Intro: Summary of the Book of Daniel
The Summary of the Book of Daniel provides a chapter-by-chapter overview of Daniel’s life, visions, and the apocryphal additions. This summary helps readers understand how Daniel stood faithful to God while in Babylon and Persia.
Chapter 1 – Daniel’s Training in Babylon
This summary of the Book of Daniel starts off when Daniel and his friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) are taken into Babylonian captivity. They refuse to defile themselves with the king’s food, choosing vegetables and water instead. God blesses them with wisdom, and they are found ten times wiser than the others.
Chapter 2 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Statue
Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great statue representing successive kingdoms. Daniel interprets the dream: Babylon (head of gold), Medo-Persia (chest of silver), Greece (belly of bronze), Rome (legs of iron), and divided kingdoms (feet of iron and clay). A stone (God’s kingdom) destroys them all. This prophecy is central in any Summary of the Book of Daniel.
Chapter 3 – The Fiery Furnace
Nebuchadnezzar erects a golden image, demanding worship. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse and are thrown into a fiery furnace. They are miraculously preserved, with a fourth figure appearing with them.
Addition: The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children (Apocrypha)
Inserted into this chapter, Azariah (Abednego) prays for deliverance, and the three sing a hymn of praise inside the furnace, blessing God for His mercy. This addition is included in some religious cannons, so we included it in this Summary of the Book of Daniel.
Chapter 4 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Humbling
Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great tree cut down, symbolizing his fall. Daniel interprets it: the king will be humbled until he acknowledges God’s sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar lives like an animal until he repents, then his kingdom is restored.
Chapter 5 – The Writing on the Wall
King Belshazzar desecrates temple vessels in a drunken feast. A hand writes on the wall: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Daniel interprets the words as judgment. That night Babylon falls to the Persians. This dramatic event is explained more in this sub-article to this Summary of the Book of Daniel.
Chapter 6 – Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Under Darius, jealous officials trick the king into passing a decree against prayer. Daniel prays anyway and is thrown into a den of lions. God protects him, and Darius honors Daniel’s God.
Chapter 7 – Vision of the Four Beasts
Daniel sees four beasts rising from the sea (symbolizing kingdoms). The Ancient of Days sits in judgment, and the Son of Man is given eternal dominion. This vision parallels Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream.
Chapter 8 – Vision of the Ram and the Goat
Daniel sees a ram (Medo-Persia) and a goat (Greece). The goat’s horn breaks, and four horns rise, from which a “little horn” (Antiochus Epiphanes) arises, opposing God and desecrating the sanctuary.
Chapter 9 – Daniel’s Prayer and the Seventy Weeks
Daniel prays for Israel’s restoration. The angel Gabriel gives the prophecy of “seventy weeks,” foretelling the coming of the Messiah and the end of sin.
Chapter 10 – Daniel’s Vision of the Heavenly Man
Daniel has a vision of a glorious man by the Tigris River. This figure, interpreted as an angelic messenger (possibly Christ Himself), strengthens him for the revelations to follow.
Chapter 11 – Kings of the North and South
A detailed prophecy unfolds, describing future conflicts between the Seleucid (north) and Ptolemaic (south) kingdoms. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is highlighted as a blasphemous ruler.
Chapter 12 – The Time of the End
Daniel is told of a time of great tribulation, followed by resurrection. Those who are wise will shine like stars. Daniel is instructed to seal the book until the time of the end.
Chapter 13 – Susanna (Apocryphal Addition)
Susanna, a righteous woman, is falsely accused of adultery by corrupt elders. Daniel exposes their lies by cross-examining them, and Susanna is vindicated. This story highlights Daniel’s wisdom and God’s justice. Including this story provides a fuller Summary of the Book of Daniel as preserved in in some religious traditions.
Chapter 14 – Bel and the Dragon (Apocryphal Addition)
Daniel proves that the idol Bel does not eat offerings by exposing the priests’ deception. He then slays a living dragon worshiped as a god by feeding it cakes of pitch, fat, and hair, causing it to burst apart. Daniel is again thrown into the lions’ den but delivered by God. This dramatic tale is part of the extended Book of Daniel so we included it in this Summary of the Book of Daniel.
📖 Closing Note – Summary of the Book of Daniel
This Summary of the Book of Daniel shows how Daniel’s faith, visions, and wisdom reveal God’s sovereignty over kings and nations. The Protestant Bible includes 12 chapters of Daniel, while the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include two additional stories (Susanna and Bel and the Dragon) and the Song of the Three Holy Children in chapter 3. Together, they emphasize faith under pressure, God’s power over idols, and the hope of eternal triumph.