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1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

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.

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

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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 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.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

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

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

<html><b>then he wrote the dream</b> Then [he wrote the dream] and told the beginnings of the matters.</html>

<html><b>and behold</b> [as translated,] and behold. <b>the four winds of the heavens were stirring up, etc.</b> four blowing winds coming from the four directions of the world and waging war with the Great Sea and stirring it up.</html>

<html><b>And four beasts</b> [as translated,] and four beasts. <b>each one different from the other</b> [as translated,] each one different from the other.</html>

<html><b>The first one was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle</b> It was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle; that is the kingdom of Babylon, which was ruling at that time, and so did Jeremiah see it (4:7): “A lion has come up from its thicket,” and he says also (48:40): “like an eagle he shall soar.” <b>until its wings were plucked</b> Its wings were plucked, which is an allusion to its downfall <b>and it was taken from the earth</b> an expression of being removed from the earth, an allusion to the curtailment of the kingdom from the world. <b>and the heart of a mortal</b> Aram. וּלְבַב אֶנָשׁ, an expression of weakness, like (Psalms 9:21): “Let the nations know that they are forever mortal men (אֶנוֹשׁ)”.</html>

<html><b>another</b> [as translated,] another. <b>second</b> that emerged second from the sea. <b>resembling a bear</b> This represents the kingdom of Persia, which will reign after Babylon, who eats and drinks like a bear and is enwrapped in flesh like a bear. <b>resembling a bear</b> It is spelled לְדֹב [without a “vav,”] like דִיבָא, the Aramaic for זְאֵב, a wolf, for the kingdom of Persia was also called a wolf, as it is said: (Jer. 5: 6): “Therefore a lion smote them, a wolf of the deserts spoils them.” <b>and it stood to one side</b> and it stood to one side, indicating that when the kingdom of Babylon terminates, Persia will wait one year, when Media will reign. <b>and there were three ribs in its mouth</b> Aram. וּתְלָת עִלָעִין בְּפֻמַּהּ, three ribs. Our Sages explained that three provinces were constantly rebelling against it [i.e., Persia] and making peace with it; sometimes it would swallow them and sometimes spit them out. That is the meaning of “in its mouth between its teeth,” sometimes outside its teeth, sometimes inside (Kid. 72a), but I say that the three עִלָעִין are three kings who will rise from Persia: Cyrus, Ahasuerus, and Darius who built the Temple. <b>much meat</b> [as translated,] much meat.</html>

<html><b>four wings…four heads</b> They are the four rulers to whom Alexander of Macedon allotted his kingdom at his death, as is written in the book of Joseph ben Gurion (Book 3, ch. 14), for this third beast is the kingdom of Antiochus, and it is called נָמֵר because it issued decrees upon Israel [which were] spotted (מְנֻמָּרוֹת) and varied one from the other. <b>and dominion was given it</b> [as translated,] and dominion was given it.</html>

<html><b>in the visions of the night</b> on another night. The first three he saw on one night, and this one on another night, because it is equal to them all. In Leviticus Rabbah (13:5). <b>and it had…iron teeth</b> [as translated,] iron teeth. <b>and crushed</b> It crushed and ground finely. <b>and…the rest</b> what it left over from its eating. <b>and…ten horns</b> Aram. וְקַרְנַיִן עֲשַׂר. The angel explained to him that these are the ten kings who would ascend [the throne] of Rome before Vespasian, who would destroy the Temple.</html>

<html><b>and behold</b> Aram. וַאֲלוּ, like וַאֲרוּ, an expression of “behold.” <b>speaking arrogantly</b> words of arrogance. That is Titus, about whom the Rabbis, of blessed memory, said (Gittin 56b) that he blasphemed and berated and entered the Heichal with brazenness.</html>

<html><b>until thrones were set up</b> Thrones were set up and established to sit in judgment, one for judgment for the nations of the world and one for charity for Israel. <b>and the Ancient of Days sat</b> The Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting in judgment on this kingdom and on those before it, who provoked Him and oppressed His children. <b>as white as snow</b> to whiten the iniquities of His people. <b>and the hair of His head was like clean wool</b> He cleanses Himself of the merits that the nations have before Him, and He pays them all their reward in this world. In Lev. Rabbah.</html>

<html><b>of fire</b> [as translated,] of fire. <b>a burning fire</b> [as translated,] a burning fire. <b>was flowing and emerging</b> [as translated,] was flowing and emerging. <b>serve Him</b> i.e., the Ancient of Days. <b>justice was established</b> The judgment is established before Him. <b>and the books were opened</b> The books were opened; the book of the transgressions and the evils that they committed.</html>

