Revelation 12:3

12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.

Revelation 13:1

The Two Beasts

13:1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name.

Daniel 2:40-43

2:40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others. 2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes 10  partly of wet clay 11  and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. Some of the strength of iron will be in it, for you saw iron mixed with wet clay. 12  2:42 In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 2:43 And 13  in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed 14  with one another 15  without adhering to one another, just as 16  iron does not mix with clay.

Daniel 7:7-8

7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 17  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 18  It had two large rows 19  of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.

7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. 20  This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant 21  things.

Daniel 7:20

7:20 I also wanted to know 22  the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes 23  and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 24 

Daniel 7:24

7:24 The ten horns

mean that ten kings will arise from that kingdom.

Another king will arise after them,

but he will be different from the earlier ones.

He will humiliate 25  three kings.

Zechariah 1:18-21

Vision Two: The Four Horns

1:18 (2:1) 26  Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns. 1:19 So I asked the angelic messenger 27  who spoke with me, “What are these?” He replied, “These are the horns 28  that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 29  1:20 Next the Lord showed me four blacksmiths. 30  1:21 I asked, “What are these going to do?” He answered, “These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen. 31  But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah’s enemies 32  and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.” 33 


tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

tn Grk “having” (a continuation of the previous sentence). All of the pronouns referring to this beast (along with the second beast appearing in 13:11) could be translated as “it” because the word for beast (θηρίον, qhrion) is neuter gender in Greek and all the pronouns related to it are parsed as neuter in the Gramcord/Accordance database. Nevertheless, most interpreters would agree that the beast ultimately represents a human ruler, so beginning at the end of v. 4 the masculine pronouns (“he,” “him,” etc.) are used to refer to the first beast as well as the second beast appearing in 13:11.

tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

tc ‡ Several mss (A 051 1611 1854 2053 2344 2351 ÏK) read the plural ὀνόματα (onomata, “[blasphemous] names”), while the singular ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) has somewhat better support (Ì47 א C 1006 1841 2329 ÏA). The plural reading seems motivated by the fact that what is written is written “on its heads.” In the least, it is a clarifying reading. NA27 puts the plural in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”

tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.

tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.

10 tc The LXX lacks “and toes.”

11 tn Aram “potter’s clay.”

12 tn Aram “clay of clay” (also in v. 43).

13 tc The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew MSS, LXX, Vulgate, and the Qere. The Kethib lacks the conjunction.

14 sn The reference to people being mixed is usually understood to refer to intermarriage.

15 tn Aram “with the seed of men.”

16 tc The present translation reads הֵיךְ דִּי (hekh diy) rather than the MT הֵא־כְדִי (he-khÿdi). It is a case of wrong word division.

17 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.

18 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.

19 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.

20 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”

21 tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.

22 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

23 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.

24 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”

25 tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”

26 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 2 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 1:18, the verse numbers through 2:13 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:18 ET = 2:1 HT, 1:19 ET = 2:2 HT, 1:20 ET = 2:3 HT, 1:21 ET = 2:4 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:5 HT, etc., through 2:13 ET = 2:17 HT. From 3:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

27 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.

28 sn An animal’s horn is a common OT metaphor for military power (Pss 18:2; 75:10; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13). The fact that there are four horns here (as well as four blacksmiths, v. 20) shows a correspondence to the four horses of v. 8 which go to four parts of the world, i.e., the whole world.

29 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

30 tn Heb “craftsmen” (so NASB, NIV; KJV “carpenters”), a generic term which can mean “metalworker, smith, armorer” (HALOT 358 s.v. חָרָשׁ). “Blacksmiths” was chosen for the present translation because of its relative familiarity among contemporary English readers.

31 tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”

32 tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

33 tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.