Daniel 7:10
in Daniel 7A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
KJV
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
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This verse in Daniel 7
Commentary
22 notes on this verseVerse 10. "There were millions ministering unto Him, and a billion stood by His side." This was not intended to be a specific number for the servants of God, but only indicates a multitude too great for human computation. These are the thousands and tens of thousands of which we read in the Psalms: "The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of them that rejoice. The Lord is among them" (Psalm 68:17). And in another place: "He who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flaming fire" (Psalm 104:4).
This site's exposition
Ancient of Days took His seat
on Daniel 7:9-10
The scene turns from the beasts to a court where “thrones were set in place”, with a throne of fire, and “the books were opened”. The church reads the scene as preparing for the Son of Man of verse 13, who shares this glory.
This site's exposition
the books were opened
Theodoret of Cyrus took the books that were opened as God's memory of each man's deeds. Jerome read the thousands and myriads as a multitude beyond counting. Adam Clarke placed this court at the judgment of the fourth beast, while Jamieson, Fausset and Brown tied it to the antichrist's condemnation.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
And so he does not speak of another Ancient of Days, but indeed the Lord and God and Master of all, the Father of even Christ himself, who is the Ancient of Days, he who does not grow old under time or days, concerning whom was spoken above, "Thrones were set and the Ancient of Days sat and his clothes were white as snow and the hair of his head was as pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire, its wheels blazing fire. A river of fire gushed from before it. A thousand thousands attended him and myriad myriads stood before him." [Daniel 7:9-10] The Son of Man was brought to him, being borne by a cloud and being carried by archangels, so that he may receive from him every rule and authority and power and kingdom, so that all peoples, tribes, and tongues may serve him.
A commentator
Hippolytus of RomeHippolytus Exegetical Fragments - Of the visions of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar · Written before 235.
proposed
1. In speaking of a "lioness from the sea," he meant the rising of the kingdom of Babylon, and that this was the "golden head of the image." And in speaking of its "eagle wings," be meant that king Nebuchadnezzar was exalted and that his glory was lifted up against God. Then he says "its wings were plucked off," i.e., that his glory was destroyed; for he was driven out of his kingdom. And the words, "A man's heart was given it, and it was made stand upon the feet of a man," mean that he came to himself again, and recognised that he was but a man, and gave the glory to God. Then after the lioness he sees a second beast, "like a bear," which signified the Persians. For after the Babylonians the Persians obtained the power. And in saying that "it had three ribs in its mouth," he pointed to the three nations, Persians, Medes, and Babylonians, which were expressed in the image by the silver after the gold. Then comes the third beast, "a leopard," which means the Greeks; for after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon had the power, when Darius was overthrown, which was also indicated by the brass in the image. And in saying that the beast "had four wings of a fowl, and four heads," he showed most clearly how the kingdom of Alexander was parted into four divisions. For in speaking of four heads, he meant the four kings that arose out of it. For Alexander, when dying, divided his kingdom into four parts. Then he says, "The fourth beast (was) dreadful and terrible: it had iron teeth, and claws of brass." Who, then, are meant by this but the Romans, whose kingdom, the kingdom that still stands, is expressed by the iron? "for," says he, "its legs are of iron." 2. After this, then, what remains, beloved, but the toes of the feet of the image, in which "part shall be of iron and part of clay mixed together? […]
But as it is in the mockery that Celsus says we speak of "God coming down like a torturer bearing fire" and thus compels us unseasonably to investigate words of deeper meaning, we shall make a few remarks, sufficient to enable our hearers to form an idea of the defense that disposes of the ridicule of Celsus against us, and then we shall turn to what follows. The divine word says that our God is "a consuming fire" and that "he draws rivers of fire before him"; no, that he even enters in as "a refiner's fire and as a fuller's herb," to purify his own people. But when he is said to be a "consuming fire," we inquire what are the things that are appropriate to be consumed by God. And we assert that they are wickedness and the works that result from it and that, being figuratively called "wood, hay, stubble," God consumes as a fire. The wicked person, accordingly, is said to build up on the previously laid foundation of reason, "wood and hay and stubble." … And, in like manner, "rivers of fire" are said to be before God, who will thoroughly cleanse away the evil that is intermingled throughout the whole soul.
And to him to whom we offer firstfruits we also send up our prayers, "having a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God," and "we hold fast this profession" as long as we live; for we find God and his only-begotten Son, manifested to us in Jesus, to be gracious and kind to us. And if we would wish to have besides a great number of beings who shall ever prove friendly to us, we are taught that "thousand thousands stood before him, and ten thousand times ten thousand ministered to him." And these, regarding all as their relations and friends who imitate their piety toward God and in prayer call on him with sincerity, work along with them for their salvation, appear to them, deem it their office and duty to attend to them, and as if by common agreement they visit with all manner of kindness and deliverance those who pray to God, to whom they themselves also pray. "For they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation."
