Daniel 7:2 kjv
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Daniel 7:2 nkjv
Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.
Daniel 7:2 niv
Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
Daniel 7:2 esv
Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
Daniel 7:2 nlt
In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction.
Daniel 7 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:12 | As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. | Vision by night, divine initiation. |
| Job 4:13 | Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men... | Visions by night as a means of divine revelation. |
| Psa 65:7 | Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples, | God's sovereignty over turbulent seas and nations. |
| Isa 17:12 | Ah, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas... | Nations described as roaring, like the sea. |
| Isa 57:20 | But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. | The sea symbolizing restless and chaotic people. |
| Jer 49:36 | I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven against Elam, And will scatter them... | Four winds associated with divine judgment/dispersion. |
| Eze 37:9 | Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord G-d, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."'" | Four winds representing divine Spirit/power, breath. |
| Zech 6:5 | The angel answered and said to me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth from where they stand before the Lord of all the earth." | Four spirits (ruachim) linked to divine activity, world-wide influence. |
| Dan 2:28 | ...but there is a G-d in heaven who reveals mysteries... | God as the revealer of visions and future events. |
| Dan 7:1 | In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions... | Daniel's visions begin in Chapter 7, highlighting his direct reception. |
| Dan 7:3 | And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. | Direct continuation: the result of the stirring sea. |
| Rev 7:1 | After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth... | Angels controlling winds, indicating divine sovereignty over natural and world forces. |
| Rev 13:1 | And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads... | Beast emerging from the sea, directly paralleling Daniel's vision. |
| Rev 17:15 | And he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages." | Directly interprets "waters" (like the sea) as peoples and nations. |
| Jer 23:28 | The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream... | Prophetic dreams and visions are to be declared. |
| Joel 2:28 | "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions." | Dreams and visions as signs of the pouring out of the Spirit. |
| Acts 2:17 | "‘And it shall be in the last days,’ G-d says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams...'" | New Testament affirmation of visions as a form of divine communication. |
| Lk 21:25-26 | "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the world..." | Global distress and turmoil (like a roaring sea) preceding the return of Christ. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes... are clearly seen... so that they are without excuse. | Divine control over creation (including winds) reveals God's nature. |
| Job 26:12 | By His power He quieted the sea... | Reinforces God's ultimate power over the chaotic sea. |
| Isa 60:5 | Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you... | Nations (abundance of the sea) ultimately bring glory and wealth to Jerusalem. |
Daniel 7 verses
Daniel 7 2 Meaning
Daniel 7:2 describes the beginning of Daniel's pivotal prophetic vision, revealing that he witnessed the turbulent state of the world's nations. The verse sets the scene for the emergence of four great beasts, symbolizing successive world empires, indicating that these empires arise out of a period of great upheaval and contention among the peoples of the earth, orchestrated by divine decree.
Daniel 7 2 Context
Daniel 7 initiates a new section in the Book of Daniel, shifting from historical narratives and Gentile kings' dreams in chapters 1-6 to Daniel's own apocalyptic visions concerning the future of world empires and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom. This chapter is written in Aramaic (continuing from 2:4) and represents the first major detailed vision received directly by Daniel. The verse 7:2 serves as the preamble to this prophetic revelation, immediately plunging the reader into a scene of global meteorological and, by extension, geopolitical unrest that portends the rise and fall of world powers. It sets a foundational image of chaos from which the forces of the world arise.
Daniel 7 2 Word analysis
- Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל, Daniyyel): The prophet himself, indicating this is his personal eyewitness account of the vision. His name means "God is my Judge," fitting for a book dealing with divine judgment and sovereign rule.
- spoke (מְלַל, m'lal): Aramaic for "spoke, said, told." Emphasizes that Daniel is recounting or narrating his experience, not merely thinking it.
- and said (וְאָמַר, v'amar): Reinforces the spoken declaration of the vision.
- I saw (חָזֵה הֲוֵי, chazeh haveh): Aramaic, meaning "I was seeing" or "I was observing." It points to Daniel's direct visual experience, highlighting the reality of the divine revelation to him.
- in my vision (בְּחֶזְוִי, b'chezvi): Aramaic for "in my vision." Chezva (singular) refers to a divine revelation or sight, often one received in a trance or dream-like state. It signals the source of the knowledge is supernatural, not human deduction.
- by night (לֵילְיָא, leilaya): Aramaic for "at night" or "during the night." Visions commonly occurred at night in biblical narratives (e.g., Gen 15:12, Job 4:13), signifying divine communication beyond human waking thought, often hinting at hidden, veiled truths that come to light in darkness.
- and behold (וַאֲרוּ, va'aru): Aramaic particle, functioning as an exclamation or interjection. It means "look!" or "pay attention!" and serves to draw the reader's immediate attention to the sudden, striking, and significant element appearing in the vision.
- the four winds (אַרְבַּע רוּחַיָּא, arbach ruḥayya): Aramaic for "four winds." "Four" often denotes global or universal scope (north, south, east, west). Ruach can mean "wind," "spirit," or "breath." Here, in the context of stirring up the sea, "winds" is most appropriate. These winds are not merely atmospheric phenomena but agents under divine control (Zech 6:5; Rev 7:1), symbolizing powerful, disruptive forces operating throughout the world. They represent God's sovereign command over events that lead to the rise and fall of empires.
- of heaven (דִּי שְׁמַיָּא, diy shemayya): Aramaic for "of heaven." This signifies the divine origin and authorization of the winds. These are not random natural occurrences but divinely dispatched or empowered forces, emphasizing God's ultimate sovereignty over worldly affairs.
- were stirring up (מְגִיחָן, megichan): Aramaic, an active participle meaning "were breaking forth," "were bursting," or "were churning/stirring up." It conveys violent and powerful agitation, tumult, and a forceful eruption or eruption. This verb implies the causing of immense turmoil and disturbance in what follows.
- the Great Sea (יַמָּא רַבְּתָא, yamma rabba'): Aramaic for "the great sea." In biblical geography, this typically refers to the Mediterranean Sea, which formed the western border of the Israelite land and was the conduit for much of the ancient world's commerce and conquests. Prophetically and symbolically (as revealed in Revelation 17:15), the "sea" represents the restless, turbulent mass of humanity—peoples, nations, and languages—from which world powers and rulers emerge. The "stirring up" indicates political, social, and military unrest leading to shifts in world order.
Daniel 7 2 Bonus section
The imagery of the "Great Sea" is consistently linked in prophetic literature to the "nations" or "gentiles," particularly as a source of restless power, often opposed to God's people or kingdom (cf. Isa 17:12; Rev 17:15). The concept of the "four winds" also has a judicial or directional aspect, representing the bringing about of judgment, dispersion, or indeed the spirit of God's work across the earth (cf. Jer 49:36 for dispersion, Eze 37:9 for life-giving spirit). Daniel 7:2 marks a pivotal shift from the earthly perspective of empires in chapter 2 (symbolized by a statue from man-made elements) to a more supernatural and divine perspective in Daniel 7 (symbolized by monstrous beasts emerging from the tumultuous waters, indicating their brutal, less-than-human nature). This scene reveals that while nations clash, God remains the ultimate orchestrator, using even chaos to bring about His purposes and pave the way for His eternal Kingdom.
Daniel 7 2 Commentary
Daniel 7:2 sets the stage for Daniel's vision by depicting a foundational scene of universal turbulence. The "vision by night" signifies a divine, supernatural origin for the revelations, underscoring their prophetic certainty and God's role as the revealer of hidden things. The "four winds of heaven" symbolize powerful, globally influential forces operating under God's command. They are not random but agents of divine providence, directing the course of world events. The "stirring up" of "the Great Sea" powerfully illustrates the intense political, social, and military agitation and conflict among the nations that precedes the rise of world empires. This imagery of a chaotic, restless sea, out of which destructive forces (the beasts in verse 3) emerge, speaks to the inherent disorder and conflict within humanity when apart from divine rule. It implies that kingdoms rise and fall amidst this global tumult, but all are ultimately orchestrated or permitted by God, who exercises ultimate control over the "winds" and the "sea." The verse establishes a clear theological message: God is sovereign over all earthly kingdoms and the tumultuous affairs of humankind.