English Standard Version
Daniel 7:5
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 7:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
- New International Version (NIV)“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!”
Context of Daniel 7:5
3And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And 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.' 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. 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.
Read all of Daniel 7Daniel 7:5 word by word
וַאֲר֣וּ חֵיוָה֩ אָחֳרִ֨י תִנְיָנָ֜ה דָּמְיָ֣ה לְדֹ֗ב וְלִשְׂטַר־חַד֙ הֳקִמַ֔ת וּתְלָ֥ת עִלְעִ֛ין בְּפֻמַּ֖הּ בֵּ֣ין שִׁנַּ֑הּ וְכֵן֙ אָמְרִ֣ין לַ֔הּ ק֥וּמִֽי אֲכֻ֖לִי בְּשַׂ֥ר שַׂגִּֽיא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And beholdאֲרוּ'ărû · behold!H718
- anotherאׇחֳרִי'ochŏrîy · anotherH317
- beastחֵיוָאchêyvâ' · beastH2423
- a secondתִּנְיָןtinyân · secondH8578
- likeדְּמָהdemâh · be likeH1821
- to a bearדֹּבdôb · bearH1678
- and it raised upקוּםqûm · to stand: raiseH6966
- itself on oneחַדchad · oneH2298
- sideשְׂטַרsheţar · sideH7859
- threeתְּלָתtelâth telâthâh telâthâ' · threeH8532
- ribsעֲלַע‛ăla‛ · ribH5967
- in the mouthפֻּםpûm · mouthH6433
- of it betweenבֵּיןbêyn · betweenH997
- the teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8128
- of it: and they saidאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
- thusכֵּןkên · thusH3652
- unto it, Ariseקוּםqûm · to stand: riseH6966
- devourאֲכַל'ăkal · to devourH399
- muchשַׂגִּיאώaggîy' · greatH7690
- fleshבְּשַׁרbeώar · fleshH1321
Cross-references for Daniel 7:5
- Daniel 2:39Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
- 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.
- 2 Kings 2:24And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.
- Proverbs 17:12Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
- Hosea 13:8I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.
- Daniel 5:28Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
- Daniel 8:4I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
- 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 13:17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
- Isaiah 56:9All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest.
- Jeremiah 50:21"Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill, and devote them to destruction, declares the Lord, and do all that I have commanded you.
- Ezekiel 39:17"As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field: 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood.
Commentaries on Daniel 7:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Another beast - like to a bear - This was the Medo-Persian empire, represented here under the symbol of the bear, as the largest species of these animals was found in Media, a mountainous, cold, and rough country, covered with woods. The Medes and Persians are compared to a bear on account of their cruelty and thirst after blood, a bear being a most voracious and cruel animal; the bear is termed by Aristotle an all-devouring animal; and the Medo-Persians…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear - That is, after the lion had appeared, and he had watched it until it had undergone these surprising transformations. There are several circumstances, also, in regard to this symbol, all of which, it is to be supposed, were significant, and all of which demand explication before it is attempted to apply them. (a) The animal seen: the bear. For a full description of the bear, see Bochart, Hieroz. lib…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The second beast likely represents Persia (Daniel 2:34–40; 6:9, 12, 15; 8:20). The bear was known for its fierce attacks (Proverbs 28:15). The three ribs might symbolize Babylon, Media, and Lydia, which Cyrus conquered. flesh: God chose Cyrus and Persia to conquer many nations (Isaiah 41:2–3; 44:28; 45:1, 13; 46:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. bear--symbolizing the austere life of the Persians in their mountains, also their cruelty (Is 13:17, 18; Cambyses, Ochus, and other of the Persian princes were notoriously cruel; the Persian laws involved, for one man's offense, the whole kindred and neighborhood in destruction, Da 6:24) and rapacity. "A bear is an all-devouring animal" [Aristotle, 8.5], (Jr 51:48, 56). raised ... itself on one side--but the Hebrew, "It raised up one dominion." The…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