In that dream, a magnificent statue is seen with a head of gold, but weaker and less valuable metals beneath, until finally having feet of clay mixed with iron.
Daniel predicts that the glorious statue shall be smashed by a stone into pieces, like chaff on the threshing floor, and blown to the winds.
The image of the expensive statue laid low has resonated as an analogy for seemingly powerful figures with substantial weaknesses.
As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found.
That spell upon the minds of men Breaks never to unite again, That led them to adore Those Pagod things of sabre sway, With fronts of brass, and feet of clay.
[5] In the ABBA song "Happy New Year", written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, man is said to have feet of clay: Oh yes, man is a fool And he thinks he'll be okay Dragging on, feet of clay Never knowing he's astray Keeps on going anyway In the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's posthumously published autobiography Ecce Homo: The last thing I should promise would be to "improve" mankind.