If this all seems little in your eyes, to be crucified with Christ, to present yourself a sacrifice to God, to become a priest to the most high God, to make yourself worthy of the vision of the Almighty, what higher blessings than these can we imagine for you, if indeed you make light of the consequences of these as well? And the consequence of being crucified with Christ is that we shall live with him, and be glorified with him and reign with him; and the consequence of presenting ourselves to God is that we shall be changed from the rank of human nature and human dignity to that of angels; for so speaks Daniel, that "thousand thousands stood before him." He too who has taken his share in the true priesthood and placed himself beside the great high priest remains altogether himself a priest forever, prevented for eternity from remaining any more in death.
14 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers6 voices
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty · Written before 523.
proposed
And this which is written concerning the angels also is a marvel of unspeakable love: "A thousand thousand stand before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand minister unto Him"; now this concerneth the Seraphim who stand above Him, having their wings spread out to …
That is to say, he affixed the rest of the time to be a time of judgment, and he unfolded the memory of all the deeds done by each and every person. He calls the memory about each person "the books." But if someone thinks …
Do "thousand thousand" of angels stand before him, and "ten thousand times ten thousand" ministering spirits? They are blamelessly doing their proper work by the power of the Spirit. All the glorious and unspeakable harmony of the highest heavens in the service of God and in the mutual concord of the celestial powers can therefore be preserved only by the direction of the gradually perfected by increase and advance, but they are perfect from the moment of the creation, there is in creation the presence of the Holy Spirit, who confers on them the grace that flows from him for the completion and perfection of their essence.
But if so great a power is shown to have followed and to be still following the dispensation of His suffering, how great shall that be which shall follow His glorious advent! For He shall come on the clouds as the Son of man, so Daniel foretold, and His angels shall come with Him. These are the words: [quotes Daniel 7:9-28]
He who is now despised, the same will then be our judge; think ever on him and the river of fire: "For a river of fire" we read, "winds before his face"; for it is impossible for one who has been delivered over by him to the fire to expect any end of his punishment. But the unseemly pleasures of this life do not differ from shadows and dreams; for before the deed of sin is completed, the conditions of pleasure are extinguished, and the punishments for these have no limit. And the sweetness lasts for a little while, but the pain is everlasting.
"The Son of man," it is written, "shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him." Note, my friend, before how many you will come to be judged. Every race of humankind will be present then. Think therefore of the numbers of imperial citizens. Think what the barbarian nations amount to. Take the numbers now living and those who have died in the last hundred years. Think how many have been buried in the last thousand years. Think of all the human race from Adam till today. It is a vast multitude, and yet by comparison it is nothing much, for the angels are more numerous. They are the "ninety and nine" sheep, while the human race is the lone one. For we must suppose that the multitude of inhabitants is everywhere in proportion to the space. Now the whole earth's surface is like a point when compared with the heaven above it. And the heaven that wraps the earth around is inhabited by a multitude proportioned to its extent. And the heavens of heavens contain a multitude beyond computation. Scripture says, "Thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." That does not mean that those who were all there were but that the prophet could find no expression to convey more than that. At that day of judgment there will be present God the Father of all, with Jesus Christ enthroned be side him, and the Holy Spirit present with them. The angel trumpet will summon us before them, bringing our deeds with us.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But Dionysius the Areopagite, that ancient and venerable Father, is said to declare that from the lesser hosts of angels some are sent forth to fulfill their ministry either visibly or invisibly, namely because angels or archangels come for human consolation. For those higher hosts never withdraw from the inner places, since those who are preeminent have no function of external ministry. This is supported by what is said through Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him." For ministering is one thing, and standing before is another, because those minister to God who also go out to us announcing; but those stand before who so enjoy inward contemplation that they are not at all sent forth to accomplish external works.
