Daniel 2 41

Daniel 2:41 kjv

And whereas thou sawest the feet 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.

Daniel 2:41 nkjv

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.

Daniel 2:41 niv

Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.

Daniel 2:41 esv

And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.

Daniel 2:41 nlt

The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron.

Daniel 2 verses

Daniel 2 41 Meaning

The verse describes the nature of the fourth kingdom, characterized by its division. Unlike the previous unified kingdoms (represented by gold, silver, and bronze), this kingdom is fractured, existing partly strong like iron and partly brittle like pottery. This inherent weakness leads to its eventual breakage and scattering.

Daniel 2 41 Context

In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel interprets the statue as a succession of four kingdoms following Babylon. The head of gold represents Babylon, the chest and arms of silver represent Medo-Persia, and the belly and thighs of bronze represent Greece. Chapter 2:41 introduces the fourth kingdom, symbolized by the legs of iron and the feet of iron mixed with clay. This division signifies a departure from the unified strength of previous empires. Historically, this points to the Roman Empire, known for its vast reach and strength but also internal divisions and eventual fragmentation. The interaction between iron and clay foreshadows future political instability and the blending of different peoples, which characterizes the Roman Empire and its successor states. The scattering mentioned at the end of the verse directly leads into Daniel 2:44, where God establishes an everlasting kingdom that will crush all others.

Daniel 2 41 Word Analysis

• וּרְגַלָּה (ū·rə·ḡal·lāh): And the legs.
  • וּ (ū): And. Conjunction.
  • רְגַל (rə·ḡal): Feet, legs. Aramaic plural noun. Refers to the lower extremities of the statue.
  • ָה (āh): His, its. Suffix pronoun indicating possession.
• ...מִן (min): From, out of. Preposition indicating source or origin, or a portion derived from something.
• בַּרְזֶל (bar·zel): Iron. Noun. Represents strength, durability, and power, but also crushing force and military might. In the context of kingdoms, it signifies dominion and rule.
• וּמִן־ (ū·min): And from. Combines the conjunction "and" with the preposition "from."
• חָסֶף (ḥā·sep̄): Clay, earthenware. Noun. Represents weakness, brittleness, and frailty. It signifies instability and something easily broken.
• שָׁבִיר (šā·ḇîr): Broken, fragile, shattered. Adjective. Describes the state of the mixture of iron and clay, highlighting the inherent defect and tendency towards disintegration.
• דִּי (dî): Which, that. Relative pronoun. Introduces the modifying clause describing the nature of the mixture.
• מַלְכוּ (mal·ḵū): Kingdom. Noun. Refers to a realm ruled by a monarch or a dominant political entity.
• חִלְקִין (ḥil·qîn): Divided, distributed, separated. Adjective. Directly addresses the lack of unity and the fragmented nature of this kingdom.
• וּמִן־ (ū·min): And from.
• מִן־ (min): From.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "the legs… were partly of iron and partly of clay": This imagery explicitly conveys a fundamental weakness introduced into the structure of the fourth kingdom. The combination signifies a ruling power that possesses immense strength (iron) but is inherently unstable and prone to division and collapse due to internal fracturing and the blending of incompatible elements (clay).
• "this kingdom shall be divided": This clause directly explains the symbolic meaning of the mixed composition. It highlights the inherent fragmentation that will plague this empire, preventing it from achieving the unified strength of its predecessors.
• "but shall be of the kingdom partly strong and partly broken": This reiterates the duality of strength and weakness. The "strength" comes from the iron, likely representing the military or political structures that remain cohesive for a time. The "brokenness" or brittleness arises from the clay, representing internal dissensions, cultural divisions, or the failure to fully integrate disparate peoples and territories, making it susceptible to breaking.

Daniel 2 41 Bonus Section

The image of iron mixed with clay has been interpreted in various ways. The most common and widely accepted interpretation identifies the iron as the Roman Empire, renowned for its military strength and extensive road networks which unified vast territories. The clay represents the various peoples and nations conquered by Rome, which never fully assimilated or bonded with the Roman element. This admixture led to persistent internal revolts, administrative complexities, and eventually the empire's division into East and West, and then its fragmentation. The subsequent historical periods saw further division, as suggested by the "ten toes" in the vision (Daniel 2:33), which have been linked to the Germanic tribes that overran the Western Roman Empire, creating a mosaic of smaller kingdoms that are still discernibly shaped by that foundational mix. The prophecy’s depiction of an inability to "cleave one to another" resonates strongly with the history of post-Roman Europe, marked by shifting alliances, frequent conflicts, and the eventual development of nation-states that, while descended from the Roman foundation, rarely exhibited true unity. The spiritual insight here is the observation that even the strongest human powers are inherently flawed and temporary due to sin and division, and that true, lasting unity only comes from God's kingdom.

Daniel 2 41 Commentary

The fourth kingdom, represented by iron mixed with clay, is characterized by its duality: formidable strength and inherent fragility. This mix suggests a realm that, while powerful militarily (iron), is internally divided and unstable due to the inability of its constituent parts to truly bond (clay). This internal weakness, a lack of cohesive integration, foreshadows its eventual shattering. Unlike the preceding kingdoms that maintained a more unified nature (even if politically succeeded), this final human empire struggles with deep-seated divisions. This sets the stage for the coming divine intervention where a stone, not made by human hands, will break this divided kingdom into pieces.