Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. New Living Translation “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. English Standard Version “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. Berean Standard Bible As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. Berean Literal Bible You, O king, were watching, and behold, a great image. This great image, whose splendor was excellent, was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. King James Bible 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. New King James Version “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. New American Standard Bible “You, O king, were watching and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary radiance, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. NASB 1995 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. NASB 1977 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. Legacy Standard Bible “You, O king, were looking, and behold, there was a single great image; that image, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was rising up in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. Amplified Bible “You, O king, were looking, and behold, [there was] a single great statue; this image, which was large and of unsurpassed splendor, stood before you, and its appearance was awesome and terrifying. Berean Annotated Bible As you, O king, were watching, a great statue (image) appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. Christian Standard Bible “Your Majesty, as you were watching, suddenly a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. Holman Christian Standard Bible My king, as you were watching, a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. American Standard Version Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. Contemporary English Version Your Majesty, what you saw standing in front of you was a huge and terrifying statue, shining brightly. English Revised Version Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Your Majesty, you had a vision. You saw a large statue. This statue was very bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked terrifying. Good News Translation "Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at. International Standard Version "Your majesty, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying. NET Bible "You, O king, were watching as a great statue--one of impressive size and extraordinary brightness--was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. New Heart English Bible You, O king, saw, and look, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was extraordinary, stood before you; and its appearance was awesome. Webster's Bible Translation Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and its form was terrible. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAs you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. World English Bible “You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrifying. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou, O king, were looking, and behold, a certain great image. This image [is] mighty, and its brightness excellent; it is standing before you, and its appearance [is] terrible. Berean Literal Bible You, O king, were watching, and behold, a great image. This great image, whose splendor was excellent, was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. Young's Literal Translation Thou, O king, wast looking, and lo, a certain great image. This image is mighty, and its brightness excellent; it is standing over-against thee, and its appearance is terrible. Smith's Literal Translation Thou, O king, wert seeing, and behold, one great image. This image vast, and its brightness excellent; it stood before thee, and its aspect terrible. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue: this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before thee, and the look thereof was terrible. Catholic Public Domain Version You, O king, saw, and behold, something like a great statue. This statue, which was great and high, stood exalted above you, and you considered how terrible it was. New American Bible “In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you. New Revised Standard Version “You were looking, O king, and lo! there was a great statue. This statue was huge, its brilliance extraordinary; it was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou, O king, were looking, and behold, a great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrible. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated You, oh King, you were seeing, and behold, one image that was very great, its brightness was extreme and it stood before you. Its appearance was awesome! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was surpassing, stood before thee; and the appearance thereof was terrible. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thou, O king, sawest, and behold an image: that image was great, and the appearance of it excellent, standing before thy face; and the form of it was terrible. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Daniel Interprets the Dream…30And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. 31As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. 32The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,… Cross References As you, O king, were watching, Daniel 7:1 In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is the summary of his account. Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one that had appeared to me earlier. Zechariah 1:8 I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. a great statue appeared. Daniel 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Exodus 32:4 He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” Isaiah 44:13-17 The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. / He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow. / It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. … A great and dazzling statue stood before you, Ezekiel 1:26-28 Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. / From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. / The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking. Daniel 10:5-6 I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. / His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. Revelation 1:13-16 and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. / The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. / His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. … and its form was awesome. Judges 13:6 So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name. Daniel 7:7 After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns. Habakkuk 1:7 They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty. Revelation 13:1-2 Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. / The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. Revelation 17:12-14 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast. / These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast. / They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.” Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. … Revelation 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. Treasury of Scripture You, O king, saw, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the form thereof was terrible. sawest. Daniel 7:3-17 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another… Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. terrible. Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isaiah 25:3-5 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee… Ezekiel 28:7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. Jump to Previous Appearance Aspect Awesome Bright Brightness Excellent Extraordinary Fear Form Frightening Front Glory Great Heart Image Large Mighty Over-Against Placed Sawest Single Splendor Standing Statue Stood Surpassing Terrible Thereof WastJump to Next Appearance Aspect Awesome Bright Brightness Excellent Extraordinary Fear Form Frightening Front Glory Great Heart Image Large Mighty Over-Against Placed Sawest Single Splendor Standing Statue Stood Surpassing Terrible Thereof WastDaniel 2 1. Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, 5. requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats. 10. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. 14. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. 19. He blesses God. 24. He staying the decree is brought to the king. 31. The dream. 36. The interpretation. 46. Daniel's advancement. As you, O king, were watching This phrase sets the scene in the royal court of Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar is the central figure. The king's role as a watcher highlights his authority and the divine revelation he is about to receive. In the ancient Near East, kings were often seen as intermediaries between the gods and people, making Nebuchadnezzar's dream significant for both his reign and the broader narrative of God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms. a great statue appeared A great and dazzling statue stood before you and its form was awesome Persons / Places / Events 1. King NebuchadnezzarThe ruler of Babylon who had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret, leading to Daniel's involvement. 2. Daniel A Hebrew prophet and wise man in the Babylonian court who interprets the king's dream through divine revelation. 3. Babylon The empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar, representing the height of ancient Near Eastern power and culture. 4. The Great Statue A symbolic figure in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, representing successive world empires, starting with Babylon. 5. The Dream A divine revelation given to Nebuchadnezzar, which Daniel interprets, revealing God's sovereignty over human kingdoms. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty Over NationsThe dream and its interpretation highlight that God is in control of history and the rise and fall of empires. The Transience of Earthly Power The statue's composition of different materials signifies the temporary nature of human kingdoms compared to God's eternal kingdom. The Role of Divine Revelation Daniel's ability to interpret the dream underscores the importance of seeking God's wisdom and revelation in understanding our world. Faithfulness in Exile Daniel's faithfulness in a foreign land serves as a model for believers living in a world that often opposes God's values. Hope in God's Ultimate Kingdom The prophecy points to the establishment of God's everlasting kingdom, offering hope and assurance to believers. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Daniel 2:31?2. How does Daniel 2:31 demonstrate God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms and rulers? 3. What can we learn about God's revelation through Daniel's interpretation of the dream? 4. How does the statue in Daniel 2:31 connect to future biblical prophecies? 5. How should understanding God's control in Daniel 2:31 affect our daily trust in Him? 6. What practical steps can we take to align with God's kingdom, as shown in Daniel 2? 7. What does Daniel 2:31 reveal about God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms? 8. How does the statue in Daniel 2:31 symbolize the rise and fall of empires? 9. What historical evidence supports the prophecy in Daniel 2:31? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 2? 11. How can modern scientific understanding explain Daniel’s alleged ability to know and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:31–35) without natural means? 12. Why do apocalyptic predictions in Daniel and Revelation match past events rather than future ones? 13. Why is Daniel, a prominent figure in the king's court, conspicuously absent in the events of Daniel 3? 14. Who holds the title King of the North? What Does Daniel 2:31 Mean As you, O king, were watching- Daniel reminds Nebuchadnezzar that what follows unfolded while the king was “watching,” highlighting: • God’s perfect timing—“there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:28). • The king’s helplessness; he can only observe while God discloses what truly matters, much as Pharaoh merely listened while Joseph interpreted his dreams (Genesis 41:25-32). • The personal nature of the revelation: the Most High addresses the individual heart of a ruler (Psalm 33:13-15), showing that no throne is beyond His reach. A great statue appeared - The sudden “appearance” signals divine intervention, not human imagination. - Statues in Scripture often point to idolatry or human power structures (Exodus 20:4; Daniel 3:1-6). Here, God co-opts the image to expose the rise and fall of empires (explained later in Daniel 2:36-45). - By using a single statue, the Lord underscores that every kingdom—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome—shares one fragile foundation: human pride (Proverbs 16:18). A great and dazzling statue stood before you - “Great” stresses size and influence; “dazzling” speaks of splendor that captivates the natural eye. Both traits echo how earthly power seduces (Revelation 18:9-14). - Its position “before you” suggests: • Confrontation—Nebuchadnezzar must face the truth that empires answer to God (Jeremiah 27:5). • Accountability—“kings reign and rulers decree justice” only because the Lord permits (Proverbs 8:15). - The brightness contrasts with the true glory of God that outshines all created brilliance (Revelation 1:16). And its form was awesome - “Awesome” conveys fear-inducing majesty. Human authority can be intimidating (Romans 13:3-4), yet it remains derivative. - The stature’s intimidating form prepares the king—and us—to grasp the shattering power of the stone “cut without hands” that will soon strike it (Daniel 2:34-35). - Only God deserves ultimate awe; every other “awesome” sight is temporary (Psalm 33:8-11; Hebrews 12:28-29). summary Daniel 2:31 introduces a colossal, breathtaking statue that God plants squarely in Nebuchadnezzar’s view. While the king watches helplessly, the Lord unveils His sovereign blueprint: empires impress and terrify, yet they are mere clay compared to the eternal kingdom that will replace them. The verse urges every reader to look past dazzling human glory and stand in reverent awe of the God who reveals mysteries and rules history. (31) A great image.