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Daniel Chapter
Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 10
This
chapter is an introduction to the prophecies contained in the two following
chapters; and begins with an account of Daniel's mourning and fasting,
preparatory to the vision he had, Daniel 10:1, and of
the appearance of Christ to him, with the time and place of it; who is
described by his clothing, and the several parts of his body, which were very glorious,
he appearing in a human form, Daniel 10:4, then
follows an account of the effects it had upon him, Daniel 10:7, and of
what encouragement and strength he received from him, by words and touches, to
listen to what he said; and to expect a discovery and an understanding of
things of moment and importance, which should be in future times, Daniel 10:10.
Daniel 10:1 In the third
year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was
called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was
long;[a] and he
understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
YLT 1In the third year of Cyrus
king of Persia, a thing is revealed to Daniel, whose name is called
Belteshazzar, and the thing [is] true, and the warfare [is] great: and he hath
understood the thing, and hath understanding about the appearance.
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia,.... Not of
his being king of Persia only, but of the Medopersian empire, after he had
subdued the Babylonian empire, and annexed it to his dominions; and this is not
to be reckoned from the time of his taking Babylon, and putting the government
of it into the hands of his uncle Darius, with whom he jointly reigned; but
from the time of his uncle's death, when he was sole monarch of the whole
empire: he reigned thirty years, as CiceroF20De Divinatione, l. 1. ,
from a Persian writer, relates; which is to be reckoned from the time of his
being appointed by his uncle commander-in-chief of the Persian and Median
armies; for from his taking of Babylon to his death were but nine years; and so
many years the canon of Ptolemy assigns to his reign, taking in the two years
he reigned with his uncle; for from his being sole monarch, after the death of
Cyaxares, or Darius the Mede his uncle, were but seven years; which, according
to XenophonF21Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 45. , is the whole of his reign,
who reckons it from thence; and it was in the third of these that Daniel had
the visions contained in this and the two following chapters; which, according
to Bishop UsherF23Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3470. , and Dean PrideauxF24Connexion,
&c. par. 1. p. 161, 162. , was in the year of the world 3470 A.M. and 534
B.C. Mr. BedfordF25Scripture Chronology, p. 718. places it in the
year 533 B.C.: how long Daniel lived after this is not certain; very probably
he died quickly after, since he must be in a very advanced age; for the third
year of Cyrus being the seventy third of his captivity, as Dean PrideauxF26Ut
supra. (Connexion, &c. par. 1. p. 161, 162) observes; and if he was
eighteen years of age, as that learned man thinks is the least that can be
supposed at the time of his carrying into Babylon, he must have been in the
ninety first year of his age at this time; or if he was but fifteen years of
age at that time, which is the opinion of Aben Ezra on Daniel 1:4, he must
be in the third year of Cyrus eighty eight years of age. The Dutch annotators
observe, that Daniel lived in the court of Babylon above seventy seven years,
which will carry his age to a greater length still. Jarchi on Daniel 1:21 asserts
Daniel to be the same with Hatach in Esther 4:5 and so
the Targum on that place, who lived in the times of Ahasuerus, supposed to be
Xerxes: now between the third of Cyrus, and the beginning of Xerxes's reign, is
mentioned a space of seventy one years, which, added to the least number eighty
eight before given, will make Daniel now to be one hundred and fifty nine years
old, when Ahasuerus or Xerxes began his reign; which is not only an age unfit
for such business Hatach was employed in; but agrees not with the period in
which Daniel lived, when it was not usual for men to live so long, and must be
exploded as fabulous:
a thing was revealed unto Daniel; a secret, which he
otherwise could never have known; and which was a singular favour to him, and
showed him to be a friend of God, a favourite of his; and this respected the
Persian and Grecian monarchies; the various kings of Egypt and Syria, and what
should befall them; and the times of Antiochus, and the troubles the Jews would
have through him:
(whose name was called Belteshazzar); a name given
him by the prince of the eunuchs; see Daniel 1:7,
and the thing was true; was not a false vision,
a mere fancy of the brain, an empty conjecture, a delusion of the mind, like
the divination and soothsaying of the Gentiles, but a real thing, that was sure
and certain, and would be fulfilled, and might be depended upon: but the time
appointed was long; ere the whole would be accomplished; for it reached to the
times of Antiochus, three hundred years after this, yea, to the resurrection of
the dead, and the end of all things: or, "a great host", or
"army"F1וצבא גדול
"et militia magna", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus; "militia seu
belligeratio ingens", Michaelis. ; a vast appearance of things were
represented to him; not a host of angels, as Saadiah; but a vast number of
facts, like an army of them, and which respected armies and battles; or it may
denote the force, power, and efficacy of the word that was true, which should
not fail, but be certainly fulfilled:
and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision; that is,
Daniel understood "the word"F2את
הדבר "verbum", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster.
