Daniel 7:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Douay-RheimsHebrew (Masoretic text)

I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea.
Douay-Rheims

עָנֵ֤ה דָנִיֵּאל֙ וְאָמַ֔ר חָזֵ֥ה הֲוֵ֛ית בְּחֶזְוִ֖י עִם־לֵֽילְיָ֑א וַאֲר֗וּ אַרְבַּע֙ רוּחֵ֣י שְׁמַיָּ֔א מְגִיחָ֖ן לְיַמָּ֥א רַבָּֽא׃
Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

2 Church Fathers comment on this verse

Jerome of Stridon
Theodoret of Cyrus

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

In a night vision, I beheld four winds from heaven contending over the vast sea, alongside four distinct beasts emerging from its depths. The four winds represent the angelic forces appointed to oversee the principal kingdoms, as illustrated in Deuteronomy: When the Most High dispersed the nations and scattered the descendants of Adam, He established the boundaries of the nations in accordance with the number of the angels of God. The Lord’s heritage is His people, with Jacob being His allotted possession (Deuteronomy 32:8-9). The sea symbolizes the world and its present age, filled with turbulent and salt-laden waves, as the Lord describes in the parable of the net drawn through the sea.

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

Nebuchadnezzar observes the physical form, learning the futility of the temporal world, recognizing, as the Apostle teaches (1 Cor. 7:32), that these are mere shadows and not true realities; for nothing in the present is lasting or substantial, but all things are in a constant state of flux, deterioration, and fading away. Conversely, the esteemed Daniel perceives the vast ocean, gaining insight into the tribulations of this earthly existence. As a captive, he is compelled to witness the foreign trials of life, thereby learning through necessity about the worries and tempests that beset humanity.

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The king, enamored with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, draws symbolic lessons regarding various kingdoms from the representation of these materials, realizing the succession of rulers and the transient nature of royal authority, subject to rapid upheavals. In contrast, the Prophet, who disregards these material concerns, envisions four fearsome beasts and learns that even the mightiest empires, which inspire dread among people, will ultimately come to an end. There will arise one eternal kingdom, prepared for the righteous by the Lord of Hosts. Consequently, he depicts this life, fraught with multiple anxieties, as a tumultuous sea, and the fluctuating circumstances of humanity as the winds that buffet the waters.

Just as waves are driven northward by the southern gales, only to be pushed back southward by the northern winds, so too did the Assyrians once dominate the world, subjugating all beneath their rule. When their authority transitioned to the Persians, the subjects’ loyalty shifted accordingly; likewise, upon the Macedonians’ ascendance, those who previously served others turned their allegiance to them. Eventually, when the Romans gained supremacy over all, they became the new authority, leading to the former Macedonians losing their significance. Hence, the Prophet accurately compared the tumult of human affairs to winds that stir and sway the waves of the sea. He alludes to four winds, signifying the four successive kingdoms, and clarifies the distinctions among the beasts. For he states:

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.