Daniel 2:42

Daniel 2:42 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
• New International Version (NIV)As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

Context of Daniel 2:42

40Then a fourth kingdom (Rome) will be strong as iron, for iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes things in pieces, it will break and crush all these [others]. 41And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it some of the durability and strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. As the [ten] toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so some of the kingdom will be strong, and another part of it will be brittle. 43And as you saw the iron mixed with common clay, so they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not merge [for such diverse things or ideologies cannot unite], even as iron does not mix with clay. 44In the days of those [final ten] kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left for another people; but it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

Daniel 2:42 word by word

וְאֶצְבְּעָת֙ רַגְלַיָּ֔א מִנְּהֵ֥ין פַּרְזֶ֖ל וּמִנְּהֵ֣ין חֲסַ֑ף מִן־קְצָ֤ת מַלְכוּתָא֙ תֶּהֱוֵ֣ה תַקִּיפָ֔ה וּמִנַּ֖הּ תֶּהֱוֵ֥ה תְבִירָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the toesאֶצְבַּע'etsba‛ · digitH677
• of the feetרְגַלregal · footH7271
• partמִן־min · fromH4481
• of ironפַּרְזֶלparzel · ironH6523
• of clayחֲסַףchăsaph · clayH2635
• the kingdomמַלְכוּmalkû · kingdomH4437
• shall beהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
• partlyקְצָתqetsâth · endH7118
• strongתַּקִּיףtaqqîyph · strongH8624
• brokenתְּבַרtebar · to breakH8406

Commentaries on Daniel 2:42

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken - Margin, “brittle.” The margin is the more correct rendering of the Chaldee word (תבירה tebı̂yrâh ). It means “frail, fragile” - easily broken, but not necessarily that it was actually broken. That did not occur until the stone cut out of the mountain impinged on it. It has been commonly supposed (comp. Newton “on the Prophecies”)…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. 41-42partly brittle: Feet are necessary for stability. The brittle feet show how fragile the entire image is. They represent earthly kingdoms and their power.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 41-4341-43. feet ... toes ... part ... clay ... iron--explained presently, "the kingdom shall be partly strong, partly broken" (rather, "brittle," as earthenware); and Da 2:43, "they shall mingle ... with the seed of men," that is, there will be power (in its deteriorated form, iron) mixed up with that which is wholly of man, and therefore brittle; power in the hands of the people having no internal stability, though something is left of the strength of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 2:42

• Gold
• Persia

In the dictionaries

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

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