Daniel 10:17

17 How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I'm paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!'

Daniel 10:17 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 10:17

For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my
lord?
&c.] Or, "talk with that my lord?" F26 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 Noldius F1 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (hz ynda Me) "cum domino meo illo", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Junius & Tremellius.
F1 Concord. Ebr. Part. p. 353.

Daniel 10:17 In-Context

15 "While he was saying all this, I looked at the ground and said nothing.
16 Then I was surprised by something like a human hand that touched my lips. I opened my mouth and started talking to the messenger: 'When I saw you, master, I was terror-stricken. My knees turned to water. I couldn't move.
17 How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I'm paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!'
18 "Then this humanlike figure touched me again and gave me strength.
19 He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.' "Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage.'
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.