Daniel 2:35

Dan 2:35 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.

Ver. 35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, &c.] Those four mighty monarchies had their times and their turns - their ruin as well as their rise.

And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain.] The kingdom of Christ, little at first, increaseth wonderfully. Nec minor ab exordio, nec maior incrementis ulla, said Eutropius, {a} concerning Rome; may we better say concerning the Church, which shall stand when all other powers shall quite vanish and disappear for ever, seem they for present never so splendid and solid. Sic transit gloria mundi. So transitory is the glory of the world.

{a} Hist., lib. i.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:35 covered (literally filled) the whole earth: Cp. Gen 1:28; Exod 1:7; Matt 28:18-20. This new kingdom would replace all other kingdoms.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

[Daniel 2:35] Be'dayin daku kachdah (בֵּאדַיִן דָּקוּ כַחֲדָה - Then they were crushed together): Together (Kachdah - כַחֲדָה): [Means] together (yachdav - יַחְדָּיו).

[Daniel 2:35] k'ʿur min idrei qayit (כְּעוּר מִן־אִדְּרֵי־קַיִט - like chaff from the threshing floors of summer): [Means] like chaff (k'motz) that is driven (y'soʿer) from the threshing floor (min goren) in the days of summer (bimei ha-qayitz)....

[Daniel 2:35] v'chol atar la hishtakach lehon (וְכָל־אֲתַר לָא־הִשְׁתֲּכַח לְהוֹן - and any place/trace was not found for them): Place (atar - אֲתַר): [Means] place (maqom - מָקוֹם)....

[Daniel 2:35] havat l'tur rav (הֲוָת לְטוּר רַב - became a great mountain): To a great mountain (l'tur rav - לְטוּר רַב): [Means] to a great mountain (l'har gadol - לְהַר גָּדוֹל). And filled the whole earth.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

broken . . . together--excluding a contemporaneous existence of the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God (in its manifested, as distinguished from its spiritual, phase). The latter is not gradually to wear away the former, but to destroy it at once, and utterly (Th2 1:7-10; Th2 2:8). However, the Hebrew may be translated, "in one discriminate mass."

chaff--image of the ungodly, as they shall be dealt with in the judgment (Psa 1:4-5; Mat 3:12).

summer threshing-floors--Grain was winnowed in the East on an elevated space in the open air, by throwing the grain into the air with a shovel, so that the wind might clear away the chaff.

no place . . . found for them-- (Rev 20:11; compare Psa 37:10, Psa 37:36; Psa 103:16).

became . . . mountain--cut out of the mountain (Dan 2:45) originally, it ends in becoming a mountain. So the kingdom of God, coming from heaven originally, ends in heaven being established on earth (Rev 21:1-3).

filled . . . earth-- (Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14). It is to do so in connection with Jerusalem as the mother Church (Psa 80:9; Isa 2:2-3).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 35. The stone - became a great mountain] There is the kingdom אבן eben, of the stone, and the kingdom of the mountain. See at the end at the chapter. See Clarke on Da 2:49.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(35) Like the chaff.—This language recalls Psa_1:4; Psa_2:9. It is emblematic of Divine judgments, as Isa_41:15-16; Jer_51:33, &c. Comp. with this the description of the Judgment, Dan_7:9-14. Observe, however, that the stone did not crush the head, breast, or loins of the body. These became fragments by falling when the feet were broken. (Comp. Dan_7:12.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

35. The absolute dissipation of the image. The feet being broken, the entire image fell to pieces; and the fragments were dispersed by the wind. A fall would not naturally break masses of metal into fragments small enough to be scattered by the wind; but in a dream physical impossibilities or improbabilities occasion no difficulty.

threshingfloors] which were generally on exposed or elevated spots, where the chaff might readily be cleared away by the wind. Cf. Hos_13:3, Isa_41:16, Psa_1:4; and with no place, &c., Rev_20:11.

became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth] another figure, the incongruity of which would not be perceived in a dream, implying the irresistible expansive force, and also the ultimate universality, of the kingdom of God (Dan_2:44).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together,.... The feet, the basis of the image, being broken, the whole body of it fell, and with its own weight was broken to pieces; an emblem this of the utter dissolution of all the monarchies and kingdoms of the earth, signified by these several metals:

and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; which is exceeding small and light:

and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; for the several metals, and the monarchies signified by them, which were no more: the allusion is to the manner of winnowing corn in the eastern countries upon mountains, when the chaff was carried away by the wind, and seen no more:

