Daniel 2:31

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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
• 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.

Context of Daniel 2:31

29“To you , O king—as you lay on your bed—came thoughts about what will come to pass in the future. The Revealer of mysteries has made known to you what is going to happen. 30But as for me, this mystery is not revealed to me because I posses more wisdom than any other living person, but in order that the king may know the interpretation and understand the thoughts of your heart. “You looked, O king, and behold, there before you stood a huge statue—an enormous and dazzling image, whose appearance was awesome. 32The head of that statue was of pure gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33its legs of iron, and its feet partly iron and partly clay.

Daniel 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 huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the others.
• Matthew 4:8Again, the devil takes Him to a very high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
• Luke 4:5And leading Him up, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant.
• Isaiah 13:11I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and abase the insolence of tyrants.
• Isaiah 25:3Therefore a strong people will honor You. Cities of ruthless nations will fear You.
• Ezekiel 28:7behold, I will bring strangers against you, the ruthless of the nations. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom. They will defile your splendor.
• Habakkuk 1:7Dreadful and terrifying, Its justice and dignity derive from itself.

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

• Babylon
• Persia

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Babylon
• Iron
• Terrible
• Abed-Nego
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Bible, the
• Daniel
• Daniel, Book of
• Divination

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