What Does Daniel 7:14 Mean in the King James?
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The rule that cannot be destroyed begins as something received, not something seized.
THE MEANING
Authority is placed in the hands of the one receiving it, and its reach includes every people, nation, and language. His dominion spans the ages; it does not pass away or become ruin. Service is the shared response to a reign that no language group outlasts.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that every dominion must eventually collapse: this one does not pass away, and its kingdom is not destroyed.
THE ROOT
עָלַם
ʿālam
GROWS FROM
עלם
ʿ-l-m
An age or a long span of time.
“everlasting” in this verse is ʿālam. The Aramaic word names duration in ages: this dominion is not a brief season but a reign that continues through the ages. Its repetition in Daniel 7:18 and its Hebrew cousin עוֹלָם (ʿolām, age or ages) make that span audible across both languages.
ALSO GROWS
ʿad ʿālam ʿālmāyā: For ages of ages; forever and ever
עַד עָלַם עָלְמַיָּא
Daniel 7:18 repeats the age-root to extend the kingdom’s duration beyond a single age.
ʿolām: Age, ages, or a long duration in Hebrew
עוֹלָם
This cognate echoes the Aramaic word and connects the dominion’s age-spanning duration with Hebrew scripture.
שָׁלְטָן
šolṭān
GROWS FROM
שלט
š-l-ṭ
To rule or hold authority.
“dominion” in this verse is šolṭān. This word belongs to a family that names ruling and being in authority, so it points to active jurisdiction, not simply honor. Here that authority is given and declared indestructible.
ALSO GROWS
šelat: To rule or hold power
שְׁלַט
The verb shows the action contained in dominion: exercising authority.
shallīṭ: Having authority; ruling
שַׁלִּיט
This form describes one who holds power, linking the dominion to the one who receives it.
מַלְכוּתֵהּ
malkutēh
GROWS FROM
מלך
m-l-k
To reign or rule as king.
The Aramaic word for kingdom shares its root with the word for king: the kingdom is kingship made visible, not merely a parcel of land. The verse places this reign beside dominion and says it cannot be destroyed.
ALSO GROWS
malkā: King
מַלְכָּא
The king and the kingdom grow from the same root, joining the ruler to the realm of his rule.
malku: Kingdom, kingship
מַלְכוּ
This related form names the reign itself, making the kingdom an expression of active rule.
THE PATTERN
The reign that endures crosses the boundaries of ages, peoples, and political orders.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.THE THREAD
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.Daniel 7:27 repeats the Aramaic kingdom-root מלך (m-l-k) alongside dominion, an everlasting kingdom, and service. It opens the gift wider: the kingdom received by the figure is also given to the people of the Most High.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us