Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 2:32

This image’s head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

32. This image’s head was, &c.] more forcibly, and also in better agreement with the original, As for that image, its head was, &c.

brass ] i.e. copper (or bronze): see Wright’s Bible Word-book.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32, 33. The head of the image was of gold; but its substance deteriorated more and more until the feet were reached, which were of mingled iron and clay.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

This images head was of fine gold – Chaldee, good gold – d^ehab tab – that is, fine, pure, unalloyed. The whole head of the figure, colossal as it was, appeared to be composed wholly of this. Had the whole image been made of gold, it would not have been so striking – for it was not uncommon to construct vast statues of this metal. Compare Dan 3:1. But the remarkable peculiarity of this image was, that it was composed of different materials, some of which were seldom or never used in such a structure, and all of which had a peculiar significancy. On the significancy of this part of the figure, and the resemblance between this head of gold and Nebuchadnezzar himself, see the notes at Dan 2:37-38.

His breast and his arms of silver – The word rendered breast ( chady) is in the plural number, in accordance with common usage in the Hebrew, by which several members of the human body are often expressed in the plural; as panym – faces, etc. There is a foundation for such a usage in nature, in the two-fold form of many of the portions of the human body. The portion of the body which is here represented is obviously the upper portion of the front part – what is prominently visible when we look at the human frame. Next to the head it is the most important part, as it embraces most of the vital organs. Some degree of inferiority, as well as the idea of succession, would be naturally represented by this. The inferior value of silver as compared with gold will naturally suggest some degree of decline or degeneracy in the character of the subject represented by the metal; and so in other members, as we proceed downward, as the material becomes continually baser, we naturally infer that the subject deteriorates, in some sense, in the like manner. – Professor Bush, in loc. On the kingdom represented by this, and the propriety of this representation, see the notes at Dan 2:39.

His belly and his thighs of brass – Margin, sides. It is not necessary to enter minutely into an examination of the words here used. The word belly denotes, unquestionably, the regions of the abdomen as externally visible. The word rendered thighs in the text is rendered sides in the margin. It is, like the word breast in the previous verse, in the plural number and for the same reason. The Hebrew word ( yarek) is commonly rendered thigh in the Scriptures (Gen 24:2, Gen 24:9; Gen 32:25 (26), 31, 32(32, 33), et al.), though it is also frequently rendered side, Exo 32:27; Exo 40:22, Exo 40:24; Lev 1:11; Num 3:29, et al. According to Gesenius, it denotes the thick and double fleshy member which commences at the bottom of the spine, and extends to the lower legs. It is that part on which the sword was formerly worn, Exo 32:27; Jdg 3:16, Jdg 3:21; Psa 45:3 (4). It is also that part which was smitten, as an expression of mourning or of indignation, Jer 31:19; Eze 21:12 (17). Compare Hom. Iliad xii. 162, xv. 397; Odyssey xiii. 198; Cic. 150: Orat. 80; Quinc. xi. 3. It is not improperly here rendered thighs, and the portion of the figure that was of brass was that between the breast and the lower legs, or extended from the breast to the knees. The word is elsewhere employed to denote the shaft or main trunk of the golden candlestick of the tabernacle, Exo 25:31; Exo 37:17; Num 8:4.

Of brass – An inferior metal, and denoting a kingdom of inferior power or excellence. On the kingdom represented by this, see the notes at Dan 2:39.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Head was of fine gold] The Babylonish empire, the first and greatest.

Breast and his arms of silver] The Medo-Persian empire, under Cyrus, &c.

His belly and his thighs of brass] The Macedonian empire, under Alexander the Great, and his successors.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

32. On ancient coins states areoften represented by human figures. The head and higher parts signifythe earlier times; the lower, the later times. The metals becomesuccessively baser and baser, implying the growing degeneracy fromworse to worse. HESIOD,two hundred years before Daniel, had compared the four ages to thefour metals in the same order; the idea is sanctioned here by HolyWrit. It was perhaps one of those fragments of revelation among theheathen derived from the tradition as to the fall of man. The metalslessen in specific gravity, as they downwards; silver is notso heavy as gold, brass not so heavy as silver, and iron not so heavyas brass, the weight thus being arranged in the reverse ofstability [TREGELLES].Nebuchadnezzar derived his authority from God, not from man, nor asresponsible to man. But the Persian king was so far dependent onothers that he could not deliver Daniel from the princes (Dan 6:14;Dan 6:15); contrast Dan 5:18;Dan 5:19, as to Nebuchadnezzar’spower from God, “whom he would he slew, and whom he would hekept alive” (compare Ezr 7:14;Est 1:13-16).Grco-Macedonia betrays its deterioration in its divisions, notunited as Babylon and Persia. Iron is stronger than brass, butinferior in other respects; so Rome hardy and strong to tread downthe nations, but less kingly and showing its chief deterioration inits last state. Each successive kingdom incorporates its predecessor(compare Da 5:28). Power thatin Nebuchadnezzar’s hands was a God-derived (Dan 2:37;Dan 2:38) autocracy, in thePersian king’s was a rule resting on his nobility of person andbirth, the nobles being his equals in rank, but not in office; inGreece, an aristocracy not of birth, but individual influence, inRome, lowest of all, dependent entirely on popular choice, theemperor being appointed by popular military election.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

This image’s head was of fine gold,…. The prophet begins with the superior part of this image, and descends to the lower, because of the order and condition of the monarchies it represents: this signifies the Babylonian monarchy, as afterwards explained; called the “head”, being the first and chief of the monarchies; and compared to “fine gold”, because of the glory, excellency, and duration of it:

his breast and his arms of silver; its two arms, including its hands and its breast, to which they were joined, were of silver, a metal of less value than gold; designing the monarchy of the Medes and Persians, which are the two arms, and which centred in Cyrus, who was by his father a Persian, by his mother a Mede; and upon whom, after his uncle’s death, the whole monarchy devolved:

his belly and his thighs of brass; a baser metal still; this points at the Macedonian or Grecian monarchy, set up by Alexander, signified by the “belly”, for intemperance and luxury; as the two “thighs” denote his principal successors, the Selucidae and Lagidae, the Syrian and Egyptian kings; and these of brass, because of the sounding fame of them, as Jerom.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(32) Breast . . .It should be remarked that though many different parts of the body of the image are mentioned, Daniel regards the whole thing as made up of only four parts, each corresponding to one of the four metals. Similarly he shows the history of the world in its relation to Gods people, complicated though it may be and varied in its aspect, consists of no more than four principal parts. It will be noticed that by the additional matter mentioned Dan. 2:41-42, certain minor complications of history are intended, which, however, do not interfere with the fourfold division of which the outline is here given.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

32, 33. The dreamer dreams through the ages though he knows it not. In that sleep a thousand years were but as a watch in the night. “In the Parsee tradition Zoroaster was shown four trees, one of gold, another of silver, another of steel, and the fourth of iron, and he was told that these four trees represented four ages of the world ( Bahman Yesht). Ovid sings of the ages of gold, silver, bronze, and iron ( Metamorphoses); and though Hesiod ( Works and Days) mentions five ages, he has for them only four metallic names gold, silver, brass, and iron” (Terry). Compare also Dante, Inferno, 14:94, and Goethe, Das Mahrchen.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments