Daniel 2:34
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. | As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. | Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDaniel is retelling King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great image made of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay. In this verse a stone, cut out without hands, strikes the image on its iron-and-clay feet and breaks them to pieces. Daniel then explains that the stone stands for a kingdom the God of heaven will set up, which will break all the earlier kingdoms and stand for ever. Daniel 2:31Daniel 2:32Daniel 2:33Daniel 2:34Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45
SpeakingDaniel, a captive from Judah also named Belteshazzar, speaks to the king after God revealed the dream to him in a night vision. Daniel 2:19Daniel 2:25Daniel 2:26Daniel overview
ToNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who had demanded that his wise men tell him both his dream and its meaning. Daniel 2:5Daniel 2:26Daniel 2:31
Also involvedThe kingdoms pictured by the image, starting with Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold. The stone breaks them all in pieces. Daniel 2:38Daniel 2:39Daniel 2:40Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45
The verse is the turning point of the dream: a stone not cut by hands hits the feet of the image, which are part iron and part clay, and breaks them. Daniel says the feet and toes picture a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly broken. In the next verse the whole image becomes like chaff, and the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the whole earth. Daniel 2:34Daniel 2:35Daniel 2:41Daniel 2:42Daniel 2:43
Before the king in Babylon, where Daniel was brought in to tell the dream and was afterward made ruler over the province of Babylon. Daniel 2:25Daniel 2:48Daniel overview
The eventsThe dream came in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. It points ahead to what shall come to pass "in the latter days" and "hereafter," and Daniel says God's kingdom is set up "in the days of these kings." Daniel 2:1Daniel 2:28Daniel 2:29Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the book's final form to about 167-164 BC, while others keep the 500s BC date. Daniel overview
HereThe stone cut out without hands shows that the end of the earthly kingdoms comes from God, not from human power, for the God of heaven sets up the kingdom. Daniel stresses that "the great God" made this known and that the dream is certain. Daniel 2:34Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45Daniel 2:21
In the whole of ScriptureThe book's main theme is that God sets up and removes kings and will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. Daniel 7:27 repeats this hope: the everlasting kingdom is given to the people of the saints of the most High. Daniel overviewDaniel 2:21Daniel 2:44Daniel 7:27
For readersGod's people living under foreign rulers are told that every human empire, however strong, will fall before the kingdom God sets up. Daniel 8:25 uses the same idea when a proud king is "broken without hand." Daniel overviewDaniel 2:44Daniel 8:25
Christians read this differently
The passage settles that the stone is the kingdom the God of heaven sets up (2:44-45). It does not say exactly when the stone strikes "in the days of these kings." Jesus speaks of himself as the stone that grinds to powder whoever it falls on (Luke 20:17-18), so Christians read the stone as Christ and his kingdom. Some see the striking as begun at his first coming and still growing to fill the earth; others see it as still future, at Christ's return. Daniel 2:35Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45Luke 20:17Luke 20:181 Peter 2:6
- handsיַד
The word means "hand" and figuratively "power." The stone is cut out "not by hands," and Daniel says the God of heaven sets up this kingdom; Daniel 8:25 likewise speaks of a king "broken without hand." Strong's H3028Daniel 2:44Daniel 8:25
- was cut outגְּזַר
This form means "to be cut out." Verse 45 adds that the stone was cut "out of the mountain" without hands. Strong's H1505Daniel 2:45
- imageצְלֵם
The word means "image" or "idol." The thing the stone strikes is a great image, which Daniel explains as a series of human kingdoms. Strong's H6755Daniel 2:31Daniel 2:38Daniel 2:39
Takeaway
The stone cut out without hands is a kingdom set up by the God of heaven, not by human power. It will break every earthly kingdom and stand for ever. Daniel 2:34Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:45Daniel 7:27
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Aramaic words
This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.
| English | Aramaic | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seeing | חָזֵ֣ה | cha-ZEH | H2370 | to seeחֲזָה (cha.zah) 1) to see, behold 1a)(P'al) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, behold, witness 1a3) to behold (in a dream or vision) 1a4) customary, seemly (passive) |
| you were | הֲוַ֗יְתָ | ha-VAY-ta | H1934 | to beהֲוָא (ha.va) 1) to come to pass, become, be 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to come to pass 1a2) to come into being, arise, become, come to be 1a2a) to let become known (with participle of knowing) 1a3) to be |
| until | עַ֠ד | 'ad | H5705 | tillעַד (ad) prep 1) even to, until, up to, during conj 2) until, up to the time that, ere that |
| that | דִּ֣י | di | H1768 | thatדִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because |
| it was cut out | הִתְגְּזֶ֤רֶת | hit-ge-ZE-ret | H1505 | to determineגְּזַר (ge.zar) 1) to cut, determine 1a) (P'al) determiner (participle) 1b) (Ithp'al) to be cut out |
| a stone | אֶ֙בֶן֙ | 'e-ven | H0069 | stoneאֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) 1) stone 1a) a (the) stone 1b) stone, material of idols and buildings |
| which | דִּי־ | di- | H1768 | thatדִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because |
| not | לָ֣א | la' | H3809 | notלָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808) |
| [was] by hands | בִידַ֔יִן | vi-DA-yin | H3028 | handיַד (yad) 1) hand 2) power (fig.) |
| and it struck | וּמְחָ֤ת | u-me-CHAT | H4223 | to smiteמְחָא (me.ach) 1) to strike, smite, kill 1a) (P'al) to strike 1b) (Pael) to hinder 1c) (Ithp'al) to allow to be stricken |
| obj. image the | לְצַלְמָא֙ | le-tzal-MA' | H6755 | imageצְלֵם (tse.lem) image, idol Aramaic of tse.lem (צֶ֫לֶם "image" H6754) |
| on | עַל־ | 'al- | H5922 | sinceעַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction) |
| feet its | רַגְל֔וֹהִי | rag-LO-hi | H7271 | footרְגַל (re.gal) foot Aramaic of re.gel (רֶ֫גֶל "foot" H7272) |
| of | דִּ֥י | di | H1768 | thatדִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because |
| iron the | פַרְזְלָ֖א | far-ze-LA' | H6523 | ironפַּרְזֶל (par.zel) iron Aramaic of bar.zel (בַּרְזֶל "iron" H1270) |
| and clay the | וְחַסְפָּ֑א | ve-chas-PA' | H2635 | clayחֲסַף (cha.saph) clay, potsherd |
| and it shattered | וְהַדֵּ֖קֶת | ve-ha-DE-ket | H1855 | to break upדְּקַק (de.qaq) 1) to break into pieces, fall into pieces, be shattered 1a) (P'al) to be shattered 1b) (Aphel) to break into pieces |
| them | הִמּֽוֹן׃ | hi-MON | H1994 | theyהִמּוֹ (him.mo) 1) they, them 1a) they (subject) 1b) them (object) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.