and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the earth; Christ's kingdom, from small beginnings, has increased, and will more and more, until the whole earth is subject to it: this began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, especially when the Roman empire, as Pagan, was destroyed by Constantine, and the kingdom of Christ was set up in it; and it received a further accomplishment at the time of the Reformation, when Rome Papal had a deadly blow given it, and the Gospel of Christ was spread in several nations and kingdoms; but it will receive its full accomplishment when both the eastern and western antichrists shall be destroyed, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the Lord's and his Christ's, Rev 11:15.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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 threshing-floor - The word rendered “together” (כצרה kachădâh) our translators would seem to have understood as referring to “time;” to its being done simultaneously. The more literal interpretation, however, is, “as one;” that is, “they were beaten small as one,” referring to identity of condition. They were all reduced to one indiscriminate mass; to such a mass that the original materials could no longer be distinguished, and would all be blown away together. The literal meaning of the word (חד chad used and חדה chădâh) is, “one,” or “first.” Ezr 4:8, “wrote a letter;” Ezr 5:13, “in the first year of Cyrus;” Ezr 6:2, “a roll;” Dan 2:9; “there is but one decree for you;” Dan 3:19, “heat the furnace one seven times hotter,” etc. United with the preposition (כ k) it means “as one,” like the Hebrew כאחד ke'echâd) - Ecc 11:6; 2Ch 5:13; Ezr 2:64; Ezr 3:9; Isa 65:25. The phrase “chaff of the summer threshing-floors” refers to the mode of winnowing grain in the East. This was done in the open air, usually on an elevated place, by throwing the grain, when thrashed, into the air with a shovel, and the wind thus drove away the chaff. Such chaff, therefore, naturally became an emblem of anything that was light, and that would be easily dissipated. See the notes at Isa 30:24; Mat 3:12.

And the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them - They were entirely dissipated like chaff. As that seems to have no longer any place, but is carried we know not where, so the figure here would denote an entire annihilation of the power to which it refers.

And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth - The vision which was before the mind of the king as here represented was, that the stone which was cut out of the mountain was at first small, and that while he contemplated it, it swelled to larger dimensions, until it became an immense mountain - a mountain that filled the whole land. It was this which, perhaps more than anything else, excited his wonder, that a stone, at first of so small dimensions, should of itself so increase as to surpass the size of the mountain from which it was cut, until it occupied every place in view. Everything about it was so remarkable and unusual, that it was no wonder that he could not explain it. We have now gone over a description of the literal vision as it appeared to the mind of the monarch. Had it been left here, it is clear that it would have been of difficult interpretation, and possibly the true explanation might never have been suggested. We have, however, an exposition by Daniel, which leaves no doubt as to its design, and which was intended to carry the mind forward into some of the most important and remarkable events of history. A portion of his statement has been fulfilled; a part remains still unaccomplished, and a careful exposition of his account of the meaning of the vision will lead our thoughts to some of the most important historical events which have occurred in introducing the Christian dispensation, and to events still more important in the statement of what is yet to come.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