--Properly, one great image. This is one important feature in the vision. The image, though representing many things, was itself only "one." (See Note on Daniel 2:1.) That the image was of human form is evident from the further descriptions of the various parts of the body given in Daniel 2:32-33; Daniel 2:42. The "greatness" of the image implies the magnificence and size of it. As will be shortly seen, throughout the various parts it represented the many complex phases of the one history of the world.Verse 31. - 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. The Greek versions do not require notice, as they do not imply any difference in reading from the Massoretic text. The Peshitta is shorter, "Thou, O king, wert seeing, and, lo! a great image of beauty exceeding excellent, and it stood before thee." The opening clause of the next verse may be regarded as taking up the last clause of the verse before us. As to the Aramaic of the passage, it is to be observed that the s, me long form of the second person is used in ver. 29. The numeral חַד (had) is used in this verse very much in the sense of the English indefinite article which is used to translate it in the English versions. It is represented in the Greek Version by μία. The particle אְלַוּ ('ulu)," behold," does not occur in the Targums; a cognate form occurs in Samaritan, hala. In Talmudic it occurs in a form like the Samaritan. This word occurs in ch. 7, varied by אֲרוּ ('aru), which is regarded as a phonetic variation. It may, however, be due to defective penmanship, having the top of the ל too faintly written. Its etymology is doubtful. No Assyrian root has been found from which it may be derived. The word for "image," צֶלֶם (tzelem), occurs in the Palmyrene inscriptions, as the regular term for a memorial statue. Hence, unless reason can be shown to the contrary, we could assume, even though there had been no more, that the figure was like a statue of a man. The word for this, דִכֵּן (diccen), occurs only in Daniel; the corresponding word in Ezra is דֵך (dec). The n sound is one that so readily slips away, that its presence as a final letter is a sign that the form of a word possessing it is in an older stage than that without it; hence we would argue that as דֵך (dec) is older than דָא (da) of the Targums, so דִכֵּן (diccen) of Daniel is older than דֵך (dec). The word that is most interesting is זִיוֵהּ (ziveh); it is rendered "brightness" in our version. It is recognized by Professor Bevan, on the authority of Delitzsch, as an Assyrio-Babylonian word, therefore affording an additional evidence of the Eastern origin of Daniel. Noldeke would derive it from the Persian zeb (quoted by Behrmann, but there is some mistake in his reference). This tendency to derive everything from the Persian is to be suspected. The long political connection between Babylon and the Aryan nations north and east of it might easily introduce words of such an origin into the writings of a Babylonian diplomat. Another derivation is from זָחָה (zahah), but seems doubtful, as, although in Hebrew, there is no trace of such a verb in Aramaic. The only other word that merits note is רֵוֵה (reve), "appearance." Professor Bevan says it is the only appearance in Aramaic of a corresponding root to the Hebrew רָאָה (ra'ah), "to see." Daniel, it will be seen, lays stress on the emotions which each feature excited, in order to recall, not only the dream, but something of the feelings with which Nebuchadnezzar had beheld it. With this dream of Nebuchadnezzar we might compare the dream of the seer of Asshurbanipal, given by Lenormant ('La Divination,' p. 137), "The seer (voyant) narrated to Asshurbanipal how the goddess Istar had stood before him seated in her chariot, surrounded by flame, with a bow in her hand" (see also Smith's 'Assurbanipal,' pp. 123. 124). It is unlikely that the colossal image was identified by Nebuchadnezzar with any one of the Babylonian gods; perhaps this was one of the elements of the terror excited by the vision, that he could not identify him. If he did make any identification, Daniel does not do anything to justify him in any such identification.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew As you,תתן־ (’ant) Pronoun - second person masculine singular Strong's 607: You O king, מַלְכָּ֗א (mal·kā) Noun - masculine singular determinate Strong's 4430: A king were watching, חָזֵ֤ה (ḥā·zêh) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 2370: To gaze upon, mentally to dream, be usual a חַד֙ (ḥaḏ) Number - masculine singular Strong's 2298: As card, one, single, first, at once great שַׂגִּ֔יא (śag·gî) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 7690: Great, much statue צְלֵ֥ם (ṣə·lêm) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6755: An idolatrous figure appeared. וַאֲל֨וּ (wa·’ă·lū) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 431: Lo! A great רַ֛ב (raḇ) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 7229: Abundant and dazzling וְזִיוֵ֥הּ (wə·zî·wêh) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 2122: Brightness, splendor statue צַלְמָ֨א (ṣal·mā) Noun - masculine singular determinate Strong's 6755: An idolatrous figure stood קָאֵ֣ם (qā·’êm) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 6966: To arise, stand before you, לְקָבְלָ֑ךְ (lə·qā·ḇə·lāḵ) Preposition-l | second person masculine singular Strong's 6903: In front of, before, because of, because that and its form וְרֵוֵ֖הּ (wə·rê·wêh) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 7299: Appearance [was] awesome. דְּחִֽיל׃ (də·ḥîl) Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Strong's 1763: To slink, to fear, be formidable Links Daniel 2:31 NIVDaniel 2:31 NLT Daniel 2:31 ESV Daniel 2:31 NASB Daniel 2:31 KJV Daniel 2:31 BibleApps.com Daniel 2:31 Biblia Paralela Daniel 2:31 Chinese Bible Daniel 2:31 French Bible Daniel 2:31 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Daniel 2:31 You O king saw and behold (Dan. 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