, or words of the prophecy, in which it was expressed; they were clear and
plain, and not obscure, dark, and doubtful; and he had a clear view of each of
the parts of it, of the whole series of things, the connection of facts, and
their dependence on one another, and their certain accomplishment; he saw them
in their order, as they were presented to him in vision and prophecy; and was
not at any loss about the meaning of any part of them, or the words by which they
were signified.
Daniel 10:2 2 In
those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
YLT 2`In those days, I, Daniel,
have been mourning three weeks of days;
In those days I Daniel was mourning,.... Either on account of
what had been revealed to him in the last vision or prophecy of the seventy
weeks; by which it appeared what wickedness the people of the Jews would be
guilty of in cutting off the Messiah; and what desolations would come upon
their land, city, and temple, for such usage of him: as also because of the
present case of his people; many of them continuing in the country of Babylon,
when they had liberty to return to their land: or because of the hinderance the
Jews met with in rebuilding their city and temple, who had returned thither; of
which Daniel had an account, and which caused him to mourn in secret: and so he
continued
three full weeks; or, "three weeks of days"F3שלשה שבעים ימים
"tribus hebdomadibus dierum", Munster, Calvin, Tigurine version;
"trium hebdomadarum diebus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, so Junius
& Tremellius, Medus. ; so called, to distinguish them from weeks of years,
mentioned in the preceding chapter.
Daniel 10:3 3 I
ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint
myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
YLT 3desirable bread I have not
eaten, and flesh and wine hath not come in unto my mouth, and I have not
anointed myself at all, till the completion of three weeks of days.
I ate no pleasant bread,.... Or, "bread of
desires"F4לחם חמדות
"panem desideriorum", Pagninus, Montanus; "desiderabilium",
Junius & Tremellius; "desiderabilem", V. L. Vatablus, Piscator. ;
such as was made of the finest of the wheat, and was eaten in the courts of
princes where Daniel was: according to some Jewish Rabbins in Ben Melech, hot
bread is meant; but in general it means the best of bread, such as had good
qualities to make it desirable; and this Daniel refrained from, while he was
humbling and afflicting himself on this sorrowful occasion, but ate coarse
bread, black and grainy:
neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth; not delicate
meat, as of fish, fowl, deer, and the like, as Saadiah observes; but contented
himself with meaner fare; nor did he drink generous wine, as he had used to do,
living in a king's court, and which his old age made necessary for him, since
he could come at it; but he abstained from it, and other lawful pleasures of
nature, the more to give himself up to acts of devotion and contemplation:
neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were
fulfilled; which was wont to be frequently done by the Jews, especially at
feasts; and by the Persians every day, among whom he now was; but this he
refrained from, as was usual in times of fasting and humiliation; see Matthew 6:17.
Daniel 10:4 4 Now
on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great
river, that is, the Tigris,[b]
YLT 4`And in the twenty and
fourth day of the first month, I have been by the side of the great river, that
[is] Hiddekel:
And in the four and twentieth day of the first month,.... Of the
third year of Cyrus, as Jacchiades; or rather of the Jewish year, the month Ab
or Nisan, which answers to part of March and April; so that Daniel's fast began
on the third day of the month, and lasted to the twenty fourth, in which time
was the Jewish passover; and by this it seems it was not now kept; and perhaps
in those times was not used to be observed by the Jews in a foreign land:
as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; the same with
the Tigris, called by both names from the swiftness and rapidity of its motion,
"hiddekel" signifying both sharp and swift; and tigris, in the
Persian language, a dart; see Genesis 2:14. This
is the same river the Targum of Jonathan on Genesis 2:14 calls
Diglath; and is by PlinyF5Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 27. called Diglito,
who observes that it has the name of Tigris from its swiftness; so he says the
Medes call an arrow; likewise CurtiusF6Hist. l. 4. c. 9. takes
notice of the same, and says that it is named Tigris from the celerity with
which it flows; for in the Persian language they call a dart
"tigris": so חד signifies in the Hebrew
language "sharp" or "polished", as an arrow is; and קל, "swift", as an arrow flies, and both make
Hiddekel: now this river was near Shushan, where Daniel resided; nay, Benjamin
of TudelaF7Itinerarium, p. 86. says, that the river Hiddekel divides
the city of Shushan, over which is a bridge, on one side of which Jews dwelt,
at the time he was there; unless he means that it cuts and divides the province
of Elam in Persia, he had before been speaking of; and so Diodorus SiculusF8Bibliothec.
l. 2. p. 99. says, that both Euphrates and Tigris pass through Media into
Mesopotamia; wherefore it is no wonder to hear of Daniel by the side of the
river Hiddekel or Tigris: here Daniel was, not in vision, but in person, having
others with him, as appears from a following verse; by it he was walking,
contemplating, praying, or conversing.
