New Living Translation
Daniel 7:1
1Earlier, 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.
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
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. 2In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. 3Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
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 5:1Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
- Daniel 8:1During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me.
- Jeremiah 27:7All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.
- Daniel 2:1One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.
- Daniel 4:5But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed.
- Numbers 12:6And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams.
- Job 33:14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.
- Jeremiah 23:28“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!
- Amos 3:7Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.
- Acts 2:17‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
- Daniel 7:7Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
- Genesis 15:1Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
- Genesis 46:2During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called. “Here I am,” Jacob replied.
- Job 4:13It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep.
- Ezekiel 1:1On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about 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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries