New International Version
Daniel 2:31
31“Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
Daniel 2:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight.
Context of Daniel 2:31
29“As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
Read all of Daniel 2Daniel 2:31 word by word
אַ֣נְתְּ מַלְכָּ֗א חָזֵ֤ה הֲוַ֙יְתָ֙ וַאֲל֨וּ צְלֵ֥ם חַד֙ שַׂגִּ֔יא צַלְמָ֨א דִּכֵּ֥ן רַ֛ב וְזִיוֵ֥הּ יַתִּ֖יר קָאֵ֣ם לְקָבְלָ֑ךְ וְרֵוֵ֖הּ דְּחִֽיל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thouאַנְתָּה'antâh · youH607
- O kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- sawestחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
- sawestהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
- and beholdאֲלוּ'ălû · beholdH431
- a greatשַׂגִּיאώaggîy' · greatH7690
- a greatחַדchad · oneH2298
- imageצְלֵםtselem tselem · imageH6755
- Thisדִּכֵּןdikkên · thisH1797
- greatרַבrab · greatH7229
- whose brightnessזִיוzîyv · splendorH2122
- excellentיַתִּירyattîyr · preeminentH3493
- stoodקוּםqûm · to stand: establishH6966
- beforeקֳבֵלqebêl qŏbêl · beforeH6903
- thee; and the formרֵוrêv · appearanceH7299
- terribleדְּחַלdechal · to fearH1763
Cross-references for Daniel 2:31
- Daniel 7:3Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
- Matthew 4:8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
- Luke 4:5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
- Isaiah 13:11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
- Isaiah 25:3Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
- Ezekiel 28:7I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
- Habakkuk 1:7They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.
Commentaries on Daniel 2:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31A great image - Representing the four great monarchies.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Thou, O king, sawest - Margin, “wast seeing.” The margin is in accordance with the Chaldee. The language is properly what denotes a prolonged or attentive observation. He was in an attitude favorable to vision, or was looking with intensity, and there appeared before him this remarkable image. Compare Daniel 7:1-2, Daniel 7:4, Daniel 7:6. It was not a thing which appeared for a moment, and then vanished, but which remained so long that he could…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-45Verses 31-45 This image represented the kingdoms of the earth, that should successively rule the nations, and influence the affairs of the Jewish church. 1. The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in being. 2. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. 3. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. 4. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman empire. The Roman empire…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31-33The progression downward shows a decrease in value: from the most valuable, gold (Daniel 2:32), to the least valuable, iron and baked clay (2:33).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. The world power in its totality appears as a colossal human form: Babylon the head of gold, Medo-Persia the breast and two arms of silver, Græco-Macedonia the belly and two thighs of brass, and Rome, with its Germano-Slavonic offshoots, the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay, the fourth still existing. Those kingdoms only are mentioned which stand in some relation to the kingdom of God; of these none is left out; the final establishment of that…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 2:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 2
- 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
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