the Second Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
Literal Standard Version
Daniel 7:13
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
I continued watching in the night visions,
I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
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.
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
"I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
"In my vision at night I saw in front of me someone who looked like a human being coming on the clouds in the sky. He came near God, who has been alive forever, and he was led to God.
"I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, on the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
As I behelde in visions by night, behold, one like the sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen, and approched vnto the Ancient of dayes, and they brought him before him.
"I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
As I continued to watch the vision that night, I saw what looked like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he was presented to the Eternal God.
"I kept watching the night visions, when I saw, coming with the clouds of heaven, someone like a son of man. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man, and he came up even to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
"In my vision at night I looked, and there in front of me was someone who looked like a human being. He was coming on the clouds in the sky. He came up to the Ancient King, and the King's servants brought him before the King.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came upon the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him before him.
During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him.
"I continued watching in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before him.
I was looking in the night visions. And behold! One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of the heavens. And He came to the Ancient of Days. And they brought Him near before Him.
I sawe in a vision by night, and beholde: there came one in the cloudes of heauen like the sonne of a man, which wente vnto the olde aged, before whom they brought him:
I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
I saw in visions of the night, and there was coming with the clouds of heaven one like a man, and he came to the one who was very old, and they took him near before him.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of days, and he was brought near before Him.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the sonne of man, came with the clouds of heauen, and came to the Ancient of daies, and they brought him neere before him.
I saw in visions by night, and behold there came one in the cloudes of heauen, lyke the sonne of man: which went vnto the aucient of dayes, before whom they brought him.
I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Therfor Y bihelde in the visyoun of niyt, and lo! as a sone of man cam with the cloudis of heuene; and he cam fulli til to the elde of daies, and in the siyt of hym thei offriden hym.
I saw in the night-visions, and, look, there came with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
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.
I was watching in the night visions, "And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him.
"I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.
"I kept looking in the night dream and saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the One Who has lived forever, and was brought before Him.
As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
I continued looking in the visions of the night, when lo! with the clouds of the heavens, one like a son of man, was coming, - and, unto the Ancient of days, he approached, and, before him, they brought him near;
I beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the ancient of days: and they presented him before him.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
`I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, with the clouds of the heavens as a son of man was [one] coming, and unto the Ancient of Days he hath come, and before Him they have brought him near.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
one like: Psalms 8:4, Psalms 8:5, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Ezekiel 1:26, Matthew 13:41, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 25:31, Matthew 26:64, Mark 13:26, Mark 14:61, Mark 14:62, Luke 21:27, Luke 21:36, John 3:13, John 5:27, John 12:34, Acts 7:56, Philippians 2:6-8, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 14:14
the Ancient: Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:22
and they: Psalms 47:5, Psalms 68:17, Psalms 68:18, Jeremiah 49:19, Ephesians 1:20, Ephesians 1:21, 1 Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 9:24
Reciprocal: Psalms 2:6 - Yet Psalms 2:8 - and I Psalms 47:2 - a great Psalms 80:17 - General Psalms 145:11 - the glory Proverbs 8:15 - By Isaiah 53:10 - he shall prolong Jeremiah 33:14 - General Daniel 2:34 - a stone Daniel 2:44 - which shall never Daniel 7:1 - visions Daniel 7:7 - I saw Nahum 1:3 - his way Zechariah 1:8 - by night Zechariah 6:13 - bear Matthew 6:10 - Thy kingdom Matthew 16:13 - I the Matthew 21:5 - thy King Mark 2:10 - General Mark 8:38 - the Son Mark 9:7 - a cloud Luke 1:33 - he Luke 5:24 - that the Luke 22:69 - on Luke 23:42 - thy Luke 24:44 - in the prophets John 1:51 - the Son John 8:54 - it is Acts 1:9 - a cloud Acts 1:11 - shall Acts 10:36 - he is Acts 26:6 - the promise Colossians 1:13 - the kingdom 1 Peter 1:11 - the glory Revelation 3:21 - and am Revelation 10:1 - clothed
Cross-References
And Noah is a son of five hundred years, and Noah begets Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
And Noah begets three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
And I have established My covenant with you, and you have come into the Ark—you, and your sons, and your wife, and your son's wives with you;
And YHWH says to Noah, "Come, you and all your house, into the Ark, for I have seen you [are] righteous before Me in this generation;
you take seven pairs from all the clean beasts to yourself, a male and its female; and of the beasts which are not clean—two, a male and its female;
for after seven more days I am sending rain on the earth [for] forty days and forty nights, and have wiped away all the substance that I have made from off the face of the ground."
And Noah goes—and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him—into the Ark, out of the presence of the waters of the flood;
they have come to Noah two by two into the Ark, a male and a female, as God has commanded Noah.
and the waters are mighty and multiply exceedingly on the earth; and the Ark goes on the face of the waters.
And the waters have been very, very mighty on the earth, and all the high mountains are covered which [are] under the whole heavens;
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I saw in the night visions,.... Very probably the same night in which he had the dream and vision of the four beasts; but this that follows, being a new object presented, is introduced and prefaced after this manner; as well as, being something wonderful and worthy of attention, has a "behold" prefixed to it:
and, behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven; not Judas Maccabaeus, as Porphyry; nor the Roman people, as Grotius; nor the people of Israel, as Aben Ezra; nor the people of the saints of the most High, as Cocceius; but the Messiah, as most Christian interpreters, and even the Jews themselves, both ancient and modern, allow. In the ancient book of Zohar u it is said,
"in the times of the Messiah, Israel shall be one people, to the Lord, and he shall make them one nation in the earth, and they shall rule above and below; as it is written, "behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven"; this is the King Messiah of whom it is written, "and in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven, set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed", c. Daniel 2:44''
So in the Talmud w this prophecy is thus reconciled with another, concerning the Messiah, in Zechariah 9:9, to what R. Alexander said, R. Joshua ben Levi objects what is written,
and, behold, one like to the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and it is written, "poor, and riding upon an ass": which is thus adjusted,
"if they (the Israelites) are worthy, he (the Messiah) comes with the clouds of heaven; but if they are not worthy, he comes poor, and riding on an ass;''
and so it is interpreted in their ancient Midrashes x, or expositions, as well us in more modern ones: Jarchi on the text says,
"he is the Messiah;''
and so R. Saadiah Gaon and Jacchiades, this is Messiah our righteousness; and Aben Ezra observes, that this is the sense R. Jeshua gives, "that one like to the Son of man" is the Messiah; and he adds, it is right, only along with him must be joined the holy people, who are the Israelites: and, with the Jews, Anani, which signifies "clouds", is the name of the Messiah, founded upon this text, in the Targum of 1 Chronicles 3:24, where mention is made of the name of a person, Anani, it is added,
"who is the Messiah that is to be revealed;''
so in an ancient book called Tanchuma y, speaking of Zerubbabel, it is asked, from whence did he spring? it is answered from David, as it is said, 1 Chronicles 3:10 "and Solomon's son was Rehoboam", c. and so all in the line are mentioned unto Anani, Daniel 7:24 and then it is asked, who is this Anani? this is the Messiah, as it is said, Daniel 7:13:
and I saw in the visions of the night, and, behold, one like to the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven. He is said to be "as", or "like the Son of man", in agreement with the style of these visions, Daniel 7:4, or because as yet he was not really incarnate, only appeared in a human form; or this as is not a note of similitude, but of truth and reality, as in John 1:14 or because he was more than a man: and his coming with the clouds of heaven denotes the majesty, visibility, and swiftness, with which he came to take open possession of his kingdom and glory. Saadiah interprets them of the angels of heaven, with which he will be attended:
and came to the Ancient of days; his divine Father, from whom, as man and Mediator, he receives his mediatorial kingdom, is invested with it, and insisted it, to it; see Revelation 5:7 this is not to be understood of his first coming in the flesh, which was from his Father, and not to him; nor of his ascension to heaven, exaltation and session at the right hand of God, when he indeed received the kingdom from the Father, and was made and declared Lord and Christ; but this seems to respect what shall be upon the destruction of the fourth beast, when Christ shall receive and take to himself his great power, and reign, and more visibly appear by his Father's designation and appointment, and his open glory, to be King and Lord over all:
and they brought him near before him; not Elijah the prophet, as Jacchindes; rather the angels, as others; or the saints by their prayers, who hasten to, and hasten thereby, the coming and kingdom of Christ in a more spiritual and glorious manner; or it may be rendered impersonally,
"he was brought near before him,''
as by the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions.
