Bible Strands
Daniel 2:33
its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream to Daniel, who then interprets the vision of a large statue standing before the king. Daniel describes the lower portion of the statue to explain the sequence of earthly kingdoms.
The words — The Hebrew פַרְזֶל (parzel) translates literally as "iron," appearing twice to describe the legs and part of the feet. The phrase מִנּוֹ מִן־ (minō min-) indicates a partial composition, specifying that the feet were "some of iron and some of clay."
The thread — This metallic imagery reappears in Daniel 2:40, where the fourth kingdom is explicitly compared to iron that shatters all things. The same fourth kingdom is later described in Daniel 7:7 and 7:19 as a distinct, terrifying beast.
Why it lands — The text establishes a composite kingdom that combines strength and fragility, requiring the reader to recognize that political powers built on mixed foundations will ultimately be destroyed by divine intervention. The description demands an objective assessment of historical empires rather than romanticization.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Daniel 7:19 Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others—extremely terrifying—devouring and crushing with iron teeth and bronze claws, then trampling underfoot whatever was left.
- Daniel 2:40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.