31 "You, O king , were looking and behold , there was a single great statue ; that statue , which was large and of extraordinary splendor , was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome . 32 "The head of that statue was made of fine gold , its breast and its arms of silver , its belly and its thighs of bronze , 33 its legs of iron , its feet partly of iron and partly of clay . 34 "You continued looking until e a stone was cut out without hands , and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35 "Then the iron , the clay , the bronze , the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors ; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found . But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 2:31-35
Commentary on Daniel 2:31-45
(Read Daniel 2:31-45)
This image represented the kingdoms of the earth, that should successively rule the nations, and influence the affairs of the Jewish church. 1. The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in being. 2. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. 3. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. 4. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman empire. The Roman empire branched into ten kingdoms, as the toes of these feet. Some were weak as clay, others strong as iron. Endeavours have often been used to unite them, for strengthening the empire, but in vain. The stone cut out without hands, represented the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, which should be set up in the kingdoms of the world, upon the ruins of Satan's kingdom in them. This was the Stone which the builders refused, because it was not cut out by their hands, but it is become the head stone of the corner. Of the increase of Christ's government and peace there shall be no end. The Lord shall reign, not only to the end of time, but when time and days shall be no more. As far as events have gone, the fulfilling this prophetic vision has been most exact and undeniable; future ages shall witness this Stone destroying the image, and filling the whole earth.