Daniel 10:5 5 I
lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose
waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
YLT 5and I lift up mine eyes,
and look, and lo, a certain one clothed in linen, and his loins girt with pure
gold of Uphaz,
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked,.... Being
excited to it, by an object presented, of an unusual appearance, which engaged
his attention, and caused him to look wistly at it:
and, behold a certain man clothed in linen; not Gabriel,
but the Son of God, the Messiah; who, though not as yet incarnate, yet was so
in the counsel and purpose of God; had agreed in covenant to be man, was
promised and prophesied of as such; and now appeared in a human form, as he
frequently did before his incarnation, as a pledge of it, and showing his
readiness to assume human nature: he appears here "clothed in linen",
in the habit of a priest; which office he sustains, and executes by the
sacrifice of himself, and by his prevalent intercession; and may denote his
purity and innocence, as well as direct us to his spotless righteousness he is
the author of, which is like fine linen, clean and white, Revelation 19:8,
whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; or of Fez,
which is the best gold. Some take it to be the same with the gold of Ophir,
often spoken of in Scripture; so the Targum on Jeremiah 10:9,
renders Uphaz by Ophir. PtolemyF9Geograph. l. 7. c. 4. makes mention
of a river called Phasis in the island of Taprobane or Zeilan, where BochartF11Phaleg.
l. 2. c. 27. col. 141. seems to think Ophir was, from whence the gold of that
name came; and the same geographerF12Ptolem. Geograph. l. 5. c. 10.
takes notice of a city and river of the same name in Colchis; perhaps the same
with Pison, which encompassed Havilah, where was good gold, Genesis 2:11, and
both StraboF13Geograph. l. 11. p. 343. and PlinyF14Nat.
Hist. l. 33. c. 3. say that much gold was found in that country, and taken out
of rivers there; and was so plentiful, that even chambers were made of gold,
Some think that this was an island in India called Paz or Topaz, and might with
the Jews go by all three names, Paz, Topaz, and UphazF15Hiller.
Onomastic. Sacr. c. 8. p. 141. ; however, it is certain, that very fine gold,
even the finest gold, is here designed: and the loins of this illustrious
Person being girded with a girdle made of it, as it may be expressive of his
royal dignity, so likewise of his readiness to do any service he was employed
in, as man and Mediator; and especially the great work of man's redemption and
salvation, for the sake of which he would really become man, as he has, as well
as now he appeared as one; see Revelation 1:13
where Christ is said to be "girt with a golden girdle"; and such an
one was this; and which is to be understood, not of his girdle as a King, which
is a girdle of faithfulness and righteousness, Isaiah 11:5, all
his administrations of government being just and true; though such a girdle
well suits him, and his character in the discharge of every office, as well as
his kingly office; nor of his girdle as a Prophet, which is the girdle of
truth, which all his faithful ministers are girt with, Ephesians 6:14, and
he in a more eminent manner, who is full of grace and truth, and by whom both
came, and who is truth itself; but of his girdle as a Priest; for as such is he
here habited, and such a girdle the priests used to wear, even the girdle of
the ephod, made of gold, blue, purple, and fine twined linen, Exodus 28:8, and
this is the girdle of love, which constrained Christ to become the surety and
substitute of his people; to take upon him their nature, and their sins; to
offer himself a sacrifice for them, and to be their advocate with the Father;
and the form and matter of this girdle being round about him, and of gold, may denote
the perfection, duration, and eternity of his love.
Daniel 10:6 6 His
body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes
like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the
sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
YLT 6and his body as a beryl,
and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and
his arms and his feet as the aspect of bright brass, and the voice of his words
as the voice of a multitude.
His body also was like the beryl,.... That is, that part
of it which was not covered with the linen garment, and was seen, was like such
a precious stone, said to be of an azure and sky colour, signifying he was the
Lord from heaven; though, according to its name, it should be of a sea colour,
greenish; and so, according to some, the beryl is. Cocceius thinks the sardonyx
is meant, which is of a flesh colour, and so more fit to express the comeliness
of a human body; the beryl, being of a different colour, seems not so apt to
set forth the agreeable colour of a man. BrauniusF16De Vestitu
Sacerdot. Hebr. l. 2. c. 17. sect 10, 11, 12. p. 721, 722. is of opinion that
the chrysolite is meant, a stone of a golden colour; and takes the sense to be,
that such was the lustre of the golden girdle about his loins, that the rest of
the parts of the body about it appeared as if all of gold:
and his face the appearance of lightning; exceeding
bright, very dazzling to the eye, and striking terror to the mind; expressive
of something very awful and majestic; and agrees well with Christ the sun of
righteousness, whose face or countenance at his transfiguration on the mount,
and when John saw him in a visionary way, was as the sun shineth in his
strength, in the summer solstice, or at noonday, Matthew 17:2, from
whom is all the light of knowledge and truth, of joy, peace, and comfort, of
grace and glory; and which darts as swiftly and as powerfully from him as the
rays of the sun, or as lightning from one end of the heaven to the other; and
irradiates and illuminates as brightly and clearly:
and his eyes as lamps of fire; denoting his omniscience
of all persons and things; and how piercing and penetrating his eyes are into
the affairs of men and states, by whom they are clearly seen, and to whom they
are exactly known; and how fierce and terrible his wrath is towards his
enemies, and whose looks must inject dread and terror into them; see Revelation 19:12,
and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass; denoting his
great strength for action, his stability and firmness, and the glory of his
power, in trampling upon his enemies, and subduing them; especially as
displayed in the redemption of his people, when his own arm wrought salvation
for them; when he came travelling in the greatness of his strength, and trod