u In Gen. fol. 85. 4. Ed. Sultzbac. w T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. x Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 13. fol. 209. 4. Midrash Tillium apud Galatin. de Arcan. Cathol. ver. l. 10. c. 1. y Apud Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 85. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I saw in the night visions - Evidently in the same night visions, or on the same occasion, for the visions are connected. See Daniel 7:1, Daniel 7:7. The meaning is, that he continued beholding, or that a new vision passed before him.
And, behold, one like the Son of man ... - It is remarkable that Daniel does not attempt to represent this by any symbol. The representation by symbols ceases with the fourth beast; and now the description assumes a literal form - the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah and of the saints. Why this change of form occurs is not stated or known, but the sacred writers seem carefully to have avoided any representation of the Messiah by symbols. The phrase âThe Son of Manâ - ×× ×©× ×ר bar 'eÌnaÌsh - does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament in such a connection, and with such a reference as it has here, though it is often found in the New, and is, in fact, the favorite term by which the Saviour designates himself. In Daniel 3:25, we have the phrase âthe Son of Godâ (see the note at that passage), as applicable to one who appeared with the threeâ childrenâ that were cast into the burning furnace; and in Ezekiel, the phrase âson of manâ often occurs as applicable to himself as a prophet, being found more than eighty times in his prophecies, but the expression here used does not elsewhere occur in the Old Testament as applicable to the personage intended. As occurring here, it is important to explain it, not only in view of the events connected with it in the prophecy, but as having done much to mould the language of the New Testament. There are three questions in regard to its meaning: What does it signify? To whom does it refer? And what would be its proper fulfillment?
(1) The phrase is more than a mere Hebrew or Chaldee expression to denote man, but is always used with some peculiar significancy, and with relation to some peculiar characteristic of the person to whom it is applied, or with some special design. To ascertain this design, regard should be had to the expression of the original. âWhile the words ×××©× 'ıÌysh and ××ש×× 'ıÌiyshaÌh are used simply as designations of sex, ×× ××©× 'eÌnoÌsh, which is etymologically akin to ×××©× 'ıÌysh, is employed with constant reference to its original meaning, to be weak, sick; it is the ethical designation of man, but ××× 'aÌdaÌm denotes man as to his, physical, natural condition - whence the use of the word in such passages as Psalms 8:4; Job 25:6, and also its connection with ×× beÌn are satisfactorily explained, The emphatic address ××× ×× beÌn 'aÌdaÌm - Son of man - is therefore (in Ezekiel) a continued admonition to the prophet to remember that he is a man like all the rest.â - Havernick, Com. on, Ezekiel 2:1-2, quoted in the Bibliotheca Sacra, v. 718. The expression used here is ×ר־×× ××©× bar -'eÌnoÌsh, and would properly refer to man as weak and feeble, and as liable to be sick, etc. Applied to anyone as âa Son of man,â it would be used to denote that he partook of the weakness and infirmities of the race; and, as the phrase âthe Son of manâ is used in the New Testament when applied by the Saviour to himself, there is an undoubted reference to this fact - that he sustained a peculiar relation to our race; that he was in all respects a man; that he was one of us; that he had so taken our nature on himself that there was a peculiar propriety that a term which would at once designate this should be given to him. The phrase used here by Daniel would denote some one
(a) in the human form;
(b) some one sustaining a peculiar relation to man - as if human nature were embodied in him.
