(KJV) Daniel 21

<< Daniel 1 Daniel 3 >>

⥃Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream

[1] And in2 the second3 year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar4 Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his5 sleep brake from him. [2] Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.6 [3] And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.7 [4] Then spake the Chaldeans to the kin8g in Syriack9, O king10, live for ever: tell11 thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. [5] The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall12 be cut in pieces13, and your houses shall be made14 a dunghill. [6] But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall15 receive of me gifts and rewards16 and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. [7] They answered again and said, Let17 the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. [8] The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain18 the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. [9] But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is19 but] one decree for20 you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time21 be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall22 know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

[10] [¶]The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. [11] And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there23 is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose24 dwelling is not with flesh. [12] For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.25 [13] And the decree26 went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they27 sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

⥃The Dream Revealed to Daniel

[14] Then Daniel answered28 with29 counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard30, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: [15] He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made31 the thing known to Daniel. [16] Then Daniel went in, and desired32 of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. [17] Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah33, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: [18] That they would34 desire mercies of the God of heaven35 concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.

[19] [¶]Then was36 the secret revealed unto Daniel in37 a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. [20] Daniel answered and said, Blessed38 be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom39 and might are his: [21] And he changeth40 the times and the seasons: he removeth41 kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth42 wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: [22] He revealeth43 the deep and secret things: he knoweth44 what [is] in the darkness, and the45 light dwelleth with him. [23] I thank46 thee, and praise thee, O thou47 God of my fathers, who hast48 given me wisdom and might, and hast49 made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter.

⥃Daniel Interprets the Dream

[24] Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch50, whom the king had ordained to destroy51 the wise [men] of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. [25] Then Arioch brought52 in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have53 found a man of the captives of Judah54, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. [26] The king answered and said to Daniel55, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art56 thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? [27] Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot57 the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; [28] But there is a God58 in heaven that revealeth59 secrets, and maketh known60 to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the61 latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; [29] As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind62] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that63 revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. [30] But as for me, this secret64 is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but65 for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king66, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

[31] Thou, O king, sawest67, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the68 form thereof [was] terrible69. [32] This image’s head70 [was] of fine gold, his breast71 and his arms of silver, his belly72 and his thighs73 of brass, [33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.74 [34] Thou sawest till that a stone75 was cut76 out without hands77, which78 smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. [35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like79 the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place80 was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became81 a great mountain, and filled82 the whole earth.

[36] [¶]This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.83 [37] Thou, O king, [art] a king84 of kings: for the God85 of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power86, and strength, and glory. [38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts87 of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art88] this head of gold. [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom89 inferior to thee, and another third90 kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. [40] And the fourth91 kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch92 as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. [41] And whereas thou sawest the feet93 and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. [42] And [as] the toes94 of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken95. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another96, even97 as iron is not mixed with clay. [44] And in the days98 of these kings shall the God99 of heaven set up100 a kingdom, which shall never101 be destroyed: and the kingdom102 shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break103 in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. [45] Forasmuch as thou sawest104 that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands105, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great106 God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter107: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

⥃Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel

[46] Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell108 upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet109 odours unto him. [47] The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God110 of gods, and a Lord111 of kings, and a revealer112 of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. [48] Then the king made Daniel a great113 man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler114 over the whole province of Babylon, and chief115 of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. [49] Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set116 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat117] in the gate of the king.

<< Daniel 1 Daniel 3 >>

  1. Dan 2:1, Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threatenings; Dan 2:10, They acknowledging their inability are judged to die; Dan 2:14, Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream; Dan 2:19, He blesses God; Dan 2:24, He staying the decree is brought to the king; Dan 2:31, The dream; Dan 2:36, The interpretation; Dan 2:46, Daniel’s advancement. ↩

  2. Dan 1:1-5; 2Chr 36:5-7 ↩

  3. That is, the second according to the Babylonian computation, but the fourth according to that of the Jews, who reckon from the time he was associated with his father. Jer 25:1 ↩

  4. Dan 2:3, Dan 4:5; Gen 40:5-8, Gen 41:1-36; Job 33:15-17 ↩

  5. Dan 6:18; Esth 6:1 ↩

  6. Dan 1:20, Dan 4:6, Dan 5:7; Gen 41:8; Exod 7:11; Deut 18:10-12; Isa 8:19, Isa 19:3; Isa 47:12-13 ↩

  7. Dan 2:1; Gen 40:8, Gen 41:15 ↩

  8. Gen 31:47; Ezra 4:7; Isa 36:11 ↩

  9. Aramith, "Aramean," the language of Aram or Syria; a general term comprehending both the Chaldee and Syriac, the latter merely differing from the former as a dialect, and being written in a different character. With the following words the Chaldee part of Daniel commences; and is continued to the end of the Dan 7:1. ↩

  10. Dan 3:9, Dan 4:19, Dan 5:10, Dan 6:6, Dan 6:21; 1Sam 10:24; 1Kgs 1:25, 1Kgs 1:31; Neh 2:3; Matt 21:9; Mark 11:9-10 ↩

  11. Dan 4:7, Dan 5:8; Gen 41:8; Isa 44:25 ↩

  12. This was unreasonable, arbitrary, and tyrannical in the extreme; but, in the course of God's providence, it was overruled to serve the most important purpose. Dan 3:29; 1Sam 15:33; Ps 50:22, Ps 58:7 ↩

  13. Chal, made pieces ↩

  14. Deut 13:16; Josh 6:26; 2Kgs 10:27; Ezra 6:11 ↩

  15. Dan 2:48, Dan 5:7, Dan 5:16, Dan 5:29; Num 22:7, Num 22:17, Num 22:37, Num 24:11 ↩

  16. or, fee, Dan 5:17 *marg. ↩

  17. Dan 2:4, Dan 2:9; Eccl 10:4 ↩

  18. Chal, buy, Eph 5:16; Col 4:5 ↩

  19. Dan 3:15; Esth 4:11 ↩

  20. 1Kgs 22:6, 1Kgs 22:22; Prov 12:19; Isa 44:25; Ezek 13:6, Ezek 13:17, Ezek 13:19; 2Cor 2:17 ↩

  21. Dan 2:21, Dan 5:28, Dan 5:31, Dan 7:25 ↩

  22. Isa 41:23 ↩

  23. This was their decision, and when the living and true God, who indeed condescends to dwell with men, and who alone could reveal the dream and the secrets contained in it, actually made it known to Daniel, he evinced the infinite difference between Jehovah and his prophets, and the idols and magicians of Babylon. Dan 2:27-28, Dan 5:11; Gen 41:39; Exod 8:19; Matt 19:26 ↩

  24. Exod 29:45; Num 35:34; 1Kgs 8:27; 2Chr 6:18; Ps 68:18, Ps 113:5-6, Ps 132:14; Isa 8:18, Isa 57:15, Isa 66:1-2; Joel 3:21; John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 14:17, John 14:23; 2Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3 ↩

  25. Dan 3:13; Job 5:2; Ps 76:10; Prov 16:14, Prov 19:12, Prov 20:2, Prov 27:3-4, Prov 29:22; Matt 2:16; Matt 5:22 ↩

  26. Dan 6:9-15; Esth 3:12-15; Ps 94:20; Prov 28:15-17; Isa 10:1 ↩

  27. Dan 1:19-20, Dan 6:12 ↩

  28. Chal, returned ↩

  29. 2Sam 20:16-22; Eccl 9:13-18 ↩

  30. or, chief marshall, Chal, chief of the executioners, or slaughter-men. Gen 37:36; Jer 39:9, Jer 52:12, Jer 52:14 *marg. ↩

  31. Dan 2:9 ↩

  32. Dan 2:9-11, Dan 1:18-19 ↩

  33. Dan 1:7, Dan 1:11, Dan 3:12 ↩

  34. Dan 3:17; 1Sam 17:37; Esth 4:15-17; Ps 50:15, Ps 91:15; Prov 3:5-6; Isa 37:4; Jer 33:3; Matt 18:12, Matt 18:19; Acts 4:24-31, Acts 12:4; Rom 15:30; 2Tim 4:17-18 ↩

