English Standard Version
Daniel 2:39
39Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
Daniel 2:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)“After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world.
Context of Daniel 2:39
37You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.
Read all of Daniel 2Daniel 2:39 word by word
וּבָתְרָ֗ךְ תְּק֛וּם מַלְכ֥וּ אָחֳרִ֖י אֲרַ֣עא מִנָּ֑ךְ וּמַלְכ֨וּ תְלִיתָאָ֤ה אָחֳרִי֙ דִּ֣י נְחָשָׁ֔א דִּ֥י תִשְׁלַ֖ט בְּכָל־אַרְעָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And afterאֲתַר'ăthar · placeH870
- thee shall ariseקוּםqûm · to stand: riseH6966
- anotherאׇחֳרִי'ochŏrîy · anotherH317
- kingdomמַלְכוּmalkû · kingdomH4437
- inferiorאֲרַע'ăra‛ · earth: inferiorH772
- to theeמִן־min · fromH4481
- thirdתְּלִיתַיtelîythay taltîy · thirdH8523
- of brassנְחָשׁnechâsh · bronzeH5174
- which shall bear ruleשְׁלֵטshelêţ · to ruleH7981
- over allכֹּלkôl · allH3606
- the earthאֲרַע'ăra‛ · earth: planetH772
Cross-references for Daniel 2:39
- Daniel 2:32The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
- Daniel 5:28Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
- Daniel 7:5And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'
- Daniel 8:3I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
- Daniel 11:2"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.
- Isaiah 44:28who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"
- Isaiah 45:1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- Daniel 7:6After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
- Daniel 8:5As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
- Daniel 10:20Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come.
- Daniel 11:3Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.
- Zechariah 6:3the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.
Commentaries on Daniel 2:39
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39And after thee - This must mean “subsequently” to the reign, but it does not mean that the kingdom here referred to would “immediately” succeed his own reign, for that would not be true. The Medo-Persian empire did not come into the ascendency until many years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. This occurred during the reign of Belshazzar, a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, between whose reign and that of his grandfather there had intervened the reigns of…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. 39inferior to yours: Silver was worth less than gold, just as the chest is lower than the head. Nebuchadnezzar was a very stable ruler who kept the Neo-Babylonian Empire united. In contrast, Persia often faced internal divisions and instability at its borders.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. That Medo-Persia is the second kingdom appears from Da 5:28 and Da 8:20. Compare 2Ch 36:20; Is 21:2. inferior--"The kings of Persia were the worst race of men that ever governed an empire" [Prideaux]. Politically (which is the main point of view here) the power of the central government in which the nobles shared with the king, being weakened by the growing independence of the provinces, was inferior to that of Nebuchadnezzar, whose sole word was law…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 2:39
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries