Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Daniel 2:41

וְדִֽי־חֲזַ֜יְתָה רַגְלַיָּ֣א וְאֶצְבְּעָתָ֗א מנהון [מִנְּהֵ֞ן] חֲסַ֤ף דִּֽי־פֶחָר֙ ומנהון [וּמִנְּהֵ֣ין] פַּרְזֶ֔ל מַלְכ֤וּ פְלִיגָה֙ תֶּהֱוֵ֔ה וּמִן־נִצְבְּתָ֥א דִ֥י פַרְזְלָ֖א לֶֽהֱוֵא־בַ֑הּ כָּל־קֳבֵל֙ דִּ֣י חֲזַ֔יְתָה פַּ֨רְזְלָ֔א מְעָרַ֖ב בַּחֲסַ֥ף טִינָֽא׃

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the firmness of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

Rashi on Daniel

potter’s clay Aram. חֲסַף דִּי פֶחָר, a potter’s clay, and there are many instances of this in the Talmud (Taanith 7a): “vessels of a potter (מָאנֵי דְפַחְרָא).”
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Rashi on Daniel

it will be a divided kingdom It will be a divided kingdom; two kings will rise from it at once, strong and weak, as explained below (verse 42): “part of the kingdom will be strong.”
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Rashi on Daniel

and in it will be some of the strength of iron Even the weak one will be stronger than the other nations through the strength of his fellow, for they will fear him. And this is the meaning of וּמִן נִצְבְּתָא דִּי פַרְזְלָא לֶהֶוֵא בָהּ ; some of the strength of the stability of iron will be in the weak king.
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Rashi on Daniel

in view of what you saw in view of what you saw—iron mixed with clay.
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