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 there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron which breaks everything into pieces. Like iron, that kingdom will destroy the other kingdoms. 41In your dream, you saw that the statue's feet and toes had parts of clay and parts of iron. This shows that this kingdom will not be united as one. Some parts will be strong, like iron. The iron that you saw shows that strength. But the iron parts of the statue were mixed with clay parts. This shows that the fourth kingdom will be strong in some parts and weak in other parts. 43You saw iron and clay that were mixed together. The two parts of that kingdom will try to become united by marriage. But that will not help them to stay together as one. Iron cannot mix properly with clay. 44During the time when those kings rule, the God of heaven will begin a new kingdom. That kingdom will continue for ever. No other people will ever have power over it. It will break up all those other kingdoms and it will destroy them. And it will continue for ever.

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