"The books were opened," not because God needs books, but the prophet is speaking in human terms, according to the style of Scriptures, which speak materially with material beings; in addition, he says that in order to show the rigorous examination, on which the judgments …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This is intended to proclaim God's wise and righteous government of the world by his providence; and an unspeakable satisfaction it gives to all good men, in the midst of the convulsions and revolutions of states and kingdoms, that the Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all ( Ps. ciii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He is a swift witness, and his word a word upon the wheels. (3.) The attendants are numerous and very splendid. The Shechinah is always attended with angels; it is so here (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A fiery stream issued - This is not spoken of the final judgment; but of that which he was to execute upon this fourth beast, the Roman empire; and the little boasting horn which is a part of the fourth beast, and must fall when the other falls.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Forensic image; all the documents of the cause at issue, connected with the condemnation of Antichrist and his kingdom, and the setting up of Messiah's kingdom. Judgment must pass on the world as being under the curse, before the glory comes; but Antichrist offers glory without the cross, a renewed world without the world being judged.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him - Streams of fire seemed to burst forth from his throne. Representations of this kind abound in the Scriptures to illustrate the majesty and glory of God. Compare Rev 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices.” Exo 19:16; Hab 3:4; Psa 18:8. Thousand thousands ministered unto him - “A thousand of thousands;” that is, thousands multiplied a thousand times. The mind is struck with the fact that there are thousands present - and then the number seems as great as if those thousands were multiplied a thousand times. The idea is that there was an immense - a countless host. The reference here is to the angels, and God is often represented as attended with great numbers of these celestial beings when he comes down to our world. Deu 33:2, “he came with ten thousands of saints;” that is, of holy ones. Psa 68:17, “the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.” Compare Jud 1:14. The word “ministered” means that they attended on him. And ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him - An innumerable host. These were not to be judged, but were attendants on him as he pronounced sentence. The judgment here referred to was not on the world at large, but on the beast, preparatory to giving the kingdom to the one who was like the Son of man Dan 7:13-14. The judgment was set - That is, all the arrangements for a solemn act of judgment were made, and the process of the judgment commenced. And the books were opened - As containing the record of the deeds of those who were to be judged. Compare Rev 20:12. The great Judge is represented as having before him the record of all the deeds on which judgment was to be pronounced, and to be about to pronounce sentence according to those deeds. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
from the sound of the arrogant words From the sound of the haughty words that the horn was speaking, the wrath of the Ancient of Days was aroused.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נְהַ֣ר | nehar | a river | H5103 → | |
| דִּי־ | di- | of | H1768 → | 345 times |
| נ֗וּר | nur | fire | H5135 → | 17 times |
| נָגֵ֤ד | naged | [was] flowing | H5047 → | |
| וְנָפֵק֙ | venafek | and [was] coming out | H5312 → | 11 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| קֳדָמ֔וֹהִי | kodamohi | before him | H6925 → | 42 times |
| אֶ֤לֶף | ʾelef | a thousand of | H506 → | 4 times |
| אַלְפִין֙ | ʾalfayim | thousands | H506 → | 4 times |
| יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּ֔הּ | yeshammeshuneh | they were ministering to him | H8120 → | |
| וְרִבּ֥וֹ | veribo | and a myriad of | H7240 → | |
| רִבְבָ֖ן | rabevan | myriads | H7240 → | |
| קָֽדָמ֣וֹהִי | kadamohi | before him | H6925 → | 42 times |
| יְקוּמ֑וּן | yekumun | they were standing | H6966 → | 35 times |
| דִּינָ֥א | dina' | court the | H1780 → | 5 times |
| יְתִ֖ב | yetiv | it sat | H3488 → | 5 times |
| וְסִפְרִ֥ין | vesifrin | and books | H5609 → | |
| פְּתִֽיחוּ׃ | petichu | they were opened | H6606 → |
נְהַ֣רa river
neharH5103 →
דִּי־of
di-H1768 →345 times
נ֗וּרfire
nurH5135 →17 times
נָגֵ֤ד[was] flowing
nagedH5047 →
וְנָפֵק֙and [was] coming out
venafekH5312 →11 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
קֳדָמ֔וֹהִיbefore him
kodamohiH6925 →42 times
אֶ֤לֶףa thousand of
ʾelefH506 →4 times
אַלְפִין֙thousands
ʾalfayimH506 →4 times
יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּ֔הּthey were ministering to him
yeshammeshunehH8120 →
וְרִבּ֥וֹand a myriad of
veriboH7240 →
רִבְבָ֖ןmyriads
rabevanH7240 →
קָֽדָמ֣וֹהִיbefore him
kadamohiH6925 →42 times
יְקוּמ֑וּןthey were standing
yekumunH6966 →35 times
דִּינָ֥אcourt the
dina'H1780 →5 times
יְתִ֖בit sat
yetivH3488 →5 times
וְסִפְרִ֥יןand books
vesifrinH5609 →
פְּתִֽיחוּ׃they were opened
petichuH6606 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 33:2He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.
it leads to
- Psalms 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Habakkuk 3:3
God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth.
- Jude 1:14
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones
- Revelation 5:11
Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.
- Acts 7:53
you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
- Psalms 68:17
Through
Revelation 5:11Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:22
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
- Psalms 148:2
Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
- Revelation 4:4
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.
- Hebrews 12:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies25
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Judgment35 verses
About Daniel
This page draws on 20 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Basil of Caesarea, ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 16:38; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 15:24; Gregory of Nyssa, ON VIRGINITY 24; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.11.2-3; Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus Exegetical Fragments - Of the visions of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 7:10; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN; John Chrysostom, LETTER TO THE FALLEN THEODORE 2:3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XXXI; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 4:13; Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 8:34; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 7:9-10.