Daniel 10:11

11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed to the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling.

Daniel 10:11 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 10:11

And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved
Or, "a man of desires" F21; a most desirable man, lovely to God and men; the same epithet Gabriel gives him, ( Daniel 9:22 Daniel 9:23 ) , 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" F23, 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (twdmx vya) "vir desideriorum", V. L.
F23 (Kdme-le dme) "sta super stare tuum", Montanus, Calvin; "sta in statione tua", Piscator; "super statione tua", Michaelis.

Daniel 10:11 In-Context

9 Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground.
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed to the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.