Overview
The book records the accounts of Daniel and his three companions, who remained faithful in the courts of Babylon and Persia, together with the visions Daniel received. It proclaims that while the empires of the world rise and fall in succession, God will establish an everlasting kingdom and give it to one like a son of man and to the saints of the Most High.
Theme The sovereignty of God over the nations and His everlasting kingdom
Historical background
Daniel was taken to Babylon at Nebuchadnezzar's first incursion in 605 BC and remained active into the reign of Cyrus. Daniel 2:4b–7:28 is written in Aramaic and the remainder in Hebrew. In the Hebrew canon the book belongs to the Writings, while in the Christian canonical order it is placed among the Major Prophets.