the winepress of his father's wrath alone; when he set his feet on the necks of
his and his people's enemies, and got an entire victory over sin, Satan, and
the world, under whose feet they are, and ever will be subject:
and the voice of his words; not of the law, which
was a voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more,
and were very sonorous and dreadful; but rather of the Gospel, of the words and
doctrines of grace and truth, which proceeded out of the mouth of Christ, and
were such as were wondered at; which is a voice of love, grace, and mercy,
sweet, charming, and alluring, powerful and efficacious; and the words of it
are the words of peace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; yea, this
voice of Christ may take in his voice and words of commands, his ordinances and
institutions, which he requires an obedience unto; and even his threatenings of
wrath and ruin to wicked men, as well as his gracious and precious promises to
his people: and this voice of his is said to be
like the voice of a multitude; of a great many men
together; whose voice is heard a long way off, and is very strong and powerful:
or,
as the voice of noiseF17כקול המון "ut vox tumultus",
Montanus, "vel strepitus", Piscator, Michaelis. ; which may be
understood either of the noise of a multitude of men, or of the sea, or of many
waters; see Revelation 1:15 and
may intend the power and efficacy of his words, whether in his doctrines, or in
his judgments, in a way of grace and comfort, or of wrath and vengeance.
Daniel 10:7 7 And
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the
vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
YLT 7`And I have seen -- I,
Daniel, by myself -- the appearance: and the men who have been with me have not
seen the appearance, but a great trembling hath fallen on them, and they flee
to be hidden;
And I Daniel alone saw the vision,.... The object or person
described; though he was not alone when he saw it, yet he alone saw it; the
eyes of his body and mind being quicker than the rest, the Lord strengthening
and enlightening both; for this was a peculiar and distinguishing favour
granted to him:
for the men that were with me saw not the vision; at least not
so clearly and distinctly as Daniel did; they might have some confused sight of
an object that appeared very terrible; but, being struck with consternation,
they had not presence of mind to look at it; and so could neither form nor
retain scarce any idea of it: or their eyes might be held, and their sight
clouded; or be stricken with a kind of blindness, or want of sight for a time,
as the men of Sodom were; or the object was of such a nature, that without
special illumination it could not be seen: the like happened to Elisha's young
man, who saw not the chariots and horses of fire the prophet did, and to the
men that were with the Apostle Paul, 2 Kings 6:17, who
these men were, that were with Daniel, is not material to know; whether they
were his three companions, who had been cast into the fiery furnace; or the
Prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, as Jarchi and Saadiah say from their
RabbinsF18T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 2. ; neither of which are
likely, since these, being good men and prophets, would doubtless have been
favoured with the same vision: but rather they were the servants of Daniel, who
waited upon him, he being now a great man in the Persian court; and these men
being very likely Heathens, profane and unregenerate men, were not fit and
prepared to see such a vision:
but a great quaking fell upon them: or "for", so
Noldius; giving a reason why they saw not, because or the great fear and
trembling upon them; either at the glimmering sight of this strange appearance,
which they knew not what to make of; or rather at the sound of his voice, which
was so very loud and terrible:
so that they fled to hide themselves; among the
trees that grew upon the banks of the Tigris, as Adam among the trees of the
garden; or in some wood or forest hard by; or in some caves and dens, which
might be near at hand: this not only shows the confusion and consternation they
were in, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it,
they fled with terror; or
through it, as the Syriac version; but serves to confirm the truth of the
vision, that it was not a mere fancy and imagination of Daniel.
Daniel 10:8 8 Therefore
I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me;
for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.
YLT 8and I have been left by
myself, and I see this great appearance, and there hath been no power left in
me, and my honour hath been turned in me to corruption, yea, I have not
retained power.
Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision,.... Which was
great indeed, both with respect to the object now seen, and with respect to the
subject matter, the things afterwards revealed, the nature, use, and importance
of them; and it was so wisely ordered by the Lord, that the men with Daniel
should be seized with a panic, and flee and leave him alone; that they being
removed from him, he might have the secrets of the Lord revealed to him as a
peculiar favourite of his, and hear and see the things he did:
and there remained no strength in me: either
through the intenseness of his mind upon the object before him, and to what he
said; or through the awe he was struck with at the sight of him; his blood
running back to the heart to secure that; his nerves loosened; his hands weak
and hanging down; his knees feeble, and spirits faint, just ready to sink and
swoon away:
for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption; the form of
his countenance was marred; his forehead wrinkled; his eyes sunk; the
sprightliness and vivacity of them gone; his cheeks turned pale; his lips
quivering; his joints trembling; his vigour and health impaired; all nature convulsed;
and he lifeless and spiritless, like a dead carcass:
and I retained no strength; or,
"restrained"F19לא עצרתי "non cohibui", Gejerus. it not; his
strength; could not keep it from going out of him, either of body or mind; he
could not rally the powers of nature, so depressed was he with the vision: all
which is observed, both to exaggerate the greatness of the vision, and the
favour and goodness of God after shown him; as well as to observe the weakness
of human nature, not being able to bear the sight of a divine Person, or such
discoveries the Lord is sometimes pleased to make, without being strengthened and
supported in an extraordinary manner.