  35. Chal. from before God. Daniel and his fellows should not perish. or, they should not destroy Daniel, etc. Gen 18:28; Mal 3:18; 2Pet 2:9 ↩

  36. Dan 2:22, Dan 2:27-29, Dan 4:9; 2Kgs 6:8-12; Ps 25:14; Amos 3:7; 1Cor 2:9-10 ↩

  37. Dan 7:7; Num 12:6; Job 4:13, Job 33:15-16; Matt 2:12-13 ↩

  38. Gen 14:20; 1Kgs 8:56; 1Chr 29:10, 1Chr 29:20; 2Chr 20:21; Ps 41:13, Ps 50:23; Ps 72:18-19, Ps 103:1-2, Ps 113:2, Ps 115:18, Ps 145:1-2 ↩

  39. Dan 2:21-23; 1Chr 29:11-12; Job 12:13, Job 12:16-22; Ps 62:11, Ps 147:5; Prov 8:14; Jer 32:19; Matt 6:13; Jude 1:24; Rev 5:12 ↩

  40. Dan 2:9, Dan 7:25, Dan 11:6; 1Chr 29:30; Esth 1:13; Job 34:24-29; Ps 31:14-15; Eccl 3:1-8; Jer 27:5-7 ↩

  41. Dan 4:17, Dan 4:32; 1Sam 2:7-8; Job 12:18; Ps 75:5-6, Ps 113:7-8; Prov 8:15-16; Luke 1:51-52; Acts 13:21-22; Rev 19:16 ↩

  42. Exod 31:3, Exod 31:6; 1Kgs 3:8-12, 1Kgs 3:28, 1Kgs 4:29, 1Kgs 10:24; 1Chr 22:12; 2Chr 1:10-12; Prov 2:6-7; Luke 21:15; 1Cor 1:30; Jas 1:5, Jas 1:17, Jas 3:15-17 ↩

  43. Dan 2:11, Dan 2:28-29; Gen 37:5-9, Gen 41:16, Gen 41:25-28; Job 12:22; Ps 25:14; Isa 41:22, Isa 41:26, Isa 42:9; Matt 13:13; Rom 16:25-26; 1Cor 2:9-11; Eph 3:5 ↩

  44. Job 26:6; Ps 139:11-12; Jer 23:24; Luke 12:2-3; John 21:17; 1Cor 4:5; Heb 4:13 ↩

  45. Dan 5:11, Dan 5:14; Ps 36:9, Ps 104:2; John 1:9, John 8:12, John 12:45-46; 1Tim 6:16; Jas 1:17; 1John 1:5 ↩

  46. 1Chr 29:13; Ps 50:14, Ps 103:1-4; Isa 12:1; Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21; John 11:41 ↩

  47. Gen 32:9-11; Exod 3:15; 1Kgs 8:57, 1Kgs 18:36; 1Chr 29:10; 2Chr 20:6 ↩

  48. Dan 2:20-21; Prov 8:14, Prov 21:22, Prov 24:5; Eccl 7:19, Eccl 9:16, Eccl 9:18 ↩

  49. Dan 2:18, Dan 2:29-30; Gen 18:17; Ps 25:14; Amos 3:7; John 15:15; Rev 1:1, Rev 5:5 ↩

  50. Dan 2:15 ↩

  51. Dan 2:12-13; Acts 27:24 ↩

  52. Prov 24:11; Eccl 9:10 ↩

  53. Chal, That I have ↩

  54. Chal, children of the captivity of Judah. Dan 1:6, Dan 6:13; Neh 7:6; 1Cor 1:27-28 ↩

  55. Dan 1:7, Dan 4:8, Dan 4:19, Dan 5:12 ↩

  56. Dan 2:3-7, Dan 4:18, Dan 5:16; Gen 41:15; 1Sam 17:33 ↩

  57. Dan 2:2, Dan 2:10-11, Dan 5:7-8; Job 5:12-13; Isa 19:3, Isa 44:25, Isa 47:12-14 ↩

  58. Ps 115:3; Matt 6:9 ↩

  59. Dan 2:18, Dan 2:47; Gen 40:8, Gen 41:16; Isa 41:22-23; Amos 4:13 ↩

  60. Chal, hath made known ↩

  61. Dan 10:14; Gen 49:1; Num 24:14; Deut 4:30, Deut 31:19; Isa 2:2; Jer 30:24, Jer 48:47; Ezek 38:8, Ezek 38:16; Hos 3:5; Mic 4:1-2; 2Tim 3:1; Heb 1:1; 2Pet 3:3 ↩

  62. Chal, came up, Ezek 38:10 ↩

  63. Dan 2:22, Dan 2:28, Dan 2:47; Amos 4:13 ↩

  64. Gen 41:16; Acts 3:12; 1Cor 15:8-12 ↩

  65. Dan 2:17-18, Dan 2:49; Isa 43:3-4, Isa 45:4; Matt 24:22; Mark 13:20; Rom 8:28; 1Cor 3:21-23; 2Cor 4:15 ↩

  66. or, the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king. and. Dan 2:47 ↩

  67. Chal, wast seeing ↩

  68. Dan 7:3-17; Matt 4:8; Luke 4:5 ↩

  69. Isa 13:11, Isa 25:3-5; Ezek 28:7; Hab 1:7 ↩

  70. Dan 2:37-38, Dan 4:22, Dan 4:30, Dan 7:4; Isa 14:4; Jer 51:7; Rev 17:4 ↩

  71. Dan 2:39, Dan 7:5, Dan 8:3-4, Dan 11:2 ↩

  72. Dan 2:39, Dan 7:6, Dan 8:5-8, Dan 11:3-20 ↩

  73. or, sides ↩

  74. Dan 2:40-43, Dan 7:7-8, Dan 7:19-26 ↩

  75. Dan 2:44-45, Dan 7:13-14, Dan 7:27; Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16; Zech 12:3; Matt 16:18; Acts 4:11; 1Pet 2:7; Rev 11:15 ↩

  76. Dan 8:25; Zech 4:6; John 1:13; 2Cor 5:1; Heb 9:24 ↩

  77. or, which was not in hands, Dan 2:45 ↩

  78. Ps 2:8-12, Ps 110:5-6, Ps 149:6-9; Isa 60:12; Zech 12:3; Rev 17:14; Rev 19:11-21 ↩

  79. Ps 1:4-5; Isa 17:13-14, Isa 41:15-16; Hos 13:3; Mic 4:13 ↩

  80. Job 6:17; Ps 37:10, Ps 37:36, Ps 103:16; Rev 12:8, Rev 20:11 ↩

  81. Isa 2:2-3; Mic 4:1-2 ↩

  82. Ps 22:27, Ps 46:9, Ps 66:4, Ps 67:1-2, Ps 72:16-19, Ps 80:9-10, Ps 86:9; Isa 11:9; Zech 14:8-9; 1Cor 15:25; Rev 11:15, Rev 20:2-3 ↩

  83. Dan 2:23-24 ↩

  84. 1Kgs 4:24; Ezra 7:12; Isa 10:8, Isa 47:5; Jer 27:6-7; Ezek 26:7; Hos 8:10; Rev 1:5, Rev 17:14 ↩

  85. Dan 4:25, Dan 4:32, Dan 5:18; 2Chr 36:23; Ezra 1:2; Prov 8:15; Jer 28:14; Rev 19:16 ↩

  86. Dan 4:3, Dan 4:34; Ps 62:11; Matt 6:13; John 19:11; Rev 4:11, Rev 5:12 ↩

  87. Dan 4:21-22; Ps 50:10-11; Jer 27:5-7 ↩

  88. The Chaldean monarchy, over which Nebuchadnezzar was the only king of note; in whose time it extended over Chaldea, Assyria, Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Libya. The head of gold represented its immense riches. Dan 2:32 ↩

  89. The empire of the Medes and Persians, whose union was denoted by the breast and two arms of silver; and which was established on the ruins of that of the Chaldeans on the capture of Babylon by Cyrus, bc 538. Dan 2:32, Dan 5:28-31, Dan 7:5, Dan 8:3-4, Dan 8:20, Dan 11:2; Isa 44:28, Isa 45:1-5 ↩

