New King James Version
Daniel 7:1
1In 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw.
Context of Daniel 7:1
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. 2Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
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 5:1Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.
- Daniel 8:1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time.
- Jeremiah 27:7So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
- Daniel 2:1Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.
- Daniel 4:5I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
- Numbers 12:6Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
- Job 33:14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.
- Jeremiah 23:28“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord.
- Amos 3:7Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
- Acts 2:17‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
- Daniel 7:7“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
- Genesis 15:1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- Genesis 46:2Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”
- Job 4:13In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men,
- Ezekiel 1:1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of 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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries