Daniel 7:2-3

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:2

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night ,.... He declared he had had a vision by night, and this was the substance of it: and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea : the east, west, north, and south winds, broke out from each of their quarters, and rushed in upon the great sea; either the Mediterranean, so called in comparison of the sea of Sodom, and the sea of Tiberias in Judea; or upon the waters of the main ocean, and raised up its waves, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:3

And four great beasts came up from the sea ,.... Which are afterwards interpreted of four kings or kingdoms, Daniel 7:17 , which rose up in the world, not at once, but successively, and out of the sea or world, through the commotions and agitations of it; and these are the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; compared to "beasts", because of the rapine and violence, cruelty, oppression, and tyranny, by which they were obtained, set up, supported, and maintained; and to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:2

The four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea - The idea of strife is taken here from the effects that must be produced, were the east, the west, the north, and the south winds to rise tempestuously, and meet on the surface of the sea. By the great sea, the Mediterranean is meant; and is so called to distinguish it from those lakes called seas by the Hebrews; such as the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, Sea of Tiberias, etc.; but even that may refer to Asia, the scene of all these... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:3

Four great beasts came up from the sea - The term sea, in Hebrew ים yam , from המה hamah , to be tumultuous, agitated, etc., seems to be used here to point out the then known terraqueous globe, because of its generally agitated state; and the four winds striving, point out those predatory wars that prevailed almost universally among men, from the days of Nimrod, the founder of the Assyrian or Babylonish monarchy, down to that time, and in the end gave birth to the four great... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:2

Verse 2 He repeats again, He saw in his vision during the night. Again, I say, Daniel affirms that he brought forward nothing but what God had authoritatively delivered to him. For we know that in the Church all human traditions ought to be treated as worthless, since all men’s wisdom is vanity and lies. As God alone deserves to be listened to by the faithful, so Daniel here asserts that he offers nothing of his own by dreaming: in the ordinary way, but, that the vision is sure, and such as... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 7:3

Verse 3 After Daniel had beheld these great commotions which were shaking the earth in different parts, another vision was offered to him. What has already been said concerning the troubled sea and the conflict of the winds, is extended to the four monarchies, concerning which we shall now treat. A certain preparation is intended when God offers to the eyes of his Prophet a turbulent sea produced by the conflict of the winds. Just as if he should say — after these troubles others shall spring... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 7:1-8

A vision of human violence. Dreams have a foundation in external fact. The mind of man has a creative faculty—a faint reflection of the Divine—and, when released from the domination of visible things, it asserts its original power. Daniel was advanced in years, had seen many changes in the government of Babylon, and probably had been brooding seriously over the fortunes and prospects of the Hebrews. The past and the future were inextricably interlaced. I. NIGHT HAS ITS USES , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 7:1-12

Godless kingdoms. Daniel's vision brings before us the origin, the character, and the destiny of godless kingdoms. I. ORIGIN . 1 . Earthly. The Divine kingdom comes from above —"with the clouds of heaven" (verse 13). These kingdoms come from below —from the dark depths of the sea. Earthly passions, not the will of God, shape their origin. 2 . Tumultuous. "The four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea;" the kingdoms issued from the throes of the storm. The great... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 7:1-12

Brute rule. "Four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another" ( Daniel 7:3 ). We remark the transition here from history to prophecy; the date , the first year of Belshazzar, that is, before the fall of the first of the world-powers about to be described; the form , a dream,—before this Daniel had interpreted others' dreams, he now dreams himself; the fact that it was at once committed to writing , i.e. not set down after fulfilment; and that the prophecy is... read more

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