(2) The next inquiry here is, to whom, this refers? Who, in fact, was the one that was thus seen in vision by the prophet? Or who was designed to be set forth by this? This inquiry is not so much, whom did Daniel suppose or understand this to be? as, who was in fact designed to be represented; or in whom would the fulfillment be found? For, on the supposition that this was a heavenly vision, it is clear that it was intended to designate some one in whom the complete fulfillment was to be found. Now, admitting that this was a heavenly vision, and that it was intended to represent what would occur in future times, there are the clearest reasons for supposing that the Messiah was referred to; and indeed this is so plain, that it may be assumed as one of the indisputable things by which to determine the character and design of the prophecy. Among these reasons are the following:
(a) The name itself, as a name assumed by the Lord Jesus - the favorite name by which he chose to designate himself when on the earth. This name he used technically; he used it as one that would be understood to denote the Messiah; he used it as if it needed no explanation as having a reference to the Messiah. But this usage could have been derived only from this passage in Daniel, for there is no other place in the Old Testament where the name could refer with propriety to the Messiah, or would be understood to be applicable to him.
(b) This interpretation has been given to it by the Jewish writers in general, in all ages. I refer to this, not to say that their explanation is authoritative, but to show that it is the natural and obvious meaning; and because, as we shall see, it is what has given shape and form to the language of the New Testament, and is fully sanctioned there. Thus, in the ancient book of Zohar it is said, âIn the times of the Messiah, Israel shall be one people to the Lord, and he shall make them one nation in the earth, and they shall rule above and below; as it is written, âBehold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven;â this is the King Messiah, of whom it is written, And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, etc.â So in the Talmud, and so the majority of the ancient Jewish rabbis. See Gill, Com. in loc. It is true that this interpretation has not been uniform among the Jewish rabbis, but still it has prevailed among them, as it has among Christian interpreters.
(c) A sanction seems to be given to this interpretation by the adoption of the title âSon of manâ by the Lord Jesus, as that by which he chose to designate himself. That title was such as would constantly suggest this place in Daniel as referring to himself, and especially as he connected with it the declaration that âthe Son of man would come in the clouds of heaven, etc.â It was hardly possible that he should use the title in such a connection without suggesting this place in Daniel, or without leaving the impression on the minds of his hearers that he meant to be understood as applying this to himself.
(d) It may be added, that it cannot with propriety be applied to any other. Porphyry, indeed, supposed that Judas Maccabeus was intended; Grotius that it referred to the Roman people; Aben Ezra to the people of Israel; and Cocceius to the people of the Most High (Gill); but all these are unnatural interpretations, and are contrary to what one would obtain by allowing the language of the New Testament to influence his mind. The title - so often used by the Saviour himself; the attending circumstances of the clouds of heaven; the place which the vision occupies - so immediately preceding the setting up of the kingdom of the saints; and the fact that that kingdom can be set up only under the Messiah, all point to him as the personage represented in the vision.
(3) But if it refers to the Messiah, the next inquiry is, What is to be regarded as the proper fulfillment of the vision? To what precisely does it relate? Are we to suppose that there will be a literal appearing of the Son of man - the Messiah - in the clouds of heaven, and a passing over of the kingdom in a public and solemn manner into the hands of the saints? In reply to these questions, it may be remarked
(a) that this cannot be understood as relating to the last judgment, for it is not introduced with reference to at all. The âSon of manâ is not here represented as coming with a view to judge the world at the winding-up of human affairs, but for the purpose of setting up a kingdom, or procuring a kingdom for his saints. There is no assembling of the people of the world together; no act of judging the righteous and the wicked; no pronouncing of a sentence on either. It is evident that the world is to continue much longer under the dominion of the saints.
