according to Josephusf260; and with which agrees the canon of Ptolemy, who ascribes so many years to the reign of Nabonadius, the same, with…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS. (Dan. 7:1-28) Belshazzar--Good Hebrew manuscripts have "Belshazzar"; meaning "Bel is to be burnt with hostile fire" (Jer 50:2; Jer 51:44). In the history he is called by his ordinary name; in the prophecy, which gives his true destiny, he is called a corresponding name, by the change of a letter. visions of his head--not confused "dreams," but distinct images seen while his mind was collected. sum--a "summary." In predictions, generally, details are not given so fully as to leave no scope for free agency, faith, and patient waiting for God manifesting His will in the event. He "wrote"…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon - On the character and reign of Belshazzar, see Introduction to Daniel 5:0 Section II. He was the last of the kings of Babylon, and this fact may cast some light on the disclosures made in the dream. Daniel had a dream - Margin, as in Hebrew, saw. He saw a series of events in vision when he was asleep. The dream refers to that representation, and was of such a nature that it was proper to speak of it as if he saw it. Compare the notes at Daniel 2:1. And visions of his head upon his bed - See the notes at Daniel 4:5. Then he wrote the dream - He made a record of it…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“In the first year of Belshazzar - This prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a monument to him, of the reverence his father and grandfather shewed towards God, who had done such mighty works for them. Then he wrote - These visions were recorded for the benefit of the church, to rectify their mistake: for they thought all things would succeed prosperously after they returned out of their captivity. Daniel 7:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“7:1–12:13 The second half of the book features visions given to Daniel. These visions showed Daniel and his people, both those in exile and those who had returned to Judea, that the future is securely in God’s hands. All empires will ultimately fall before the Kingdom of Heaven. Daniel’s people will be rescued from all their troubles (12:1-3), and God will resurrect and judge all humankind (see 12:13). Daniel interpreted these visions with help from divine messengers (7:10; 8:15; 9:22; 10:14; 12:7). 7:1-28 This chapter contains a terrifying vision (7:2-14) and its interpretation (7:17-27). The sequence of…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“Cir, am 3449, bc 555 Belshazzar: Dan 5:1, Dan 5:22, Dan 5:30, Dan 8:1; Jer 27:7 Daniel: Dan 2:1, Dan 2:28, Dan 2:29, Dan 4:5; Num 12:6; Job 33:14-16; Jer 23:28; Joe 2:28; Amo 3:7; Act 2:17, Act 2:18 had: Chal, saw visions: Dan 7:7, Dan 7:13, Dan 7:15; Gen 15:1, Gen 46:2; Job 4:13; Eze 1:1; Co2 12:1 he wrote: Isa 8:1, Isa 30:8; Hab 2:2; Rom 15:4; Rev 1:19, Rev 10:4 matters: or, words Daniel 7:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“The time here indicated, "in the first year of Belshazzar," which cannot, as is evident, mean "shortly before the reign of Belshazzar" (Hitz.), but that Daniel received the following revelation in the course of the first year of the reign of this king, stands related to the contest of the revelation. This vision accords not only in many respects with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2), but has the same subject. This subject, however, the representation of the world-power in its principal forms, is differently given in the two chapters. In Daniel 2 it is represented according to its whole character as an image…”
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