Daniel 10:9 9 Yet
I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was
in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
YLT 9`And I hear the voice of
his words, and when I hear the voice of his words, then I have been in a trance
on my face, and my face [is] to the earth;
Yet heard I the voice of his words,.... Though he was struck
with so much awe, and his spirits so greatly depressed, and his body reduced to
so low a condition; yet he was capable of attending to the voice, and of
hearing the articulate sounds pronounced, and of understanding what was said:
and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep
sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground; as soon as he heard his
words, he fell upon his face to the ground, either in a way of worship and
adoration, of prayer and supplication, as the Arabic version suggests; or
through awe and reverence of the speaker, as well as through faintness of
spirits; and these being quite exhausted, as it were, might be the reason of
his falling into a deep sleep; unless it can be thought he was lulled into it,
through the sweetness of the voice he had heard.
Daniel 10:10 10 Suddenly,
a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of
my hands.
YLT 10and lo, a hand hath come
against me, and shaketh me on my knees and the palms of my hands.
And, behold, an hand touched me,.... Not the hand of the
man clothed with linen, whose voice he heard, and whose hand was like polished
brass, Daniel 10:6, but
the hand of one distinct from him, one of his attendants, Daniel 12:5 that
had the similitude of the sons of men, Daniel 10:16, and
whose hand was softer, and nearer a human one; very probably the hand of the
Angel Gabriel in human form, who had touched him before, when in the like
circumstances, Daniel 8:16,
which set me upon my knees, and upon the palms of my hands; or,
"which caused him to move"F20תניעני
"movere fecit me", Pagninus, Montanus; "commovit me",
Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius; "movit me", Tigurine version,
Michaelis. ; from the prostrate condition in which he was, and raised him up a
little upon his hands; so that, with a little difficulty, he might be able to
raise himself to stand upright.
Daniel 10:11 11 And
he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I
speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was
speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
YLT 11`And he saith unto me:
Daniel, man greatly desired, attend to the words that I am speaking unto thee,
and stand on thy station, for now I have been sent unto thee. `And when he
speaketh with me this word, I have stood trembling.
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved,.... Or,
"a man of desires"F21איש חמדות "vir desideriorum", V. L. ; a most
desirable man, lovely to God and men; the same epithet Gabriel gives him, Daniel 9:22, which
confirms the sentiment, that it is he that touched Daniel, and is here
speaking, distinct from the glorious Person before described:
understand the words that I speak unto thee; attend unto
them, in order to understand them; and which he was sent to give him an
understanding of, as in Daniel 8:16, which
is a further confirmation that this is Gabriel:
and stand upright; being upon his hands and knees, Daniel 10:10, but
now is bid to "stand on his standing"F23עמד על־עמדך "sta super stare
tuum", Montanus, Calvin; "sta in statione tua", Piscator;
"super statione tua", Michaelis. , or his station; upon his feet, in
an erect posture, which was fittest for attention, and most decent and becoming
a hearer and learner of the mind of God, from one of his messengers: and
therefore, the more to excite him to such a posture, he adds,
for unto thee am I now sent: of God, and particularly
to the prophet, and that after three weeks' fasting and mourning: this is
another proof that not the glorious Person before described, but an angel of
his, is meant, since he is said to be "sent" to Daniel:
and when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling: he got up and
stood upon his feet, as the angel had bid him, but trembling and tottering, not
yet recovered from his fainting fit; like a man that has been ill, and got upon
his legs again, trembles and totters as he goes or stands: and also, though the
angel was kind and serviceable to him, set him on his knees and hands, and spoke
to him in a tender manner; yet the appearance of such a divine messenger had
such an effect upon him, as we find such appearances used to have on good men.
Daniel 10:12 12 Then
he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your
heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were
heard; and I have come because of your words.
YLT 12And he saith unto me: Do
not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst give thy heart to
understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words have been heard,
and I have come because of thy words.
Then said he unto me, fear not, Daniel,....
Perceiving him to shake and tremble, and to be intimidated at his presence, he
speaks comfortably to him, and encourages him to lay aside his fears, that he
might be more capable of attending to what he was about to say to him; and
which had a tendency of themselves to remove his fears, and increase his
confidence in the Lord:
for from the first day thou didst set thine heart to understand; not so much
the former visions which he had an understanding of, as the future state of his
people; or rather, the reason of their present distressed condition, being
hindered by their enemies in rebuilding their city and temple:
and to chasten thyself before thy God; to humble
himself in prayer, and to afflict himself by fasting:
thy words were heard; his prayers were heard,
and an answer ordered to be given, the very first day he began to pray, and
fast, and mourn, though it was now full three weeks since; just as, at the
beginning of his former supplications, Gabriel had a commandment to go and show
him that they were heard, Daniel 9:23,
and I am come forth for thy words; on account of his
prayers, to bring an answer to them; the reason why he came no sooner, when it
was three weeks since he received his order, is as follows:
Daniel 10:13 13 But
the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold,
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone
there with the kings of Persia.
YLT 13`And the head of the
kingdom of Persia is standing over-against me twenty and one days, and lo, Michael,
first of the chief heads, hath come in to help me, and I have remained there
near the kings of Persia;
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and
twenty days,.... Which was just the time Daniel had been mourning and
fasting, Daniel 10:2, and
the angel had had his instructions to acquaint him with the Lord's answer to
his prayers: by "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" is not to be
understood the then reigning king of Persia, Cyrus, or his son Cambyses; who
either of them would have been called rather king of Persia; nor were they able
to withstand an angel, and such an one as Gabriel; nor is a good angel meant,
the tutelar one of this kingdom; for it cannot be reasonably thought that good
angels should militate against one another; but an evil angel, either Satan,
the prince and god of this world, or one of his principal angels under him,
employed by him to do what mischief he could in the court of Persia, against
the people of God, the Jews; and with this sense agree the contests ascribed to
Satan and the Angel of the Lord concerning Joshua, Zechariah 3:1 and
to Michael and the devil disputing about the body of Moses, Judges 1:9 and to
Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels, warring in heaven, Revelation 12:7,
now Gabriel's business in the court of Persia was to work upon the minds of the
king of Persia and his nobles, and to influence their counsels, and put them on
such measures as would be in favour of the Jews, and be encouraging to them to
go on in the rebuilding of their city and temple: in this he was withstood and
opposed by an evil spirit that counterworked him; by exasperating the spirit of
Cambyses against them; by stirring up the Samaritans to corrupt the Persian
courtiers with gifts, to take their part against the Jews; and by influencing
them to accept of their gifts, and act in their favour; and this business on
the angel's hands, to oppose these measures, detained him at the Persian court
for the three weeks Daniel had been fasting and praying:
but, lo, Michael one of the chief Princes, came to help me; called in the
New Testament an Archangel, the Prince of angels, the Head of all principality
and power; and is no other than Christ the Son of God, an uncreated Angel; who
is "one", or "the first of the chief Princes"F24אחד "primus", Junius & Tremellius. , superior
to angels, in nature, name, and office; he came to "help" Gabriel, not
as a fellow creature, but as the Lord of hosts; not as a fellow soldier, but as
General of the armies in heaven and earth, as superior to him in wisdom and
strength; and he helped him by giving him fresh counsels, orders, and
instructions, which he following succeeded:
and I remained there with the kings of Persia; with the king
of Persia and his nobles, putting into execution the orders Michael had given
him, and so baffled the designs of the evil spirit; and this retarded him from
being with the prophet one and twenty days. The Septuagint and Arabic versions
very wrongly render the words, "and I left him there with the kings of
Persia"; as if Michael was left there by Gabriel, whereas it was just the
reverse.
Daniel 10:14 14 Now
I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the
latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
YLT 14and I have come to cause
thee to understand that which doth happen to thy people in the latter end of
the days, for yet the vision [is] after days.
Now I am come to make thee to understand what shall befall thy
people in the latter days,.... The contest being over with the prince
of Persia, and having got an advantage, and carried his point in favour of the
Jews; he came directly to Daniel, to inform him of what should befall the
people of the Jews in the succeeding monarchies, especially in the times of
Antiochus; and even of all that should befall them until the Messiah came, as
Aben Ezra rightly interprets it; for the last days generally design the days of
the Messiah; see Genesis 49:1,
for yet the vision is for many days; before it will be
accomplished; reaching not only to the times of Antiochus, three hundred years
after this, but even to the times of antichrist, of whom he was a type; and to
the resurrection of the dead, and the end of time, as the two next chapters
show; see Habakkuk 2:3.
Daniel 10:15 15 When
he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became
speechless.
YLT 15`And when he speaketh with
me about these things, I have set my face toward the earth, and have been
silent;
And when he had spoken such words unto me,.... As before
related, concerning the contest between him and the prince of Persia; and
especially concerning what would befall the people of the Jews in the latter
day:
I set my face toward the ground; not being able to look
up; his eyes were fixed upon the earth like one confounded and thunderstruck,
filled with amazement and wonder:
and I became dumb; not able to speak a word, as is the case of
persons sometimes in surprise, or through excess of any of the passions: this
arose either from the majesty of the angel; or rather from the nature and
importance of the things he said; or from a consciousness of his own impurity,
and so of his unworthiness to converse with so exalted a creature, and to be
favoured with such secrets. The Arabic version is, "and I
supplicated"; very wrongly.
