English Standard Version
Daniel 7:1
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
Daniel 7:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
- New International Version (NIV)In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw.
Context of Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
Read all of Daniel 7Daniel 7:1 word by word
בִּשְׁנַ֣ת חֲדָ֗ה לְבֵלְאשַׁצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל דָּנִיֵּאל֙ חֵ֣לֶם חֲזָ֔ה וְחֶזְוֵ֥י רֵאשֵׁ֖הּ עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבֵ֑הּ בֵּאדַ֙יִן֙ חֶלְמָ֣א כְתַ֔ב רֵ֥אשׁ מִלִּ֖ין אֲמַֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In the firstחַדchad · oneH2298
- yearשְׁנָהshenâh · yearH8140
- of Belshazzarבֵּֽלְאשַׁצַּר, בֵּלְשַׁאצַּרbêlsha'tstsar · BelshazzarH1113
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH895
- Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵלdânîyê'l · DanielH1841
- hadחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
- a dreamחֵ֫לֶםchêlem · dreamH2493
- and visionsחֱזוּchêzev · visionH2376
- of his headרֵאשׁrê'sh · headH7217
- uponעַל‛al · uponH5922
- his bedמִשְׁכַּבmishkab · bedH4903
- thenאֱדַ֫יִן'ĕdayin · thenH116
- he wroteכְּתַבkethab · to writeH3790
- toldאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
- of the mattersמִלָּהmillâh · wordH4406
Cross-references for Daniel 7:1
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
- Daniel 8:1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
- Jeremiah 27:7All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
- Daniel 2:1In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
- Daniel 4:5I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
- Numbers 12:6And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.
- Job 33:14For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
- Jeremiah 23:28Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.
- Amos 3:7"For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
- Acts 2:17"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
- Daniel 7:7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
- Genesis 15:1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
- Genesis 46:2And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am."
- Job 4:13Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
- Ezekiel 1:1In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Commentaries on Daniel 7:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1In the first year of Belshazzar - This is the same Belshazzar who was slain at the taking of Babylon, as we have seen at the conclusion of chap. 5. That chapter should have followed both this and the succeeding. The reason why the fifth chapter was put in an improper place was, that all the historic parts might be together, and the prophetic be by themselves; and, accordingly, the former end with the preceding chapter, and the latter with this. The…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon - On the character and reign of Belshazzar, see Introduction to Daniel 2:1. And visions of his head upon his bed - See the notes at Daniel 4:5. Then he wrote the dream - He made a record of it at the time. He did not commit it to tradition, or wait for its fulfillment before it was recorded, but long before the events referred to occurred he committed the prediction to writing, that when the prophecy was…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Daniel's vision of the four beasts. (Dn 7:1-8) and of Christ's kingdom. (Dn 7:9-14) The interpretation. (Dn 7:15-28) Verses 1-8 This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds, represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitious princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same four empires, as the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Mighty conquerors are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The second half of the book contains visions given to Daniel. These visions assured Daniel and his people, both those in exile and those who had returned to Judea, that God controls the future. All empires will eventually fall before the kingdom of heaven. Daniel's people will be saved from their troubles (Daniel 12:1–3), and God will resurrect and judge all people (see 12:13). Daniel interpreted these visions with help from divine messengers (Daniel…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-28This chapter treats of the same subject as the second chapter. But there the four kingdoms, and Messiah's final kingdom, were regarded according to their external political aspect, but here according to the mind of God concerning them, and their moral features. The outward political history had been shown in its general features to the world ruler, whose position fitted him for receiving such a revelation. But God's prophet here receives disclosures as to…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 7
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries