Daniel 10

11. man . . .
understand--"attend to." See Daniel 8:17 Daniel 8:18 .

12. Fear not--Be not affrighted at my presence.
didst set thine heart to understand--what shall come to pass to thy people at the last times (compare Daniel 10:14 ).
chasten thyself--( Daniel 10:2 Daniel 10:3 ).
thy words were heard--( Acts 10:4 ). Prayer is heard at once in heaven, though the sensible answer may seem to be delayed. God's messenger was detained on the way ( Daniel 10:13 ) by the opposition of the powers of darkness. If in our prayers amidst long protracted sorrows we believed God's angel is on his way to us, what consolation it would give us!
for thy words--because of thy prayers.

13. prince of . . . Persia--the angel of darkness that represented the Persian world power, to which Israel was then subject. This verse gives the reason why, though Daniel's "words were heard from the first day" ( Daniel 10:12 ), the good angel did not come to him until more than three weeks had elapsed ( Daniel 10:4 ).
one and twenty days--answering to the three weeks of Daniel's mourning ( Daniel 10:2 ).
Michael--that is, "Who is like God?" Though an archangel, "one of the chief princes," Michael was not to be compared to God.
help me--Michael, as patron of Israel before God ( Daniel 10:21 , 12:1 ), "helped" to influence the Persian king to permit the Jews' return to Jerusalem.
I remained--I was detained there with the kings of Persia, that is, with the angel of the Persian rulers, with whom I had to contend, and from whom I should not have got free, but for the help of Michael. GESENIUS translates, "I obtained the ascendency," that is, I gained my point against the adverse angel of Persia, so as to influence the Persian authorities to favor Israel's restoration.

14. what shall befall thy people in the latter days--an intimation that the prophecy, besides describing the doings of Antiochus, reaches to the concluding calamities of Israel's history, prior to the nation's full restoration at Christ's coming--calamities of which Antiochus' persecutions were the type.
vision is for many days--that is, extends far into the future.

15. face toward the ground--in humble reverence ( Genesis 19:1 ).
dumb--with overwhelming awe.

16. touched my lips--the same significant action wherewith the Son of man accompanied His healing of the dumb ( Mark 7:33 ). He alone can give spiritual utterance ( Isaiah 6:6 Isaiah 6:7 , Ephesians 6:19 ), enabling one to "open the mouth boldly." The same one who makes dumb ( Daniel 10:15 ) opens the mouth.
sorrows--literally, "writhings" as of a woman in travail.

17. this . . . this my lord--to avoid the tautology in English Version, join rather "this," with "servant," "How can this servant of my lord (that is, how can I who am so feeble) talk with this my lord (who is so majestic)?" Thus Daniel gives the reason why he is so overwhelmed with awe [MAURER].

18. again . . . touched me--It was gradually that Daniel recovered his strength. Hence there was need of the second touch, that he might hear the angel with composure.

19. peace be unto thee--God is favorable to thee and to thy people Israel. See Judges 13:21 Judges 13:22 , as to the fear of some evil resulting from a vision of angels.

20. Knowest thou wherefore--The angel asks, after Daniel had recovered from his fright, whether he has understood what was revealed ( Daniel 10:13 ). On Daniel, by his silence, intimating that he did understand, the angel declares he will return to renew the fight with the evil angel, the prince of Persia. This points to new difficulties to the Jews' restoration which would arise in the Persian court, but which would be counteracted by God, through the ministry of angels.
prince of Grecia shall come--Alexander the Great, who conquered Persia, and favored the Jews [CALVIN]. Rather, as the prince of Persia is an angel, representing the hostile world power, so the prince of Grecia is a fresh angelic adversary, representing Greece. When I am gone forth from conquering the Persian foe, a fresh one starts up, namely, the world power that succeeds Persia, Greece; Antiochus Epiphanes, and his antitype Antichrist, but him, too, with the help of Michael, Israel's champion, I shall overcome [GEJER].

21. noted in the scripture of truth--in the secret book of God's decrees ( Psalms 139:16 , Revelation 5:1 ), which are truth, that is, the things which shall most surely come to pass, being determined by God (compare John 17:17 ).
none . . . but Michael--To him alone of the angels the office of protecting Israel, in concert with the angelic speaker, was delegated; all the world powers were against Israel.