God’s Word Translation
Daniel 7:1
1In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw a vision while he was asleep. He wrote down the main parts of the dream.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Daniel 7:1
In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw a vision while he was asleep. He wrote down the main parts of the dream. 2In my visions at night I, Daniel, saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the Mediterranean Sea. 3Four large animals, each one different from the others, came out of the sea.
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 threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.
- Daniel 8:1In Belshazzar’s third year as king, I, Daniel, saw a vision. This vision came after the one I saw earlier.
- Jeremiah 27:7All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until Babylon is defeated. Then many nations and great kings will make him their slave.
- Daniel 2:1During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had some dreams. He was troubled, but he stayed asleep.
- Daniel 4:5I had a dream that terrified me. The visions I had while I was asleep frightened me.
- Numbers 12:6He said, “Listen to my words: When there are prophets of the Lord among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams.
- Job 33:14“God speaks in one way, even in two ways without people noticing it:
- Jeremiah 23:28The prophet who has a dream should tell his dream. However, the person who has my word should honestly speak my word. What does grain have to do with straw?” asks the Lord.
- Amos 3:7Certainly, the Almighty Lord doesn’t do anything unless he ⌞first⌟ reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.
- Acts 2:17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will speak what God has revealed. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
- Daniel 7:7After this, I saw a fourth animal in my vision during the night. It was terrifying, dreadful, extraordinarily strong, and had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed its victims and trampled whatever was left. It acted differently from all the other animals that I had seen before. It had ten horns.
- Genesis 15:1Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said, “Abram, don’t be afraid. I am your shield. Your reward will be very great.”
- Genesis 46:2God spoke to Israel in a vision that night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” “Here I am,” he answered.
- Job 4:13With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people,
- Ezekiel 1:1On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River, the sky opened, and I saw visions from God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1I must brag, although it doesn’t do any good. I’ll go on to visions and revelations from 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries