Daniel 7:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.

NIV: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

NASB: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and told the following summary of it.

CSB: In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary of his account.

NLT: Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Since the second chapter, the book of Daniel has been recorded in Aramaic—the language of the Gentile world at that time—rather than in Hebrew. The stories and messages in those passages were meant, at least in part, to be heard and absorbed by the non-Israelite world. Chapter 7 marks an intersection: the last segment written in Aramaic and the first of the prophecies which take up the rest of the book. Starting in chapter 8, the text is recorded in Hebrew and the prophetic implications are mostly intended for Israel. At the same time, this chapter shifts from third person to first person perspective.

The king mentioned here (Daniel 5:1) is controversial, as some archaeologists suggest there was never a Babylonian king named "Belshazzar." This debate is complicated by vague and often contradictory ancient records. One possible explanation is that "Belshazzar" is a regional name given to Evil-merodach (2 Kings 25:27; Jeremiah 52:31), the briefly ruling son of Nebuchadnezzar. Another is that the historically accepted king, Nabonidus, left his son, Belshazzar, as co-regent of the territory while travelling.

Hebrews 1:1 observes: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets." This was most often by direct, personal revelation. Sometimes those revelations came in the less overt form of dreams and visions. With the completion of the writing of the inspired Scriptures, God primarily communicates by means of His Word. Nothing revealed through general revelation (creation), the indwelling Holy Spirit, or dreams will contradict what God has revealed in His Word. Generally, the Bible distinguishes between "dreams" and "visions" in that they occur during sleep and while awake, respectively.

The vision depicted in this chapter occurred during the first year of Belshazzar's brief reign (Daniel 5:30). This was probably 553 BC, fourteen years before Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:31).

Daniel 7:1–12 looks back to a time before the story contained in chapter 6. This passage describes a dream Daniel had during the rule of Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1, 30). His visions contained information about various kingdoms leading up to a dreadful, strong kingdom in the end times. The images also pictured God, "the Ancient of Days," who judges the final Gentile kingdom. An angel's explanation of the dream and visions follows in the next passage.

Daniel experiences a troubling vision in the form of a dream. He sees animal-like beasts representing successive kingdoms. The last of these is uniquely powerful and led by a mysterious figure. This person, depicted as a "little horn," will be known for usurping power, blasphemy against God, and intense persecution of the saints. Yet his time will be short and it will end in God's successful judgment.

This chapter is the intersection of two different divisions in the book of Daniel. This is the last passage written in Aramaic, the common language of the world at that time. It is also the first segment focusing on prophecy, shifting from a record of events in the past to show a glimpse of the future. This passage connects to other descriptions of the end times, such as those found in Revelation chapters 13, 19, and 20.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.