In the third year of aCyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to bDaniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the cmessage was true and it referred to great conflict . And he understood the message and had an dunderstanding of the vision. Dan 8:26; Rev 19:9Dan 1:21; 6:28Dan 1:7Dan 8:26Dan 1:17; 2:21
2 In those days I, Daniel, had been amourning for three entire weeks.Ezra 9:4, 5; Neh 1:4 3 I aate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth; and I did not 1anoint myself at all for the full three weeks.I.e. apply perfumed oils or herbal ointments to refresh the body. As the ancient rabbis indicated, this may also imply that Daniel did not bathe, unless he was referring only to oiling his hair.Dan 6:18 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was on the bank of the great ariver Hiddekel which is the Tigris,Ezek 1:3; Dan 8:2 5 I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a 1certain man adressed in linen, whose loins were bgirded with a 2belt of pure cgold of Uphaz.This is most likely the angel Gabriel since he was the heavenly being sent by God to Daniel on the previous occasions.Over a man’s outer garment a type of belt or girdle was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips) and was normally made of leather. Expensive or embroidered girdles were also worn and were made of cotton, flax or silk. The girdle also served as a kind of pocket or pouch and was used to carry personal items such as a dagger, money or other necessary things.Ezek 9:2; Dan 12:6, 7Rev 1:13; 15:6Jer 10:9 6 His body also was like beryl with a golden luster, his face had the appearance of lightning, ahis eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and his feet like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words was like the noise of a multitude of people or the roaring of the sea. Rev 1:12-16; 19:6Rev 1:14; 2:18; 19:12 7 And I, Daniel, aalone saw the vision of this heavenly being, for the bmen who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great cpanic overwhelmed them, so they ran away to hide themselves.2 Kin 6:17-20Acts 9:7Ezek 12:18 8 So I was aleft alone and saw this great vision; yet bno strength was left in me, for my normal appearance turned to a deathly pale, and I grew weak and faint with fright.Gen 32:24Dan 7:28; 8:27; Hab 3:16 9 Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I afell on my face in a deep sleep, with my face toward the ground.Gen 15:12; Job 4:13; Dan 8:18
10 Then behold, a hand atouched me and set me unsteadily on my 1hands and knees.Lit knees and on the palms of my hands.Jer 1:9; Dan 8:18 11 So he said to me, “O aDaniel, you highly regarded and greatly beloved man, bunderstand the words that I am about to say to you and cstand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And while he was saying this word to me, I stood up dtrembling.Dan 10:19Dan 8:16, 17Ezek 2:1Job 4:14, 15 12 Then he said to me, “aDo not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on bhumbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response cto your words.Is 41:10, 14; Dan 10:19Dan 9:20-23; 10:2, 3Acts 10:30, 31 13 But the 1prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Then, behold, aMichael, one of the chief of the celestial princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.I.e. an evil angel representing the interests of Satan in Persia.Dan 10:21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7 14 Now I have come to amake you understand what will happen to your people in the blatter days, for the vision is in regard to the cdays yet to come.”Dan 8:16; 9:22Deut 31:29; Dan 2:28Dan 8:26; 12:4, 9
15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was aspeechless.Ezek 3:26; 24:27; Luke 1:20 16 And behold, aone who resembled the sons of men btouched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “O my lord, because of the vision canguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength.Dan 8:15Is 6:7; Jer 1:9Dan 7:15, 28; 8:17, 27; 10:8, 9 17 For ahow can such a weakened servant of my lord talk with such a being as my lord? For now there remains bno strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”Ex 24:10, 11; Is 6:1-5Dan 10:8
18 Then the one whose appearance was like that of a man touched me again, and he astrengthened me.Is 35:3, 4 19 He said, “O man, highly regarded and greatly beloved, ado not be afraid. Peace be to you; take bcourage and be strong.” Now when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have cstrengthened me.”Judg 6:23; Is 43:1; Dan 10:12Josh 1:6, 7, 9; Is 35:4Ps 138:3; 2 Cor 12:9 20 Then he said, “Do you understand fully why I came to you? Now I shall return to fight against the hostile 1prince of Persia; and when I have gone, behold, the 2aprince of Greece is about to come.See v 13.I.e. an evil angel representing the interests of Satan in Greece.Dan 8:21; 11:2 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the 1writing of atruth. There is no one who stands firmly with me and strengthens himself against these hostile spirit forces except bMichael, your prince the guardian of your nation.Perhaps a reference to the book of the living (Ex 32:32, 33; Ps 69:28).Dan 12:4Dan 10:13; Rev 12:7