Daniel 2:31

Daniel 2:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
• New International Version (NIV)“Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.

Context of Daniel 2:31

29As for you, O king, as you were lying on your bed thoughts came into your mind about what will take place in the future; and He who reveals secrets has shown you what will occur. 30But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because my wisdom is greater than that of any other living man, but in order to make the interpretation known to the king, and so that you may understand [fully] the thoughts of your mind. “You, O king, were looking, and behold, [there was] a single great statue; this image, which was large and of unsurpassed splendor, stood before you, and its appearance was awesome and terrifying. 32As for this statue, its head was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay [pottery].

Daniel 2:31 word by word

אַ֣נְתְּ מַלְכָּ֗א חָזֵ֤ה הֲוַ֙יְתָ֙ וַאֲל֨וּ צְלֵ֥ם חַד֙ שַׂגִּ֔יא צַלְמָ֨א דִּכֵּ֥ן רַ֛ב וְזִיוֵ֥הּ יַתִּ֖יר קָאֵ֣ם לְקָבְלָ֑ךְ וְרֵוֵ֖הּ דְּחִֽיל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thouאַנְתָּה'antâh · youH607
• O kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• sawestחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
• sawestהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
• and beholdאֲלוּ'ălû · beholdH431
• a greatשַׂגִּיאώaggîy' · greatH7690
• a greatחַדchad · oneH2298
• imageצְלֵםtselem tselem · imageH6755
• Thisדִּכֵּןdikkên · thisH1797
• greatרַבrab · greatH7229
• whose brightnessזִיוzîyv · splendorH2122
• excellentיַתִּירyattîyr · preeminentH3493
• stoodקוּםqûm · to stand: establishH6966
• beforeקֳבֵלqebêl qŏbêl · beforeH6903
• thee; and the formרֵוrêv · appearanceH7299
• terribleדְּחַלdechal · to fearH1763

Cross-references for Daniel 2:31

• Daniel 7:3And four great beasts, each different from the other, were coming up out of the sea [in succession].
• Matthew 4:8Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory [splendor, magnificence, and excellence] of them;
• Luke 4:5Then he led Jesus up [to a high mountain] and displayed before Him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth [and their magnificence] in the twinkling of an eye.
• Isaiah 13:11In this way I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing]; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And will abase the arrogance of the tyrant.
• Isaiah 25:3Therefore a strong people will honor You; Cities of terrible and violent nations will fear You.
• Ezekiel 28:7Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers (Babylonians) upon you, The most ruthless and violent of the nations. And they will draw their swords Against the beauty of your wisdom [O Tyre] And defile your splendor.
• Habakkuk 1:7The Chaldeans are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves and are defined only by their decree.

Commentaries on Daniel 2:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31A great image - Representing the four great monarchies.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Thou, O king, sawest - Margin, “wast seeing.” The margin is in accordance with the Chaldee. The language is properly what denotes a prolonged or attentive observation. He was in an attitude favorable to vision, or was looking with intensity, and there appeared before him this remarkable image. Compare Daniel 7:1-2, Daniel 7:4, Daniel 7:6. It was not a thing which appeared for a moment, and then vanished, but which remained so long that he could…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-45Verses 31-45 This image represented the kingdoms of the earth, that should successively rule the nations, and influence the affairs of the Jewish church. 1. The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in being. 2. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. 3. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. 4. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman empire. The Roman empire…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31-33The progression downward shows a decrease in value: from the most valuable, gold (Daniel 2:32), to the least valuable, iron and baked clay (2:33).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. The world power in its totality appears as a colossal human form: Babylon the head of gold, Medo-Persia the breast and two arms of silver, Græco-Macedonia the belly and two thighs of brass, and Rome, with its Germano-Slavonic offshoots, the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay, the fourth still existing. Those kingdoms only are mentioned which stand in some relation to the kingdom of God; of these none is left out; the final establishment of that…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 2:31

• Babylon
• Persia

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Babylon
• Iron
• Terrible
• Abed-Nego
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Bible, the
• Daniel
• Daniel, Book of
• Divination

Commentaries on Daniel 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings