What does Daniel 2:32 mean?
The statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his troubling dream (Daniel 2:1–3, 17–19) likely had "exceeding brightness" because of its shiny metals (Daniel 2:31). Daniel describes the head, torso, midsection, legs, and feet by noting the materials from which they were made. From head to feet, the substances are listed as gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay (Daniel 2:33).The order of these metals, and their properties, suggest a pattern and a subtle message. The materials lessen in value and beauty from top to bottom. Further, they grow in strength until the transition from iron to clay, when the statue suddenly becomes brittle. Although the parts of the image most directly represent kingdoms (Daniel 2:38–41), some commentators also see a gradual degradation of humanity. This would roughly parallel the Bible's description of mankind beginning at its best in the garden of Eden but becoming worse as sin pervades the thoughts and actions of every human being.