Suddenly another beast appeared, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. So it was told, ‘Get up and gorge yourself on flesh!’
Here the Prophet. proclaims how he was instructed by a dream concerning the second beast. If we will only judge by the event, this beast doubtless represented the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, although the Prophet specifies the Persians, as the Medes had long ago submitted to their yoke. Behold, says he, another beast like a bear.
When deep sleep falls upon us and we are most removed from the world's distractions, God opens His mind to us. Daniel wrote his dream that he might not lose it as dreams do, and shared it with his brethren that they should not be deceived by false hopes of unbroken peace after their return, but be prepared for the oppressive monarchies yet to come.
AI summary
Commenting on Daniel 7:1-8
And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear,.... Another monarchy, and which succeeded the former, and rose up upon the ruins of it, the Medo-Persian monarchy; and so the Syriac version prefixes to this verse, by way of explanation, "the kingdom of the Medes'' like to a bear, less generous and strong than the lion; more rough and uncivil, but equally cruel and...