The Meaning of Daniel 7:2 Explained

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.

YLT: Answered hath Daniel and said, 'I was seeing in my vision by night, and lo, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the great sea;

Darby: Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens broke forth upon the great sea.

ASV: Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Daniel  spake  and said,  I saw  in my vision  by  night,  and, behold,  the four  winds  of the heaven  strove  upon the great  sea. 

What does Daniel 7:2 Mean?

Study Notes

great sea
The "sea" in Scripture imagery stands for the populace, the mere unorganized mass of mankind Matthew 13:47 ; Revelation 13:1 .

Verse Meaning

Daniel referred to himself in the third person in the first six chapters, but in the last six he used the first person. He may have made this change to make his visions more impressive and persuasive to the reader.
Daniel saw "the Great Sea," probably the Mediterranean (cf. Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; Joshua 9:1; Ezekiel 47:10; et al.), stirred up by the four winds (or spirits) of heaven ( Daniel 7:2; cf. Jeremiah 23:19; Jeremiah 49:36; Zechariah 6:1-6; Revelation 7:1-3; et al.). The "sea" in Scripture and in ancient Near Eastern thinking represented the unorganized mass of humanity, the populace of the earth ( Daniel 7:17; cf. Isaiah 8:6-8; Isaiah 17:12-13; Isaiah 57:20; Isaiah 60:5; Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 46:7-8; Jeremiah 47:2; Matthew 13:47; Luke 21:25; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 17:15; Revelation 21:1; et al.). The Mediterranean world seems to be particularly in view, since the sea was the Mediterranean Sea. The "wind" represents God"s power expressed in judgment, using heavenly and earthly forces from all directions, to influence the nations as He wills (cf. Revelation 7:1; Revelation 9:14-15). [1]
"God often used the wind as a means to attain His ends ( Genesis 8:1 : Exodus 10:13-19; Exodus 14:21; Exodus 15:10; Numbers 11:31; 1 Kings 18:45; 1 Kings 19:11).... Of more than120 references in the Bible to wind (more than90 in the O.T. and about30 in the N.T.), well over half are related to events and ideas which reflect the sovereignty and power of God. In Daniel , wind is uniformly used to represent the sovereign power of God, which is the viewpoint of the book." [2]

Context Summary

Daniel 7:1-14 - God's Everlasting Dominion
This chapter enumerates the succession of world-empires and rulers which bridge the gulf of centuries from the Captivity to the Second Advent. The lion represents Babylon, whose cruel and mighty kingdom was animated by marvelous intelligence; the bear, Persia; the leopard, Greece under Alexander the Great; and the fourth beast, with great iron teeth, Rome. The ten horns are ten kings, and these probably represent great European kingdoms which have succeeded, or may yet succeed, to the heritage of the Roman empire. The Ancient of Days is sitting today upon His throne, His snow-white raiment betokening His purity, the fire of His throne bespeaking His antagonism to all things that offend and work iniquity. The government of the world is on shoulders which are well able to carry it, and He will cause all things to work out His purpose, which is to promote and assure the glory of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 7

1  Daniel's vision of the four beasts,
9  and of God's kingdom
15  The interpretation thereof

What do the individual words in Daniel 7:2 mean?

Spoke Daniel and saying I was looking I saw in my vision by night and behold four winds of heaven the were stirring up Sea Great the
עָנֵ֤ה דָנִיֵּאל֙ וְאָמַ֔ר חָזֵ֥ה הֲוֵ֛ית בְּחֶזְוִ֖י עִם־ לֵֽילְיָ֑א וַאֲר֗וּ אַרְבַּע֙ רוּחֵ֣י שְׁמַיָּ֔א מְגִיחָ֖ן לְיַמָּ֥א רַבָּֽא

עָנֵ֤ה  Spoke 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָה  
Sense: to answer, respond.
דָנִיֵּאל֙  Daniel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִיֵּאל  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
וְאָמַ֔ר  and  saying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
חָזֵ֥ה  I  was  looking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חֲזָה  
Sense: to see, behold.
הֲוֵ֛ית  I  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: הֲוָה  
Sense: to come to pass, become, be.
בְּחֶזְוִ֖י  in  my  vision 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חֱזוּ  
Sense: vision, appearance.
לֵֽילְיָ֑א  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: לֵילֵי  
Sense: night.
וַאֲר֗וּ  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֲרוּ  
Sense: behold, lo.
אַרְבַּע֙  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
רוּחֵ֣י  winds 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: spirit, wind.
שְׁמַיָּ֔א  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
מְגִיחָ֖ן  were  stirring  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, feminine plural
Root: גּוּחַ  
Sense: (Aphel) to break forth.
לְיַמָּ֥א  Sea 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: יַם  
Sense: sea.
רַבָּֽא  Great  the 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular determinate
Root: רַב  
Sense: great.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 7:2?

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