Daniel 10:11

11 And he said to me, Thou, Daniel, a man of desires, understand the words which I speak to thee, and stand in thy degree; for now I am sent to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood quaking. (And he said to me, O Daniel, a man much beloved, understand the words which I speak to thee, and stand upright; for I am now sent to thee. And when he had said these words to me, I stood up, trembling and shaking.)

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 And I heard the voice of his words, and I heard, and lay astonied on my face, and my face cleaved to the earth. (And I heard the sound of his words, and as I listened, I fell down on my face astonished, with my face to the ground.)
10 And lo! an hand touched me, and raised me on my knees, and on the toes of my feet [and upon the fingers of mine hands].
11 And he said to me, Thou, Daniel, a man of desires, understand the words which I speak to thee, and stand in thy degree; for now I am sent to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood quaking. (And he said to me, O Daniel, a man much beloved, understand the words which I speak to thee, and stand upright; for I am now sent to thee. And when he had said these words to me, I stood up, trembling and shaking.)
12 And he said to me, Daniel, do not thou dread, for from the first day in which thou settedest thine heart to understand, that thou shouldest torment thee in the sight of thy God, thy words were heard, and I came for thy words. (And he said to me, Daniel, do not thou fear, for from the first day when thou settest thy heart to understand, and that thou didest torment, or humble, thyself before thy God, thy prayers were heard, and I came because of thy prayers/and I came in answer to thy prayers.)
13 Forsooth the prince of the realm of Persians against-stood me one and twenty days, and lo! Michael, one of the first princes, came into mine help, and I dwelled still there beside the king of Persians. (And the angel prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me for twenty-one days, and lo! Michael, one of the chief angels/one of the chief princes, came to my help, because I still lived there with the prince of Persia.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.