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Daniel 7:17-18 Daniel 7:17-The Four Great Beasts Represent Four Kings Arising From the Earth’s Inhabitants The Four Great Beasts Represent Four Kings From the Earth Daniel 7:17 “‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.’” (NASB95) This verse is composed of the plural form of the demonstrative pronoun ʾil·l ên il-lane´ ), “ these ” which is modifying the feminine plural form of the noun ) ( אִלֵּין) khay-vaw´ ), “ beasts ” which is modified by the masculine singular ) ( חֵיוָה) (ḥê·wā(h ,( dee) ( דִּי) rab), “ great ” which is followed by the particle dî) ( רַ ב) adjective rǎḇ “which ” and then we have the third person feminine plural form of the pronoun in-noon´ ), which is not translated and followed by the masculine ) ( אִנּוּן) ʾin·n ûn ar-bah´ ), “ four ” and then once again we have the ) ( אַרְ בַּע) singular number ʾǎr·bǎʿ ar-bah´ ), “ four ” which is modifying the ) ( אַרְ בַּע) masculine singular number ʾǎr·bǎʿ meh´-lek ), “ kings ” and then we ) ( מֶלֶ) masculine plural form of the noun mě·lěḵ have the third person masculine singular pe ʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperfect form koom ), “ will arise ” and then we have the preposition min ) ( קוּם) of the verb qûm ,( ´ar-ah ) ( אֲרַ ע) min), “from ” and its object is the feminine singular noun ʾǎrǎʿ) ( מִן) “the earth .” Asyndeton Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Daniel is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to mark a transition from Daniel’s request for an interpretation from the unidentified individual in the vision to this individual providing Daniel the vision’s interpretation. ʾil·l ên ʹ ʾin·nînʹʾǎr·bǎʿʹ rǎḇ·r eḇā·ṯā(ʾ)ʹ ḥê·w ā·ṯā(ʾ)ʹ The noun ḥê·wā(h) is in the plural and means “beasts, wild animals” in contrast to domesticated animals. This noun is modified by the adjective rǎḇ, which means “great” in size describing the immense size of the four beasts coming up out of the great sea in Daniel’s vision. This adjective describes the immense size of the four beasts as having the power to incite awe in Daniel. It is modified by the demonstrative pronoun ʾil·l ên , which means “these” and is anaphoric pointing back to the four beasts described in the vision in Daniel 7:2-14. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 dî The particle dî means “which” since it functions as a relative pronoun referring to the four beasts in the vision. ʾin·n ûn The third person feminine plural form of the pronoun ʾin·n ûn means “are” since it functions as a copula and is an informal marker joining the particle dî and the cardinal number ʾǎr·bǎʿ , “four.” ʾǎr·bǎʿ The cardinal number ʾǎr·bǎʿ , “four” functions as the predicate meaning that it is making the assertion that the great beasts in the vision were four in number. Ellipsis Next, we have the figure of ellipsis meaning that Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is deliberately omitting the third person masculine singular pe ʿal hav-aw´ ). However ) ( הֲוָה) (Hebrew: qal) active imperfect form of the verb hǎwā(h) it is implied and means “are.” The word functions as a copula joining the previous statement with the statement to follow that these four beasts are four great kings which will arise from the earth. The pe ʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem of the verb is stative meaning that these four great beasts “existed in the state of being” four kings which will arise from the earth. The imperfect conjugation of the verb is stative expressing the same thing. We will translate hǎwā(h) , “ are .” ʾǎr·b eʿā(h) ʹ mǎl·ḵînʹ The plural form of the noun mě·lěḵ means “kings” and is modified by the cardinal number ʾǎr·bǎʿ , “four.” Together, they refer to the four great beasts which appear in Daniel’s vision as recorded in Daniel 7:2-14. qûm The verb qûm means “to arise” in the sense of these four kings arising from the earth in the sense of emerging out from the human race or appearing in history. The pe ʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem of the verb is fientive and denotes the action of these four kingdoms arising from the inhabitants of the earth. The imperfect conjugation 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 is expressing this event in the future from the perspective of Daniel in the sixth century B.C. Ellipsis Once again, we have the figure of ellipsis meaning that Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is deliberately omitting relative particle dî which means “who” referring to the four kings who will emerge out from the inhabitants of planet earth in history. min ʾǎr·ʿā(ʾ)ʹ The noun ʾǎrǎʿ means “ground, dirt, soil” but we have the figure of metonymy were the earth is put for the inhabitants of the earth. These kingdoms do not arise out of the earth itself of course but from the inhabitants of the earth. The noun ʾǎrǎʿ is the object of the preposition min , which is a marker of source indicating that these four kingdoms will arise “from” the inhabitants of the earth “as a source.” Translation of Daniel 7:17 Daniel 7:17 “ ʻThese great beasts which are four in number are four kings who will arise from the earth’s inhabitants.’” Exposition of Daniel 7:17 This unidentified individual begins to interpret the vision for Daniel. The identity of this individual is not revealed in chapter seven. However, it is more than likely the elect-angel Gabriel since he is the one who gives Daniel the interpretation of the visions recorded in chapter eight (see 8:16, 21). Gabriel also appears to Daniel to give him the prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel chapter nine (see 9:21). So this unidentified individual who is more than likely the elect archangel Gabriel provides Daniel with the interpretation of the vision. Gabriel starts by telling Daniel that these four great beasts represent or are symbolic of four kings/kingdoms. We must remember that the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. This is made clear to the reader in Daniel 7:23 which records the angel telling Daniel that the fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth. He does this after telling him here in Daniel 7:17 that the four great beasts represent four kings. Thus, a comparison of these two verses supports the idea that in the mind of Daniel, kings and kingdoms were synonymous. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 The interpreter’s statements in Daniel 7:17-18 serve as a summary interpretation of the vision, or in other words, they summarize the interpretation for Daniel. Then, in Daniel 7:19-27, in response to Daniel’s request, Gabriel gives more details regarding the fourth beast and the significance of the ten horns and the identity of the little horn. In Scripture, heathen nations are often depicted by wild beasts in order to express the animal like character of these nations which are unregenerate and deceived by sin and Satan. Here in Daniel chapter seven the Holy Spirit is depicting the unregenerate heathen nations as wild animals in order to convey to the reader God’s viewpoint of these nations. Therefore, the fact that these four empires are described as beasts emphasizing their unregenerate character and the first beast was transformed from a wild beast to a human being would indicate that Nebuchadnezzar was not only saved but he was obedient to God and no longer in rebellion against him after being disciplined for seven years. Some critics of the Scriptures argue that the statement in Daniel 7:17 that these four beasts represent four kings contradicts the statement in Daniel 7:2 that these beasts come up out from the great sea. As we noted in our study of Daniel 7:2, the “great sea” here in Daniel 7:2 refers in a literal sense to the Mediterranean Sea since throughout the Old Testament it is identified as such (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 15:12, 47; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:10, 15, 20; 48:28). The Mediterranean was called “the great sea” in the Old Testament because it was situated geographically in the center of the earth and borders on so many large continents. The “great sea” in Daniel 7:2 also has of course a figurative sense referring to the heathen nations of the earth since Daniel 7:3 and 7:17 makes this clear. Both verses reveal that the four great beasts who are identified as four great heathen empires, which history tells are Babylon, Medo- Persia, Greece and Rome. This would make clear that the great sea refers to unregenerate mankind since these empires are composed of unregenerate men and women. Revelation 17:15 also supports this interpretation (cf. Isaiah 8:6-8; 17:12- 13; 57:20; 60:5; Jeremiah. 6:23; 46:7-8; 47:2; Matthew 13:46; Luke 21:25; Revelation 13:1; 17:1; 21:1.). Now, here in Daniel 7:17, the interpreter mentions these four great beasts will arise from the earth, which as we noted contains the figure of metonymy where the earth is put for its inhabitants. Therefore, there is no contradiction since “will arise from the earth” in Daniel 7:17 and “came up out from the sea” in Daniel 7:2 are both describing these four kingdoms, symbolized by the four beasts, as arising out from the inhabitants of the earth formed into different national entities.

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