Daniel 7:7

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.

Ver. 7. Behold a fourth beast.] Not likened to any certain beast, because none can be named so cruel which can express the cruelty of this fourth monarchy - viz., that of the Romans, no, although it were

" Pροσθε λεων, μετοπισθε δρακων, μεσσηδε χιμαιρα ." - Hom.

It is a nameless monster, made up of all the properties of the former beasts. Rev 13:1-2 The Rabbis, with their "wild boar out of the wood," Psa 80:13 fall far short of it. Luther a not unfitly compareth the Church of God to a silly poor maid, sitting in a wood or wilderness, and beset with hungry lions, wolves, boars, bears, and with all manner of hurtful and cruel creatures.

Dreadful and terrible.] Because able and ready to annoy others with great evils.

And strong exceedingly.] So that it passed for a proverb, Irasci populo Romano nemo impune potest. It is not safe for any nation to fall out with the Romans; for they are sure to be tamed and tawed with their iron teeth.

And it had great iron teeth,] i.e., Conquering captains, such as Scipio - of whom Ennius sang thus:

“ Si fas caedendo coelestia scaudere cuiquam,

Mi soli coeli maxima porta patet. ”

Pompey, who by his great acts and achievements merited the name of Magnus; and Julius Caesar, who before the Pharsalian wars had taken a thousand towns, conquered three hundred nations, took prisoner one million men, and slain as many. b

And stamped the residue with the feet of it,] i.e., With their provincial magistrates, such as were Verres, Pilate, Felix, &c., said to have nails of brass, Dan 7:19 and fitly compared to petulant wild beasts, which, when they can feed no longer, trample with their feet on the residue of the prey. The poor Jews had hard measure from them always.

And it was diverse from all the beasts.] In respect of diversity and strange multiplicity of forms of government.

And it had ten horns.] Which the angel afterwards interpreted as kings or kingdoms. Dan 7:24 This occured not long after Constantine the Great, when the Roman empire began to moulder and fall in pieces. About the year 456, it appeared broken into ten parts, which by a learned interpreter are thus reckoned. The kingdom of the Britons, of the Saxons, both in Brittany; of the Franks, of the Burgundians, in France; of the West Goths in the southern part of France and part of Spain; of the Sueves and Alanes in part of Spain; of the Vandals in Africa, a little before in Spain; of the Allmanns in Rhetia and Noricum, provinces of Germany; of the East Goths in Pannonia, a little after in Italy; of the Greeks in the remnant of the empire.

a Loc. Com.

b Heyl., Geog.