Daniel 2:35

Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Daniel addresses King Nebuchadnezzar during the formal interpretation of the monarch’s dream. He describes the sudden destruction of the statue’s components and the subsequent rise of the stone kingdom.

The words — The Aramaic דָּקוּ (dāqû) means "they were shattered," describing the violent fragmentation of the statue’s metals. The phrase כַּחֲדָה (kaḥăḏāh) literally translates as "like one [piece of] chaff," emphasizing total weightlessness and dispersal.

The thread — The text states the metals become chaff blown away, which aligns with Hosea 13:3’s description of vanishing chaff. The text states the stone becomes a mountain filling the earth, corresponding to Isaiah 2:2’s vision of the LORD’s mountain rising above all others.

Why it lands — The text states that human empires are completely eradicated while God’s kingdom permanently replaces them. It asks the reader to acknowledge divine sovereignty over temporal power and to align expectations with that permanent reality.

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

בֵּאדַ֣יִןbe./Da.yin<in>/ then דָּ֣קוּDa.kuthey were shattered כַחֲדָ֡הkha./cha.Dahas/ one פַּרְזְלָא֩par.ze.La/'iron/ the חַסְפָּ֨אchas.Pa/'clay/ the נְחָשָׁ֜אne.cha.Sha/'bronze/ the כַּסְפָּ֣אkas.Pa/'silver/ the וְדַהֲבָ֗אve./da.ha.Va/'and/ gold/ the וַהֲווֹ֙va./ha.Voand/ they were כְּע֣וּרke./'Urlike/ chaff מִן־min-from אִדְּרֵי־'i.de.rei-threshing floors of קַ֔יִטKa.yitsummer וּנְשָׂ֤אu./ne.Sa'and/ it carried away הִמּוֹן֙hi.mOnthem רוּחָ֔אru.Cha/'wind/ the וְכָל־ve./kholand/ any אֲתַ֖ר'a.Tarplace לָא־la'-not הִשְׁתֲּכַ֣חhish.ta.Khachit was foundלְה֑וֹןle./Honfor/ themוְאַבְנָ֣א׀ve./'av.Na/'and/ stone/ the דִּֽי־di-which מְחָ֣תme.Chatit struck לְצַלְמָ֗אle./tzal.Ma/'<obj.>/ image/ the הֲוָ֛תha.Vatit became לְט֥וּרle./Tur<into>/ a mountain רַ֖בravgreat וּמְלָ֥תu./me.Latand/ it filled כָּל־kol-all אַרְעָֽא׃'ar.'A/'earth/ the

King James Version

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Cross-references

Isaiah 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Psalms 37:10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
Hosea 13:3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
Job 6:17 but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat.
Isaiah 11:9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.
Psalms 1:4 Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.
Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
Psalms 37:36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.