Verse

Daniel 7:6

ESV After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
NIV "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
NASB After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
CSB "After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads, and it was given dominion.
NLT Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
KJV After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
NKJV “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

What does Daniel 7:6 mean?

The third beast of Daniel's dream (Daniel 7:1–3) also represents a powerful nation and king of the Mediterranean region (Daniel 7:17). The first, a winged lion, symbolized the graceful and elegant Babylon (Daniel 7:4). The second, a powerful but clumsier bear, depicted Medo-Persia (Daniel 7:5).

The kingdom symbolized here is that of Macedonian-ruled Greece under Alexander the Great. The beast is a leopard with four wings and four heads. Scripture makes note of leopards for their speed (Habakkuk 1:8); Alexander was noted for how quickly he conquered territory from Egypt to India, from a relatively young age. When he died, his conquered territories were initially split into four nations ruled by his generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. These immediately fell into infighting and would eventually be overcome by the Roman Empire.

Further references to this empire are made in Daniel (Daniel 8:8, 22; 11:3–4). Greece was depicted as the midsection of bronze in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:32, 39).
Expand
Context Summary
Daniel 7:1–12 looks back to a time before the story contained in chapter 6. This passage describes a dream Daniel had during the rule of Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1, 30). His visions contained information about various kingdoms leading up to a dreadful, strong kingdom in the end times. The images also pictured God, "the Ancient of Days," who judges the final Gentile kingdom. An angel's explanation of the dream and visions follows in the next passage.
Expand
Chapter Summary
Daniel experiences a troubling vision in the form of a dream. He sees animal-like beasts representing successive kingdoms. The last of these is uniquely powerful and led by a mysterious figure. This person, depicted as a "little horn," will be known for usurping power, blasphemy against God, and intense persecution of the saints. Yet his time will be short and it will end in God's successful judgment.
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: