Daniel 7

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:7

I saw - a fourth beast - it had great iron teeth - This is allowed, on all hands, to be the Roman empire. It was dreadful, terrible, and exceeding strong: it devoured, and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue, that is, the remains of the former kingdoms, with its feet. It reduced Macedon into a Roman province about one hundred and sixty-eight years before Christ; the kingdom of Pergamos about one hundred and thirty-three years; Syria about sixty-five; and Egypt about thirty years before... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:8

Another little horn - Among Protestant writers this is considered to be the popedom. Before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up - These were probably, The exarchate of Ravenna. The kingdom of the Lombards. And, The state of Rome. The first was given to the Pope, Stephen II., by Pepin, king of France, a.d. 755; and this constituted the pope's temporal princes. The second was given to St. Peter by Charlemagne, in 774. The third, the state of Rome, was vested in the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:9

The thrones were cast down - דמיו might be translated erected, so the Vulgate, positi sunt , and so all the versions; but that ours is a proper translation, is sufficiently evident from Daniel 3:6 , Daniel 3:16 , Daniel 3:20 ; Daniel 6:17 , etc.; where the original word can be used in no other sense than that of throwing or casting down. There is a reference here to preparations made for a general assize, or to the convocation of the sanhedrin, where the father of the consistory... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:10

A fiery stream issued - This is not spoken of the final judgment; but of that which he was to execute upon this fourth beast, the Roman empire; and the little boasting horn which is a part of the fourth beast, and must fall when the other falls. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:11

I beheld then because of the voice (or, the beast will be destroyed because) of the great words which the horn spake - his body destroyed - When the dominion was taken from the rest of the beasts, their bodies were not destroyed, but suffered to continue still in being; but when the dominion shall be taken away from this beast, his body shall be totally destroyed; because other kingdoms succeeded to those, but no other earthly kingdom shall succeed to this. - Bishop Newton. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:13

One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven - This most certainly points out the Lord Jesus, אנש בר bar enosh , the Son of miserable man; who took our nature upon him that he might redeem us unto himself. To prove himself to be the Messiah he applies, before the high priests, these words of the Prophet Daniel to himself Matthew 24:30 . Near before him - The Ancient of days. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:14

And there was given him dominion - This also is applied to our Lord Jesus by himself, after his resurrection, Matthew 28:18 . His dominion is an everlasting dominion - Christianity shall increase, and prevail to the end of the world. See the parallel passages in the margin. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:15

I Daniel was grieved, etc. - The words in the original are uncommonly emphatic. My spirit was grieved, or sickened, נדנה בגו bego nidneh , within its sheath or scabbard. Which I think proves, That the human spirit is different from the body. That it has a proper subsistence independently of the body, which is only its sheath for a certain time. 3. That the spirit may exist independently of its body, as the sword does independently of its sheath. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:17

These great beasts - are four kings - See the preceding verses, where the following explanations are inserted and illustrated. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:18

But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom - I doubt whether this be the true sense of the original Chaldee, עליונון קדשי מלכותא ויקבלון vikabbelun malcutha kaddishey elyonin , "But the supreme holy ones shall receive the kingdom;" or, "they shall receive the kingdom of the supreme saints." Properly translated by Montanus, Et suscipient regnum sanctorum altissimorum . Whatever we may think of the patriarchs and the Jews in their best times, there has never been so much... read more

Group of Brands