(b) It is not to be taken literally; that is, we are not, from this passage, to expect a literal appearance of the of man in the clouds of heaven, preparatory to the setting up of the kingdom of the saints. For if one portion is to be taken literally, there is no reason why all should not be. Then we are to expect, not merely the appearing of the Son of man in the clouds, but also the following things, as a part of the fulfillment of the vision, to wit: the literal placing of a throne, or seat; the literal streaming forth of flame from his throne; the literal appearing of the âAncient of days,â with a garment of white, and hair as wool; a literal approach of the Son of man to him as seated on his throne to ask of him a kingdom, etc. But no one can believe that all this is to occur; no one does believe that it will.
(c) The proper interpretation is to regard this, as it was seen by Daniel, as a vision - a representation of a state of things in the world as if what is here described would occur. That is, great events were to take place, of which this would be a proper symbolic representation - or as if the Son of man, the Messiah, would thus appear; would approach the âAncient of days;â would receive a kingdom, and would make it over to the saints. Now, there is no real difficulty in understanding what is here meant to be taught, and what we are to expect; and these points of fact are the following, namely,:
1. That he who is here called the âAncient of daysâ is the source of power and dominion.
2. That there would be some severe adjudication of the power here represented by the beast and the horn.
3. That the kingdom or dominion of the world is to be in fact given to him who is here called âthe Son of manâ - the Messiah - a fact represented here by his approaching the âAncient of days,â who is the source of all power.
4. That there is to be some passing over of the kingdom or power into the hands of the saints; or some setting up of a kingdom on the earth, of which he is to be the head, and in which the dominion over the world shall be in fact in the hands of his people, and the laws of the Messiah everywhere prevail. What will be the essential characteristics of that kingdom we may learn by the exposition of Daniel 7:14, compared with Daniel 7:27.
Came with the clouds of heaven - That is, he seemed to come down from the sky encompassed with clouds. So the Saviour, probably intending to refer to this language, speaks of himself, when he shall come to judge the world, as coming in clouds, or encompassed by clouds, Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62. Compare Revelation 1:7. Clouds are an appropriate symbol of the Divinity. See Psalms 97:2; Psalms 104:3. The same symbol was employed by the pagan, representing their deities as appearing covered with a cloud:
âTandem venias, precamur,
Nube candentes humeros amictus,
Augur Apollo!â
- Horace, Lyr. I. 2.
The allusion in the place before us is not to the last judgment, but to the fact that a kingdom on tho earth would be passed over into the hands of the Messiah. He is represented as coming sublimely to the world, and as receiving a kingdom that would succeed those represented by the beasts.
And came to the Ancient of days - Daniel 7:9. This shows that the passage cannot refer to the final judgment. He comes to the âAncient of daysâ - to God as the source of power - as if to ask a petition for a kingdom; not to pronounce a judgment on mankind. The act here appropriately denotes that God is the source of all power; that all who reign derive their authority from him, and that even the Messiah, in setting up his kingdom in the world, receives it at the hand of the Father. This is in accordance with all the representations in the New Testament. We are not to suppose that this will occur literally. There is to be no such literal sitting of one with the appearance of age - denoted by the âAncient of daysâ - on a throne; nor is there to be any such literal approaching him by one in the form of a man to receive a kingdom. Such passages show the absurdity of the attcmpts to interpret the language of the Scriptures literally. All that this symbol fairly means must be, that the kingdom that was to be set up under the Messiah on the earth was received from God.
And they brought him near before him - That is, he was brought near before him. Or, it may mean that his attendants brought him near. All that the language necessarily implies is, that he came near to his seat, and received from him a kingdom.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven — This most certainly points out the Lord Jesus, ×ר ×× ×© bar enosh, the Son of miserable man; who took our nature upon him that he might redeem us unto himself. To prove himself to be the Messiah he applies, before the high priests, these words of the Prophet Daniel to himself Matthew 24:30.
Near before him. — The Ancient of days.
