Daniel 7 · Verse 3

Daniel 7:3

And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Daniel 7:3, King James Version

Daniel 7:3 in other translations

BSBThen four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:
WEBFour great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
ASVAnd four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
YLTand four great beasts are coming up from the sea, diverse one from another.
DARBYAnd four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.
BBEAnd four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.
WebsterAnd four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

What does Daniel 7:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. beasts--not living animals, as the cherubic four in Re 4:7 (for the original is a different word from "beasts," and ought to be there translated, living animals). The cherubic living animals represent redeemed man, combining in himself the highest forms of animal life. But the "beasts" here represent the world powers, in their beast-like, grovelling character. It is on the fundamental harmony between nature and spirit, between the three kingdoms of nature, history, and revelation, that Scripture symbolism rests. The selection of symbols is not arbitrary, but based on the essence of things.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Four great beasts came up from the sea - The term sea, in Hebrew ים yam, from המה hamah, to be tumultuous, agitated, etc., seems to be used here to point out the then known terraqueous globe, because of its generally agitated state; and the four winds striving, point out those predatory wars that prevailed almost universally among men, from the days of Nimrod, the founder of the Assyrian or Babylonish monarchy, down to that time, and in the end gave birth to the four great monarchies which are the subject of this vision. Diverse one from another - The people were different; the laws and customs different; and the administration of each differently executed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 7:1-8

Daniel's vision of the four beasts. (Dn 7:1-8) and of Christ's kingdom. (Dn 7:9-14) The interpretation. (Dn 7:15-28) Verses 1-8 This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds, represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitious princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same four empires, as the four parts of…

Read the full comment on Daniel 7:1-8 →

Daniel 7:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאַרְבַּ֤עve.'ar.Ba'and fourH703
חֵיוָן֙chei.VanbeastsH2423
רַבְרְבָ֔ןrav.re.VangreatH7260
סָלְקָ֖ןsal.Kan[were] coming upH5559
מִן\־min-fromH4481
יַמָּ֑אya.Ma'sea theH3221
שָׁנְיָ֖ןsha.ne.Yan[they were] differentH8133
דָּ֥אda'this [one]H1668
מִן\־min-fromH4481
דָּֽא\׃Da'this [one]H1668

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 7:3

  • Revelation 13:1

    And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

  • Daniel 7:17

    These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

  • Daniel 2:32-33

    This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

  • Daniel 7:4-8

    The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. …

  • Ezekiel 19:3-8

    And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. …

  • Psalms 76:4

    Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

  • Zechariah 6:1-8

    And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? …

  • Daniel 2:37-40

    Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
four.Four kingdoms, (ver. 17,) called beasts, from their tyranny and oppression, emerging from the wars and commotions of the world.
2:32,33,37-40; Zec 6:1-8
beasts.
4-8,17; Ps 76:4; Eze 19:3-8; Re 13:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 7:2

    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 7:3

    And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

  • Daniel 7:4

    The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Read all of Daniel 7

Daniel 7:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y cuatro bestias grandes, diferentes la una de la otra, subían de la mar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et quatre grandes bêtes montèrent de la mer, différentes l’une de l’autre.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und vier große Tiere stiegen aus dem Meere herauf, eines verschieden von dem anderen. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et quatuor bestiæ grandes ascendebant de mari diversæ inter se.