Daniel 2:31 Meaning and Explanation
“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Daniel recounts the dream: a great, dazzling, awe-inspiring statue stood before the king.
What Does Daniel 2:31 Mean?
Daniel begins to recount the dream itself. The king saw a great image, dazzling in brightness and terrible in form, standing before him. The towering statue is the centerpiece of the vision, an awesome figure of human glory and might.
That Daniel can describe the dream the king never told him is the proof Nebuchadnezzar demanded. The God of heaven has indeed revealed the secret. The image's overwhelming splendor represents the grandeur of earthly kingdoms, magnificent to behold, yet, as the dream will reveal, far less enduring than they appear.
Daniel 2:31 in the Original Language
tselem (צְלֵם), 'image' -- a statue or likeness; the same word later names the golden image Nebuchadnezzar erects in chapter 3.
Frequently Asked Questions About Daniel 2:31
What does Daniel 2:31 mean?
Daniel recounts the dream: a great, dazzling, awe-inspiring statue stood before the king.