Daniel 7:3 kjv
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Daniel 7:3 nkjv
And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
Daniel 7:3 niv
Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
Daniel 7:3 esv
And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
Daniel 7:3 nlt
Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
Daniel 7 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 7:2 | The four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea. | Precedes and sets the scene for the beasts' rise from chaos. |
| Dan 7:17 | 'These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who shall arise from the earth.' | Direct interpretation of the beasts as kings/kingdoms. |
| Dan 7:23 | 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth...' | Further clarifies the beasts represent kingdoms. |
| Dan 2:31-45 | Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image with four parts. | Parallel prophecy showing succession of Gentile empires. |
| Rev 13:1-2 | Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea... with seven heads and ten horns. | Echoes the "beast from the sea" imagery representing earthly power. |
| Rev 17:15 | The waters which you saw... are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. | Interprets "waters" (sea) as representing diverse peoples and nations. |
| Isa 57:20 | But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest... | Connects the "sea" with the turmoil and unrest of the wicked. |
| Jer 25:9 | I will bring them against this land, and its inhabitants... even Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. | Foretells rise of oppressive kingdoms. |
| Eze 32:2 | 'You are like a young lion among the nations... you are like a monster in the seas.' | Nations symbolized as destructive creatures. |
| Ps 2:1-2 | Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves... | Depicts rebellious, opposing earthly rulers/nations. |
| Zec 6:1-8 | Four chariots coming out from between two mountains... these are the four spirits of heaven. | Another vision of four powers, possibly connected to global reach. |
| Dan 8:3-8 | A ram which had two horns... a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth. | Prophetic beasts symbolizing Media-Persia and Greece. |
| Hos 13:7-8 | Therefore I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard I will lurk by the road. | God uses animalistic metaphors for judgment upon nations. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion. | Animalistic metaphor used for spiritual adversaries. |
| Ps 74:13 | You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. | God's sovereignty over chaotic sea creatures/forces. |
| Job 26:12 | He stirs up the sea with His power... By His knowledge He split the Rebel. | God's absolute control over unruly waters and associated powers. |
| Rev 12:3 | A great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns... | Another symbol of a powerful, anti-God entity with multiple heads. |
| Dan 4:3 | His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. | Contrast with the temporary nature of earthly beastly kingdoms. |
| Heb 12:28 | ...receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken... | The stability of God's kingdom contrasts with shaking earthly powers. |
| Isa 41:21 | “Present your case,” says the LORD. | God challenges the false might of earthly rulers. |
| Luke 21:24 | ...and Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. | References Gentile dominance, as represented by the beasts. |
| Jude 1:13 | ...raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame. | Further associates the "sea" with unrestrained evil. |
Daniel 7 verses
Daniel 7 3 Meaning
Daniel 7:3 describes the emergence of four immense, distinct beasts from the tumultuous sea during Daniel's night vision. These beasts symbolize a succession of great world empires that would arise, each with its own unique characteristics, and exert dominant power over the earth before the establishment of God's eternal kingdom. The "sea" often represents the restless and chaotic nature of humanity and Gentile nations.
Daniel 7 3 Context
Daniel 7:3 is part of Daniel's vision in the first year of Belshazzar (around 553 BC), placing it roughly a decade before the fall of Babylon. This vision, revealed through symbolism, parallels Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2 by depicting a succession of world empires from the perspective of their beastly and destructive nature, rather than their outward splendor. The vision immediately follows Daniel's distress and fear (7:15) at what he witnessed. Historically, it reflects the turbulent geopolitical landscape of the Ancient Near East, where great empires like Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome rose and fell, dominating the people of Israel and surrounding nations. The cultural context views the sea as a place of chaos and often evil, a stark contrast to God's orderly creation.
Daniel 7 3 Word analysis
And: Connects the verse to the preceding description of the "great sea" being stirred up by "four winds," indicating a cause-and-effect relationship for the beasts' emergence.
four: A precise numerical value, indicating a specific succession of four major entities. This number holds symbolic weight in biblical numerology, often relating to global or universal representation (e.g., four corners of the earth, four winds).
great: (Aramaic:
rabrabin- רַבְרְבִין): Emphasizes the immense size, power, and significance of these beasts. They are not minor powers but dominant forces on the world stage.beasts: (Aramaic:
chaywah- חֵיוָן): Refers to living creatures, specifically wild animals or monstrous beasts. In prophetic imagery,chaywahoften symbolizes pagan, Gentile powers that are fierce, predatory, and lacking moral constraint, contrasting with the domesticated or sacrificial animals associated with Israelite worship.came up: (Aramaic:
sleqin- סָלְקִין): Implies an emergence or ascent, suggesting a rise to power. They ascend from a lower, tumultuous realm.from the sea: (Aramaic:
min-yamma- מִן-יַמָּא): The "sea" (yam) in biblical prophecy is frequently a symbol for the turbulent, restless, and chaotic masses of humanity, particularly the Gentile nations or the realm of spiritual disorder and evil. Their origin from the sea suggests they are not of divine or righteous origin but spring from earthly instability and opposition to God.diverse: (Aramaic:
shinon- שִׁנִּין): Meaning distinct, different, or unlike. Each beast possesses unique characteristics and methods of operation, as elaborated in subsequent verses.from one another: Reaffirms the individual identity and unique nature of each of the four beasts. While they all originate from the same turbulent source and share a beastly nature, they are not identical in form or action.
"four great beasts": This phrase immediately identifies the key subjects of the vision: four powerful, non-human, animalistic entities. Their "greatness" points to their dominance, and "beasts" underscores their predatory and non-divine character.
"came up from the sea": This imagery highlights the origin and nature of these earthly kingdoms. They do not descend from heaven (divine origin) but emerge from the "sea" of Gentile nations, reflecting the worldly, tumultuous, and often rebellious source of human empires that oppose God's rule.
Daniel 7 3 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "sea" (yam) often carries negative connotations in biblical and Ancient Near Eastern thought, frequently associated with chaos monsters, rebellious forces, and the primordial waters of uncreation. The chaywah (beasts) in Daniel contrast with clean, sacrificial animals (e.g., sheep, goats) mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, highlighting their unholy and aggressive nature. The sequence of empires foreshadowed in this vision culminates not in another earthly empire, but in the everlasting dominion of the "Son of Man," introducing a theological shift from Gentile dominance to divine rule. The fourfold structure echoes other symbolic quads in scripture, often signifying completeness or global scope, as seen in the "four winds" that stir the sea in the preceding verse.
Daniel 7 3 Commentary
Daniel 7:3 vividly portrays the nature of worldly power from God's perspective. The "four great beasts" are not merely political empires but forces driven by primal, predatory instincts. Their emergence "from the sea" signifies their origin in the chaotic realm of rebellious humanity and the nations alienated from God's order. The fact that they are "diverse from one another" sets the stage for the specific characteristics of Babylon (lion), Medo-Persia (bear), Greece (leopard), and the unnamable Roman Empire (dreadful beast) to be detailed. This verse underlines the Bible's consistent teaching that earthly kingdoms, left to themselves, are fundamentally destructive and driven by self-interest, standing in stark contrast to the divine, eternal kingdom revealed later in the chapter. It highlights the fleeting, violent nature of human rule versus the righteous and enduring sovereignty of God.