Daniel 10:16 16 And
suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons[c] of men
touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood
before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and
I have retained no strength.
YLT 16and lo, as the manner of
the sons of men, he is striking against my lips, and I open my mouth, and I
speak, and say unto him who is standing over-against me: My lord, by the
appearance turned have been my pangs against me, and I have retained no power.
And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men,.... Not the
man clothed with linen, or Christ; but either the same angel, Gabriel, who
appeared more manifestly to him in a human form; or another of the attendants
of Christ, who also had the similitude of a man:
touched my lips; with his hand, as the Prophet Isaiah's
were, by a seraph, with a live coal from the altar, Isaiah 6:7, thereby
restoring him to his speech, and giving him freedom and boldness to make use of
it; and removing from him his impurity, and a sense of it, which occasioned his
silence:
then I opened my mouth, and spake freely, and yet with all
becoming modesty:
and said unto him that stood before me, O lord; the angel
that appeared in the likeness of a man, and stood before the prophet, and
touched his lips, whom he calls "lord"; not because of sovereignty
and dominion over him, which belong to Christ, as the Creator of all things,
and Head of the church; but for honour's sake, being a noble and exalted
creature:
by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me; on sight of
the glorious object represented to him in the vision, pains seized his body in
all parts of it, sharp and pungent, like those of a woman in travail. GussetiusF25Comment.
Ebr. p. 713. interprets it of the knuckle bones, which turned in the pan of
them, like the hinges of a door, of which the word is used, Proverbs 26:14, and
this through the tendons being loosed by the dissipation of the spirits; and
this sense the Vulgate Latin version gives countenance to,
my joints are dissolved; the Septuagint, Syriac,
and Arabic versions, are, "my inward parts or bowels are turned in me: and
I have retained no strength"; See Gill on Daniel 10:8.
Daniel 10:17 17 For
how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength
remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
YLT 17And how is the servant of
this my lord able to speak with this my lord? as for me, henceforth there
remaineth in me no power, yea, breath hath not been left in me.
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord?.... Or,
"talk with that my lord?"F26עם אדני זה "cum domino meo
illo", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Junius & Tremellius. pointing to
the man clothed in linen, who appeared so glorious, and whom Daniel knew to be
more than a man; and therefore he, who was a mere mortal sinful man, and
reckoned himself a servant of the angel of the Lord that was now before him,
and had touched him, and was conversing with him, and to whom he was greatly
inferior, must be very unfit and unworthy to have conversation with one that
was infinitely above him; "with such an one", his Lord, as NoldiusF1Concord.
Ebr. Part. p. 353. renders it, as Christ the Son of God, the Head of angels,
King of kings, and Lord of lords; what was he, dust and ashes, that he should
speak unto him, or be admitted to any discourse with him? so sensible was he of
the greatness of Christ, and of his own frailty, sinfulness, and nothingness;
for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me; as soon as
ever he saw this great and glorious person; See Gill on Daniel 10:8,
neither is there breath left in me: when he fainted away,
and became like a dead man; and though he was raised up again, and set upon his
feet, and had a little recovered his speech, yet it was with great difficulty
that he breathed and spoke; as it is with men when their spirits are greatly
oppressed, it is as if their life and soul were gone out of them, and they move
more like dead than living men.
Daniel 10:18 18 Then
again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened
me.
YLT 18`And he addeth, and
striketh against me, as the appearance of a man, and strengtheneth me,
Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a
man,.... Or one like a man again touched him; the same that touched
him before, Daniel 10:16,
perhaps Gabriel, since he uses the same language in the following verse as he
does Daniel 10:11,
and he strengthened me; both in body and mind,
by his free and familiar conversation with him, and the comfortable words he
spoke to him, a divine power accompanying them for that purpose.
Daniel 10:19 19 And
he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong,
yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord
speak, for you have strengthened me.”
YLT 19and he saith: Do not fear,
O man greatly desired, peace to thee, be strong, yea, be strong; and when he
speaketh with me, I have strengthened myself, and I say, Let my lord speak, for
thou hast strengthened me.
And said, O man, greatly beloved,..... Or, "man of
desires", as before, Daniel 10:11, which
shows it to be the same here speaking as there, and probably Gabriel:
fear not; for a man has nothing to fear, from men or devils, that is
beloved of the Lord; and especially from good angels, how glorious and majestic
soever they are:
peace be unto thee; all prosperity of body and soul; inward
peace of mind, a freedom from all hurry of thought, and commotion of the
passions, and eternal peace and joy in the world to come:
be strong, yea, be strong; take heart, pull up the
spirits, be of good courage, play the man; be strong in the Lord, and in his
grace, and fear nothing: the word is repeated for the greater encouragement:
and when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened: divine power
going along with his word; the prophet found his bodily strength renewed, his
spirits revived, his heart cheerful, and his soul comforted, and all fear and
dread removed from him; which was owing to the energy of divine grace; for
otherwise not only men, but angels too, would speak in vain:
and said, let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me; and so was
able to bear the sight of him, support in his presence, and hear his words, and
take in what he said, which before he was unfit for; so an angel may be an
instrument of strengthening a saint, yea, a prophet, and even our Lord Jesus Christ
himself as man, Luke 22:43.
Daniel 10:20 20 Then
he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight
with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of
Greece will come.
YLT 20And he saith, Hast thou
known why I have come unto thee? and now I turn back to fight with the head of
Persia; yea, I am going forth, and lo, the head of Javan hath come;
Then said he, knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee?.... He had
told him before, Daniel 10:12, that
it was on account of his prayers, and to bring an answer to them; and
particularly to inform him what would befall his people in the latter day; and
now, lest, through the hurry of his spirits, he had not observed it, or had
forgot it, he reminds him of it, to stir up his desire the more after the
knowledge of particulars, which he was now about to relate unto him: and now
will I return to fight with the prince of Persia; the evil spirit, in the court
of Persia, he had been contesting with before, and had got the better of by the
help of Michael; but since this good angel had been with Daniel, the evil one
had been working upon the king and counsellors of Persia, and had wrought them
up to an indifference unto, or carelessness about, the affairs of the people of
the Jews, and to listen to their adversaries, whereby the building of the city
and temple went on heavily and slowly; and so things were, through the evil
influence of Satan, more or less, until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes
Longimanus: and, indeed, Satan was continually soliciting mischief against the
Jews, and stirring up enemies to them in the court of Persia, as long as that
monarchy lasted, though he had not always the wished for success; the times of
Esther and Mordecai are a proof of this:
and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come; meaning, when
he was gone forth from the court of Persia, having done his business he was
sent about; confounded the schemes and baffled the designs of the evil spirit,
conquered him, and obliged him to give way, and cease from being troublesome
any more, and obtained peace and rest for the Jews, and settled their affairs:
the Persian monarchy being translated to the Grecians, the evil spirit began to
work among them, to put them on doing mischief to the people of God; as in
Alexander himself, who set out against them, but was pacified by the meeting of
the high priest; and more especially in his successors; and above all in
Antiochus, who was a violent persecutor of them; which this clause, as well as
the following prophecy, has a respect unto.
Daniel 10:21 21 But
I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me
against these, except Michael your prince.
YLT 21but I declare to thee that
which is noted down in the Writing of Truth, and there is not one strengthening
himself with me, concerning these, except Michael your head.
But I will show that which is noted in the Scripture of truth,.... Not in
the written word, though there are many things relating to what should befall
the Jews in the latter day, especially in Deuteronomy 28:1
but in the decrees and purposes of God, which are sometimes signified by a
book, and things written in it; because so particular and distinct, and so sure
and certain, and which will be most truly, infallibly, and punctually
performed: these are "noted", marked, engraven, in the eternal mind
of God; they are "in writing", and they are "truth"F2את הרשום ככתב
אמת "quod exaratum est in Scripto, in Scripto
verace", Piscator. , as it may be rendered, since there is a
distinguishing accent between "Scripture" and "truth": they
are written in the book of God's decrees, and are his true and faithful words
and sayings, and will most surely be accomplished: now these are the deep
things of God, which angels themselves know nothing of, till they are revealed
unto them: the angel here having a revelation of such of them as concerned the
future monarchies of the earth, and the case of the Jews under them, promises
to show them to Daniel; which was the work he was appointed to do:
and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but
Michael your Prince; Christ the Prince of the kings of the earth, he was the Prince,
Protector, and Guardian of the people of the Jews; he is the Angel that went
before them in the wilderness, and guarded them in it, and guided them into the
land of Canaan; he is the Angel of God's presence, that bore, carried, and
saved them all the days of old, and was their King and their God, their
Defender and Deliverer, still; he took their part, and was on their side; yea,
he was on the side of, and took part with, them that were for them, the holy
angels; and there was none but him that exerted his power, and strengthened
Gabriel to act for them in "these things" relating to their peace and
prosperity: or, "against these"F3על
אלה "contra illos", Piscator, Gejerus. , as
it may be rendered; against the princes of Persia and Greece, the evil spirits
that worked in these kingdoms, in the children of disobedience there; and had
it not been for him, and the exertion of his mighty power, it would have been
soon all over with the people of the Jews; as it would be now with the church
of Christ, of which they were typical, but the Lord is on their side; Michael
the Archangel, and his angels under him, fight for it, protect and defend it;
and since he is for his people, who shall be against them? or to what purpose
will an opposition be? the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church of
God, the saints of the most High.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)