35. The little rock out of the mountain stirred by the invisible elemental forces hidden in the heart of nature is unseen, unnoticed, and absurdly unworthy of notice, as it begins to roll toward the vast and glorious image. But though coming silently and unobserved it is moved by a power strong and irresistible as that of gravitation itself, and striking the point of weakness inevitable in every human creation, the monster totters, the iron legs crush down upon the feet of clay, and the proud image lies a hideous ruin, crushed and pulverized into dust, which the wind blows away like chaff (compare Job_21:18; Psa_1:4; Psa_35:5), while the stone, as if having life in itself, grows, enlarges at the base and towers in height, till like a mighty mountain it fills the whole horizon of the sleeper’s sight. (Compare Expositor, 9:448.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 threshing-floors. The versions arc closer to the Massoretic than our Authorized Version, as they all give more prominence to hdj (kahadah), "at once." It is rendered "together." The LXX renders ama; Theodotion, eijsapax the Peshitta repeats the word; and Jerome renders pariter. Theedotion changes the order somewhat, for the sake of making it more symmetrical. The rendering of the LXX is in some respects different from the natural sense of the Massoretic text, but not so much so as to require us to presume a radically different text: "Then the iron, and the clay, etc., became fragments, and they were smaller than the chaff of the threshing-floor." We have this verse also in the Itala, preserved to us in Tertullian, but it does not differ from Jerome seriously. It would follow naturally enough if the mighty image were so smitten on its weak and fragile feet, that it would come crashing to the earth; but more happened than this. As the monarch looked, in falling, the various parts of the image, as they fell in a heap, became broken, nay, triturated they became as the dust or chaff of the summer threshing-floor. Summer is the dead time in the East; harvest is over by the end of June, and the threshing of corn then commences. All this huge statue was reduced to particles as small and light as the chaff that is beaten off the grain by the threshing instruments of those days feet of oxen or wheel of cart. Chaff is a favourite symbol for lightness and worthlessness. In the first psalm the wicked are compared to chaff; so in Ps 28. In Hosea, where he speaks (Hos_13:3) of Israel"s sins, he says, "Ephraim shall be like the chaff of the threshing-floor." Isaiah (Isa_41:15, Isa_41:16) speaks of Jacob getting new threshing instruments to thresh the mountains, and make them small as chaff. It may be noted that the word here translated "chaff" only occurs here. The word does not appear in the Targums, instead of which is used xwOm (motz), the Hebrew word. In Syriac, again, in the Peshitta, it occurs frequently, as Psa_1:4 and as Isa_40:15 another sign, slight in itself, of theEastern origin of the Book of Daniel. The fact that the word occurred in Daniel would have a tendency to preserve it if in use when Daniel was published, or introduce it if it were not. Yet, as we have said, it does not appear in the Targums. It does appear in Syriac, the language of a people who, as not Jews, would presumably not be familiar with Daniel. The word for "threshing-floor," yreD (iddrei), is also one that does not appear in the Targums, but it does appear in the Peshitta. Jensen suggests an Assyrian etymology, but Brockelmann marks this doubtful; Lagarde suggests a Persian etymology, also marked doubtful. Whichever etymology holds bears out the Eastern origin of the book. The Targums represent the older Aramaic of Palestine. If Daniel were a book originating in Palestine, the Persian words appearing in it might also be expected to appear in the Targums. 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. The LXX rendering is, "And the wind carried them away, so that there was nothing left of them, and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and smote the whole earth." The first portion of this is a fairly correct rendering of our present Massoretic text. On the other hand, the latter clause implies that the translator had before him, or imagined he had, not talm, but tjm; not impossibly talm might be written without the silent a; thus, tlm, as in the Peshitta. In that case the mistake might easily be made. Behrmann remarks on the vocalization of talm in this passage being the same as tjm, but does not remark that it is written defectively in Syriac. The sense in the Massoretic text is much better than that implied in this reading.

Theodotion"s rendering differs in the first clause of this portion of the present verse, "And the abundance (plhqov) of wind carried it away, and place was not found for them: and the stone, when it had smitten (pataxav) the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." The rendering "multitude" (plhqov) is due to reading wOmh; instead of wOmhi. This form of the plural of the demonstrative pronoun is the commoner in Biblical Aramaic, but does not appear in the Targums nor the Peshitta. It is akin to the Mandaitic wnyh. Neither the Peshitta nor the Vulgate presents any peculiarities of rendering. All this mass that had formed the image, though it had been gold, silver, brass, and iron, yet was so ground down had become reduced to particles so small, that the wind carried them away. So scattered were they that they collected in no special place, so that one could say, "This is the image." The figure is still that of the threshing-floor; the wind, blowing on the grain that is lifted up before it, carries away the chaff, but, search as one may, the chaff, once blown away, cannot be found. A more remarkable thing now takes place the stone that, bounding down the mountainside, had smitten the imageon the feet, so that it fell and became as dust, now grows apace, overtopping the utmost height the image had attained, overtopping the mountain from which it had been cut. Not only did it grow in height, but, as it increased in height, its base broadened till the whole earth was filled with it. There seems to be a reference here to Isa_2:2, The mountain of the Lord"s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." As the monarch gazes in his dream, the change is completed, the huge image, with its glittering head and gleaming breast, its polished thighs and legs of iron, its unseemly feet that inspired terror by its very appearance, had utterly disappeared, and its place was occupied by a mountain, huge but peaceful, on which the flocks might browse and trees might grow. It may be noted, though not as of importance, that the material of the mountain is most akin with that of the weak clay of which the feet of the image were largely composed. Such, then, is the dream which Nebuchadnezzar had seen, and which the prophet now presented once more before him. We must, however, glance at the picture presented by the reading of the LXX To the translator the picture evidently present was that of a stone descending from the mountain, and increasing in momentum as it descends; but this stone further increases in size, till before its tremendous strokes and rebounds the very solid earth quakes.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

mountain

A mountain is one of the bibical symbols of a kingdom. (See Scofield "Isa 2:2").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then...crumbled together Then all the types of metals and the clay that were in it crumbled together.

and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer [as translated,] and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer.

and the wind carried them off [as translated,] and the wind carried them off.

and no place was found for them i.e., their original place was unknown, and it was unrecognizable that they were ever there.

became a huge mountain [as translated,] became a huge mountain.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.