New English Translation
Daniel 7:5
5“Then a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and 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!’
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.'
- 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!’
Context of Daniel 7:5
3Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another. 4“The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it. “Then a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’ 6“After these things, as I was watching, another beast like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back. This beast had four heads, and ruling authority was given to it. 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.
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 2:39Now after you another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth.
- Daniel 8:3I looked up and saw a ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one.
- 2 Kings 2:24When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces.
- Proverbs 17:12It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.
- Hosea 13:8I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs – I will rip open their chests. I will devour them there like a lion – like a wild animal would tear them apart.
- Daniel 5:28As for peres – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
- Daniel 8:4I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.
- Daniel 11:2Now I will tell you the truth. “Three more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth king will be unusually rich, more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
- Isaiah 13:17Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; they are not concerned about silver, nor are they interested in gold.
- Isaiah 56:9All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour, all you wild animals in the forest!
- Jeremiah 50:21The Lord says, “Attack the land of Merathaim and the people who live in Pekod! Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them! Do just as I have commanded you!
- Ezekiel 39:17“As for you, son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Tell every kind of bird and every wild beast: ‘Assemble and come! Gather from all around to my slaughter which I am going to make for you, a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel! You will 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries