Passage

Daniel 7

Book: Daniel · NASB95

Daniel's night vision (565 BC traditional date) of four beasts rising from the sea, the throne-room of the Ancient of Days, and "one like a Son of Man" receiving an everlasting dominion. The literary and theological center of the book, and the single most-quoted Old Testament chapter on Jesus' own lips in the Gospels.

Key verses

"I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14, NASB95)

"I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire." (Daniel 7:9, NASB95)

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. 2. 340 spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea. 3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it. 5. And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6. After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night - visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9. I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11. I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. 12. And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13. I saw in the night - visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19. Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20. and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 21. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22. until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. 25. And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. 26. But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27. And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28. Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." (Daniel 7:1-28, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. 2. Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. 3. Four great animals came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it. 5. Behold, another animal, a second, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6. After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the animal had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9. I saw until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat: his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. 10. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11. I saw at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I saw even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. 12. As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13. I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. 19. Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was diverse from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20. and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 21. I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22. until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23. Thus he said, The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. 25. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. 26. But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. 27. The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28. Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my face was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." (Daniel 7:1-28, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. ^{had: Cald. saw} ^{matters: or, words} 2. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. ^{and it: or, wherewith it} 5. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. ^{it raised: or, it raised up one dominion} 6. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. ^{their lives: Cald. a prolonging in life was given them} 13. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ^{body: Cald. sheath} 16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. ^{most: Cald. high ones, that is, things, or, places} 19. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; ^{from: Cald. from all those} 20. And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. ^{dominions: or, rulers} 28. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." (Daniel 7:1-28, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel hath seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then the dream he hath written, the chief of the things he hath said. 2. Answered hath Daniel and said, 'I was seeing in my vision by night, and lo, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the great sea; 3. and four great beasts are coming up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4. The first [is] like a lion, and it hath an eagle's wings. I was seeing till that its wings have been plucked, and it hath been lifted up from the earth, and on feet as a man it hath been caused to stand, and a heart of man is given to it. 5. And lo, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and to the same authority it hath been raised, and three ribs [are] in its mouth, between its teeth, and thus they are saying to it, Rise, consume much flesh. 6. 'After this I was seeing, and lo, another like a leopard, and it hath four wings of a fowl on its back, and four heads hath the beast, and dominion is given to it. 7. 'After this I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and fearful, and exceedingly strong; and it hath iron teeth very great, it hath consumed, yea, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled; and it [is] diverse from all the beasts that [are] before it; and it hath ten horns. 8. 'I was considering about the horns, and lo, another horn, a little one, hath come up between them, and three of the first horns have been eradicated from before it, and lo, eyes as the eyes of man [are] in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things. 9. 'I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow [is] white, and the hair of his head [is] as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire. 10. A flood of fire is proceeding and coming forth from before Him, a thousand thousands do serve Him, and a myriad of myriads before Him do rise up, the Judge is seated, and the books have been opened. 11. 'I was seeing, then, because of the voice of the great words that the horn is speaking, I was seeing till that the beast is slain, and his body hath been destroyed, and given to the burning fire; 12. and the rest of the beasts have caused their dominion to pass away, and a prolongation in life is given to them, till a season and a time. 13. 'I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, with the clouds of the heavens as a son of man was [one] coming, and unto the Ancient of Days he hath come, and before Him they have brought him near. 14. And to him is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages do serve him, his dominion [is] a dominion age-during, that passeth not away, and his kingdom that which is not destroyed. 15. 'Pierced hath been my spirit, I, Daniel, in the midst of the sheath, and the visions of my head trouble me; 16. I have drawn near unto one of those standing, and the certainty I seek from him of all this; and he hath said to me, yea, the interpretation of the things he hath caused me to know: 17. 'These great beasts, that [are] four, [are] four kings, they rise up from the earth; 18. and receive the kingdom do the saints of the Most High, and they strengthen the kingdom unto the age, even unto the age of the ages. 19. 'Then I wished for certainty concerning the fourth beast, that was diverse from them all, fearful exceedingly; its teeth of iron, and its nails of brass, it hath devoured, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled; 20. and concerning the ten horns that [are] in its heads, and of the other that came up, and before which three have fallen, even of that horn that hath eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and whose appearance [is] great above its companions. 21. 'I was seeing, and this horn is making war with the saints, and hath prevailed over them, 22. till that the Ancient of Days hath come, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and the time hath come, and the saints have strengthened the kingdom. 23. 'Thus he said: The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom in the earth, that is diverse from all kingdoms, and it consumeth all the earth, and treadeth it down, and breaketh it small. 24. And the ten horns out of the kingdom [are] ten kings, they rise, and another doth rise after them, and it is diverse from the former, and three kings it humbleth; 25. and words as an adversary of the Most High it doth speak, and the saints of the Most High it doth wear out, and it hopeth to change seasons and law; and they are given into its hand, till a time, and times, and a division of a time. 26. 'And the Judge is seated, and its dominion they cause to pass away, to cut off, and to destroy, unto the end; 27. and the kingdom, and the dominion, even the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens, is given to the people, the saints of the Most High, His kingdom [is] a kingdom age-during, and all dominions do serve and obey Him. 28. 'Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. I, Daniel, greatly do my thoughts trouble me, and my countenance is changed on me, and the matter in my heart I have kept." (Daniel 7:1-28, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Daniel (1st-person record of his own vision)
Audience: exiled Jews under Babylonian and Persian rule + later generations of the covenant people
Location: Babylon, during Belshazzar's reign
Time period: vision dated to "the first year of Belshazzar," c. 553 BC; composed shortly after by Daniel (traditional view) or c. 165 BC by an unknown apocalyptic author (Maccabean-dating school)

Theological reading

Daniel 7 sits at the literary hinge of the book: the court tales of chapters 1-6 give way to the four apocalyptic visions of chapters 7-12, and the chapter itself recycles the four-kingdoms schema first sketched in Nebuchadnezzar's statue dream (compare Daniel 2.32). The vision moves in three beats: chaos beasts from the sea, the throne-room of the Ancient of Days, and the everlasting kingdom given to "one like a Son of Man." The fourth beast and its little horn dominate verses 19-25, where the saints are worn out "until a time and times and half a time" before judgment turns and the kingdom is handed to "the people of the saints of the Most High" (7:27).

The "Son of Man" figure of verses 13-14 is the chapter's theological payload. He comes "with the clouds of heaven" (divine prerogative; see Mark 14.62), approaches the Ancient of Days, and receives universal, everlasting dominion - language that exceeds any merely human kingship. Pre-Christian Jewish reception (the Similitudes of 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra 13) already read this figure as messianic and supernatural. Jesus' own self-designation as "the Son of Man" - used roughly 80 times across the Gospels - draws from this text, and at His trial before Caiaphas He cites Daniel 7:13 explicitly: that citation, not a generic Messiah claim, is what the high priest treats as blasphemy.

Scholarly debate divides along two main lines. (1) Dating: the critical Maccabean view places composition c. 165 BC and reads the fourth beast as Greece with the little horn as Antiochus IV Epiphanes; the traditional sixth-century view (defended by Pusey, Young, Walvoord, Steinmann) takes the fourth beast as Rome. The Dead Sea Scrolls' Daniel manuscripts (4QDan, dated paleographically to c. 125 BC) press against a Maccabean composition window. (2) Identity of the Son of Man: critical scholars often read him as a corporate symbol for the saints of the Most High (verse 27 reuses kingdom-language); traditional and Christian readings see an individual messianic figure who is both distinct from and identified with His people. The two readings need not exclude.

Apologetically, Daniel 7 carries unusual weight because it is the pre-Christian source of Jesus' favorite self-title. The Son of Man Jesus invokes is not a mere human prophet figure but a sky-coming, throne-approaching, dominion-receiving figure who already in Daniel sits alongside the Ancient of Days. That cuts directly against the "Jesus never claimed divinity" objection: every time Jesus uses His most frequent self-designation, He is quoting an Old Testament passage in which the Son of Man receives worship from all nations.

Key words

H1121 - ben, ben, "son" - the Hebrew "son of" idiom underlying the Aramaic bar enash of Daniel 7:13.
H1823 - demuth, demuth, "likeness" - the "one like a son of man" formula ties to image-of-God language; see Genesis 1.26-27 for the canonical pairing.

Theological themes

Apocalyptic kingship. Earthly empires are bestial and limited; the kingdom given to the Son of Man is everlasting and universal.
Divine throne-room theophany. The Ancient of Days vision parallels Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4-5; the throne-room genre frames much later Christian eschatology.
Son of Man as messianic title. Daniel 7:13 is the textual root of Jesus' self-designation across all four Gospels.
Sufferings then glory of the saints. The little horn "wears out the saints" before judgment vindicates them; the New Testament picks this pattern up for the church under persecution.
Two-stage judgment. Beasts judged in the heavenly court before their dominion is removed on earth; informs the New Testament "already / not yet" structure.

Cross-references

Daniel 2.32 - Nebuchadnezzar's statue vision; same four-kingdoms schema in different imagery.
Daniel 7.13-14 - the Son of Man passage, often cited on its own.
Mark 14.62 - Jesus before Caiaphas: "you shall see the Son of Man... coming with the clouds of heaven."
Matthew 26.63-64 - Matthew's parallel of the same trial citation.
Revelation 4 - the throne-room of John's vision, deeply patterned on Daniel 7.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.