English Standard Version
Daniel 2:43
43As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.
Daniel 2:43 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
- New International Version (NIV)And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
- New King James Version (NKJV)As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
- New Living Translation (NLT)This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.
Context of Daniel 2:43
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. 42And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."
Read all of Daniel 2Daniel 2:43 word by word
וְדִ֣י חֲזַ֗יְתָ פַּרְזְלָא֙ מְעָרַב֙ בַּחֲסַ֣ף טִינָ֔א מִתְעָרְבִ֤ין לֶהֱוֹן֙ בִּזְרַ֣ע אֲנָשָׁ֔א וְלָֽא־לֶהֱוֹ֥ן דָּבְקִ֖ין דְּנָ֣ה עִם־דְּנָ֑ה הֵֽא־כְדִ֣י פַרְזְלָ֔א לָ֥א מִתְעָרַ֖ב עִם־חַסְפָּֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And whereasדִּיdîy · thatH1768
- thou sawestחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
- ironפַּרְזֶלparzel · ironH6523
- mixedעֲרַב‛ărab · to mixH6151
- with miryטִיןţîyn · clayH2917
- clayחֲסַףchăsaph · clayH2635
- they shall mingle themselvesהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
- with the seedזְרַעzera‛ · seedH2234
- of menאֱנָשׁ'ĕnâsh 'ĕnash · manH606
- notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
- cleaveדְּבֵקdebaq · to cleaveH1693
- oneדְּנָהdên · thisH1836
- toעִם‛im · withH5974
- evenהֵאhê' hâ' · behold!H1888
Commentaries on Daniel 2:43
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men - Various explanations have been given of this verse, and it certainly is not of easy interpretation. The phrase “seed of men,” would properly denote something different from the original stock that was represented by iron; some foreign admixture that would be so unlike that, and that would so little amalgamate with it, as to be properly represented by…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. 43Just as iron and clay do not mix, marriage between different groups could weaken political alliances instead of creating real or lasting unity. This empire would be divided.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 2:43
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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