And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
In this verse Daniel embraces the Second and Third Monarchies. He says the second should be inferior to the Chaldean in neither power nor wealth; for the Chaldean empire, although it spread so far and so wide, was added to that of the Medes and Persians.
Nebuchadnezzar worshipped images, so God sent him a dream of a great statue to show him what his idols truly were: mere dreams, creatures of fancy that cost treasure and labor but signified nothing. The King had shown kindness to this poor prophet, and now received a prophet's reward that no money could buy.
AI summary
Commenting on Daniel 2:31-45
And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee,.... This is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, signified by the breasts and arms of silver, an inferior metal to gold; this rose up, not immediately after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, but after his successors, when Belshazzar his grandson was slain, and Babylon taken by Cyrus; now though this monarchy was as large at...