  90. The empire of the Macedonians, or "brazen-coated Greeks," aptly denoted by the belly and thighs of brass, founded by Alexander the Great, who terminated the Persian monarchy by the overthrow of Darius Codomanus at Arbela, bc 331; Dan 2:32, Dan 7:6-7, Dan 7:23, Dan 8:5-14, Dan 10:20, Dan 11:3-20; Zech 6:3, Zech 6:6 ↩

  91. The Roman empire, which comprised nearly the whole world. Dan 2:33, Dan 7:19-26, Dan 8:24, Dan 9:26, Dan 11:36-45; John 11:48 ↩

  92. Dan 7:7; Jer 15:12; Amos 1:3 ↩

  93. Dan 2:33-35, Dan 7:7, Dan 7:24; Rev 12:3, Rev 13:1, Rev 17:12 ↩

  94. Dan 7:24; Rev 13:1 ↩

  95. or, brittle ↩

  96. Chal, this with this ↩

  97. The Roman empire became weakened by a mixture of barbarous nations, by the incursions of whom it was torn asunder about the fourth century after Christ, and at length divided into ten kingdoms, answering to the ten toes of the image. ↩

  98. Chal, in their days, That is, in the days of one of these kingdoms (see Ruth 1:1), i.e, the Roman; in which the "God of heaven set up" the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah, which shall yet "become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth." ↩

  99. Dan 2:28, Dan 2:37 ↩

  100. Gen 49:10; Ps 2:6-12, Ps 72:1-20, Ps 89:3-4, Ps 89:19-36, Ps 110:1-4; Isa 9:6-7; Matt 3:2-3, Matt 28:18; Eph 1:20-22 ↩

  101. Dan 4:3, Dan 4:34, Dan 6:26, Dan 7:13-14; Ps 145:13; Ezek 37:25; Mic 4:7; Luke 1:32-33; John 12:34; Rev 11:15 ↩

  102. Chal, kingdom thereof ↩

  103. Dan 8:25; Ps 2:9, Ps 21:8-9; Isa 60:12; 1Cor 15:24-25; Rev 2:27, Rev 19:15-20 ↩

  104. Dan 2:24, Dan 2:35; Isa 28:16; Zech 12:3; Matt 21:24 ↩

  105. or, which was not in hands, Dan 2:34; Luke 17:20; 2Cor 10:4-5 ↩

  106. Deut 10:17; 2Sam 7:22; 1Chr 16:25; Neh 4:14, Neh 9:32; Job 36:26; Ps 48:1; Ps 96:4, Ps 135:5, Ps 145:3; Jer 32:18-19; Mal 1:11; Rev 19:17, make known, Gen 41:28, Gen 41:32; Matt 24:35; Rev 1:19, Rev 4:1 ↩

  107. Chal, after this ↩

  108. Luke 17:16; Acts 10:25, Acts 14:13, Acts 28:6; Rev 11:16, Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8 ↩

  109. Lev 26:31; Ezra 6:10 ↩

  110. Dan 11:36; Deut 10:17; Josh 22:22; Ps 136:2 ↩

  111. Dan 2:37, Dan 4:17, Dan 4:32; Job 12:19; Ps 2:10-11, Ps 72:11, Ps 82:1; Prov 8:15-16; 1Tim 6:15; Rev 1:5, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16 ↩

  112. Dan 2:19, Dan 2:28, Dan 4:8-9; Gen 41:39; Amos 3:7 ↩

  113. Dan 2:6, Dan 5:16; Gen 41:39-43; Num 22:16-17, Num 24:11; 1Sam 17:25, 1Sam 25:2; 2Sam 19:32; 2Kgs 5:1; Job 1:3; Jer 5:5 ↩

  114. Dan 5:29, Dan 6:1-2 ↩

  115. Dan 4:9, Dan 5:11 ↩

  116. Dan 2:17, Dan 1:17, Dan 3:12-30; Prov 28:12 ↩

  117. Esth 2:19, Esth 2:21, Esth 3:2; Jer 39:3; Amos 5:15 ↩