<html><b>from the sound of the arrogant words</b> From the sound of the haughty words that the horn was speaking, the wrath of the Ancient of Days was aroused. <b>until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed and given</b> [as translated,] and its body was destroyed. <b>to a flame of fire</b> to a flame of fire; this refers to Jacob’s fire etc.</html>

<html><b>But as for the other beasts, their dominion was removed</b> And from the other kingdoms, their dominion was removed by Heaven. <b>and they were given an extension of life</b> And He gave them time to live until a set day in the future, the wars of Gog and Magog. <b>an extension</b> Aram. אַרְכָה, waiting.</html>

<html><b>one like a man was coming</b> That is the King Messiah. <b>and…up to the Ancient of Days</b> Who was sitting in judgment and judging the nations. <b>came</b> arrived, reached.</html>

<html><b>And He gave him dominion</b> And to that man He gave dominion over the nations, for the heathens he likens to beasts, and Israel he likens to a man because they are humble and innocent. <b>which will not be removed</b> [as translated,] will not be removed.</html>

<html><b>My spirit… became troubled</b> Aram. אֶתְכְּרִיַת an expression of (Exod. 21:33): “or if…digs (יִכְרֶה),” and Hebrew and Aramaic are alike in this case; i.e., it was humbled because of the depth of its digging. <b>within its sheath</b> Aram. בְּגוֹ נִדְנֶה ; i.e., my spirit became terrified in my body from this dream.</html>

<html><b>I drew near to one of those standing</b> I drew near to one of those standing there beside the Ancient of Days. The angels are called standing ones, as it is said: (Zech. 3:7): “among these who stand by (הָעמְדִים),” because they have no joints. <b>and I asked him the truth</b> [as translated,] and I asked him the truth.</html>

<html><b>four kingdoms</b> Aram. אַרְבְּעָא מַלְכִין, lit. four kings.</html>

<html><b>And the high holy ones will receive the kingdom</b> These are Israel, who will take the kingdom from the fourth one.</html>

<html><b>Then I wished to determine the truth</b> Then I wished to determine the truth concerning the fourth beast. <b>which was different from all of them—excessively dreadful</b> which was different from all of them with excessive dreadfulness.</html>

<html><b>and [the] three [that] fell before it</b> and three of the first ones fell before it. <b>and the horn that was like this and that had eyes</b> and the horn that was like this, and had eyes, as is written above.</html>

<html><b>I looked</b> in my first dream, which I told above. <b>with the holy ones</b> with Israel.</html>

<html><b>and gave revenge to the high holy ones</b> and He gave them revenge from it.</html>

<html><b>So he said</b> So did the angel who interpreted the dream for me reply to me.</html>

<html><b>And the ten horns</b> And its ten horns that you saw—this is its interpretation. <b>from that kingdom</b> [as translated,] from that kingdom. <b>and the last one will rise after them</b> and the last one will rise after them—that is Titus.</html>

<html><b>against the Most High</b> [as translated,] against the Most High. <b>and he will oppress the high holy ones</b> He will burden and oppress Israel. <b>and he will think to change the times and the law</b> He will plan in his heart to cause them to transgress all their appointed times and their laws. <b>until a time, two times, and half a time</b> This is an obscure end, as was said to Daniel (12:4): “And you, Daniel, close up the words and seal,” and the early commentators expounded on it, each one according to his view, and the ends have passed. We can still interpret it as I saw written in the name of Rav Saadia Gaon, that they are the 1,335 years stated at the end of the Book (12:12): “Fortunate is he who waits [and reaches the days one thousand three hundred and thirty-five],” and he explains the appointed time as until the time of two times and a half time, and he [Rav Saadia Gaon] said that the times are 480 [years], which is the time from the Exodus from Egypt until the Temple was built, and 410 [years], [which are] the days of the First Temple, totaling 890, and another half of this time, 445, totaling 1, 335. Figure these from the time the daily sacrifice was discontinued until the daily sacrifice will be restored to its place; it was discontinued six years prior to the destruction, and there is somewhat of a proof in this Book. [See Rashi to 8:14.] Others bring further proof to this computation, namely that (Deut. 31:18): “And I, will hide My face” [the words] הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר add up in gematria to 1,335.</html>

<html><b>And the judgment was established</b> And the judgment was established before Him. <b>and they will remove his dominion</b> from heaven. They will remove the dominion and the rule of that kingdom.</html>

<html><b>and obey</b> They will obey his command to execute it.</html>

<html><b>until here</b> [as translated,] until here. <b>my thoughts terrified me greatly</b> My thoughts were terrifying me greatly. <b>and my colors changed</b> The appearance of my good looks and my features changed. <b>I kept…in my heart</b> I hid in my heart.</html>