New English Translation
Daniel 7:1
1In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream filled with visions while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion.
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 the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream filled with visions while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion. 2Daniel explained: “I was watching in my vision during the night as the four winds of the sky were stirring up the great sea. 3Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were 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 prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all.
- Daniel 8:1In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously.
- Jeremiah 27:7All nations must serve him and his son and grandson until the time comes for his own nation to fall. Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon.
- Daniel 2:1In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. His mind was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia.
- Daniel 4:5I saw a dream that frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me.
- Numbers 12:6The Lord said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.
- Job 33:14“For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.
- Jeremiah 23:28Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! I, the Lord, affirm it!
- Amos 3:7Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
- Acts 2:17‘And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
- Daniel 7:7“After these things, as I was watching in the night visions a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. It had two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came 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 and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”
- Genesis 46:2God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!”
- Job 4:13In the troubling thoughts of the dreams in the night when a deep sleep falls on men,
- Ezekiel 1:1In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries