Daniel 7:5

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. BEHOLD ANOTHER BEAST, A SECOND, LIKE TO A BEAR - symbolizing the austere life of the Medes and Persians in their mountains, also their cruelty (Isaiah 13:17). Cambyses, Ochus, and other of the Persian princes, were notoriously cruel: the Persian laws involved, for one man's offence, the whole kindred and neighbourhood in destruction () and rapacity. 'A bear is an all-devouring animal' (Aristotle, 8: 5). (; , "the spoile...

Here the Prophet. proclaims how he was instructed by a dream concerning the second beast. If we will only judge by the event, this beast doubtless represented the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, although the Prophet specifies the Persians, as the Medes had long ago submitted to their yoke. _Behold_, says he, _another beast like a bear_. We know a bear to be a mean and foul animal, slothful and inert, as well as cruel. In comparing the bear with the lion, its appearance is foul and displeasing, while the lion is remarkable for beauty, although it is formidable. He compares the Persians to a bear, on account of their barbarity, since we have already pronounced that nation fierce and savage. Then, again, the Persians were not civilized like the Assyrians and Chaldeans, who dwelt in the most beautiful region in the whole world, and in a most lovely country like a most noble theater; but t...

1-8 This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds, represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitious princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same four empires, as the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Mighty conquerors are but instruments of God's vengeance on a guilty world. The savage beast represents the hateful features of their characters. But the dominion given to each has a limit; their wrath shall be made to praise the Lord, and the remainder of it he will restrain....

Verse Daniel 7:5. _ANOTHER BEAST-LIKE TO A BEAR_] This was the _Medo-Persian_ empire, represented here under the symbol of the _bear_, as the largest species of these animals was found in _Media_, a mountainous, cold, and rough country, covered with _woods_. The Medes and Persians are compared to a _bear_ on account of their _cruelty_ and _thirst after blood_, a bear being a most voracious and cruel animal; the _bear_ is termed by Aristotle _an all-devouring_ _animal_; and the Medo-Persians are known to have been great _robbers_ and _spoilers_. See Jeremiah 51:48-24. The Persians were notorious for the cruelty of their punishments. See _Calmet_. _RAISED UP ITSELF ON ONE SIDE_] Cyrus arose on the borders o

AND, BEHOLD, ANOTHER BEAST, A SECOND, LIKE TO A BEAR - That is, after the lion had appeared, and he had watched it until it had undergone these surprising transformations. There are several circumstances, also, in regard to this symbol, all of which, it is to be supposed, were significant, and all of which demand explication before it is attempted to apply them. (a) The animal seen: the bear. For a full description of the bear, see Bochart, Hieroz. lib. iii. c. 9: The animal is well known, and has properties quite distinct from the lion and other animals. There was doubtless some reason why this symbol was employed to denote a particular kingdom, and there was something in the kingdom that corresponded with these peculiar properties, as there was in the case of the lion. The bear might, in some respects, have been a proper representative of Babylon, but it would not in all nor in the mai...

EXPOSITION DANIEL 7:1 THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS. This chapter begins the second section of the book. All before this has been narrative; visions are introduced into the narrative, but they were not given to Daniel himself, but to others; his _role_ was the secondary one of interpreter. These visions and the events connected with them are related more as incidents in the biography of Daniel, than as revelations of the future. With this chapter begins a series of revelations to Daniel personally. This chapter is the last chapter of the Aramaic portion of Daniel. Though thus linguistically joined to what has preceded, logically it is related to what follows....

AND, BEHOLD, ANOTHER BEAST, A SECOND, LIKE TO A BEAR,.... Another monarchy, and which succeeded the former, and rose up upon the ruins of it, the Medo-Persian monarchy; and so the Syriac version prefixes to this verse, by way of explanation, "the kingdom of the Medes'' like to a bear, less generous and strong than the lion; more rough and uncivil, but equally cruel and voracious; which describes the Medes and Persians as a fierce and cruel people, and less polished, and more uncivilized, than the Chaldeans; and answers to the silver breasts and arms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream; see Isaiah 13:17: AND IT RAISED UP ITSELF ON ONE SIDE; either of the lion, the first beast it destroyed; or rather on one side of itself, on the side of Persia; from whence Cyrus came, who was the principal instrument of raising this empire to the pitch it was brought unto.

THREE RIBS A reference to the three-fold dominion of the second empire, Media, Persia, Babylonia. DEVOUR That is, Lydia, Babylonia, Egypt, etc....

II. THE GREAT PROPHECIES OF DANIEL CHAPTER 7 The night visions of Daniel _ 1. The night vision of the three beasts (Daniel 7:1)_ 2. The night vision of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:7) 3. The judgment vision (Daniel 7:9) 4. The son of man and His kingdom (Daniel 7:13) 5. The interpretation of the visions given (Daniel 7:15) Daniel 7:1. The sea in the vision is the type of nations...

DANIEL 7. THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS. From this point onwards the Book becomes purely apocalyptic. The vision of the four beasts is parallel to the vision of the image in Daniel 2. The beasts rise out of the sea. The first is a lion with eagle's wings, the second a bear, the third a leopard, the fourth a nameless and terrible creature with ten horns. Among the ten horns of the fourth beast there arises another little horn with the eyes of a man, which destroys three of the other horns. At this point the scene changes. A great assize is being held by the ancient of days. The fourth beast is slain. The other three are dispossessed. _A_ human figure appears and receives an everlasting kingdom. The rest of the chapter (Daniel 7:17) gives a partial interpretation of the vision. The four beasts are four kings (or kingdoms) which succeed one another and are followed by the kingdom of the sa