Daniel 7:7-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 7:1-8

The date of this chapter places it before Dan. 5:1-31, which was in the last year of Belshazzar, and Dan. 6:1-28, which was in the first of Darius; for Daniel had those visions in the first year of Belshazzar, when the captivity of the Jews in Babylon was drawing near a period. Belshazzar's name here is, in the original, spelt differently from what it used to be; before it was Bel-she-azar?Bel is he that treasures up riches. But this is Bel-eshe-zar?Bel is on fire by the enemy. Bel was the god... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 7:9-14

Whether we understand the fourth beast to signify the Syrian empire, or the Roman, or the former as the figure of the latter, it is plain that these verses are intended for the comfort and support of the people of God in reference to the persecutions they were likely to sustain both from the one and from the other, and from all their proud enemies in every age; for it is written for their learning on whom the ends of the world have come, that they also, through patience and comfort of this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:7

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast ,.... Not in another night, as Jarchi; but in the same night, and in the same visions of it; only after he had seen the other three successively, then last of all he saw this fourth beast; and more being said of this than of the rest, shows that this was the principal thing in the vision to be observed, as being to endure until, and having a close connection with, the kingdom of the Messiah; which, arising, shall destroy it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:8

I considered the horns ,.... The ten horns of the fourth beast; these the prophet particularly looked at, took special notice of them, carefully observed them, their number, form, and situation, and pondered in his mind what should be the meaning of them: and, behold ; while he was attentive to these, and thinking within himself what they should be, something still more wonderful presented: there came up among them another little horn ; not Titus Vespasian, as Jarchi; nor the Turkish... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:9

I beheld till the thrones were cast down ,.... On which the governors of the above monarchies sat; and those of the ten kings, signified by the ten horns; and also that of the little horn. The prophet kept looking on the objects before him, till he in his dream, and the visions of the night, saw all those empires and kingdoms demolished, and all rule, power, and authority, put down, and way made for the glorious kingdom of the Messiah, and his saints with him; to this sense Aben Ezra,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:10

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him ,.... Or, "a river of fire" F19 נהר די־נור "fluvius ignis", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis. ; which denotes the copious judgments of God, the abundance of them; the full flow of his wrath, and the fierceness of it; and also its rapidity, which cannot be resisted and stopped: thousand thousands ministered unto him ; attended upon him, waiting his orders, and ready to execute them; an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:11

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake ,.... Or, "from the voice" F20 מן קל "a voce", Montanus, Cocceius; "ex quo coepit vox", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius; "ex quo audita fuit vox", Piscator. ; from the time it was heard, the prophet continued looking to see what would be the issue of all this; especially from the time he heard the little horn speak such blasphemous things against God, and Christ, and his people, which were so intolerable,... read more

Adam Clarke

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

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