Daniel 10 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~536 BC, the third year of Cyrus the Great over Babylon, roughly two years after he allowed exiled Jews to return home
Location
Babylonia, on the bank of the Tigris river, one of the two great rivers of what is now Iraq
Audience
Jewish readers living under foreign empires, both the exiles in Babylon and later generations facing pressure to abandon their faith
Situation
After three weeks of mourning and going without rich food, Daniel sees a shining figure by the river and collapses. The messenger explains that he was delayed twenty-one days by the ruler of the Persian kingdom until Michael came to help, and then begins the long final vision.
Key Background
Cyrus had already issued the decree letting Jews return to Jerusalem, but the returning community was small and struggling, so Daniel's grief fits a moment when the promised restoration looked thin. Ancient Near Eastern peoples commonly believed each nation had a heavenly patron, and this chapter uses that shared assumption to picture conflict behind the visible politics of Persia and Greece. Fasting from meat, wine and ointment for a set number of days was a recognised way of preparing to receive a divine message, and the physical collapse before a shining figure follows a standard pattern in Hebrew vision reports.
In the third year of king of Persia, a message was to Daniel (who had been given the name Belteshazzar). The message was true, and it concerned a He understood the message — it came to him through a vision.
At that time, I, Daniel, had been for three full weeks.
I ate no no meat or wine touched my lips, and I didn't use any on my skin for those entire three weeks.
On the twenty-fourth day of the I was standing on the bank of the great river — the
I looked up, and there in front of me was a man dressed in with a belt of from wrapped around his waist.
His body gleamed like beryl, his face blazed like lightning, his eyes burned like flaming torches, his arms and legs shone like bronze, and his voice thundered like the of a
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision. The men who were with me didn't see it, but a of hit them, and they ran and hid.
So I was left alone, staring at this overwhelming vision. All my strength drained out of me, my face went and I was completely helpless.
Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I listened, I on the ground, unconscious.
Then a me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
He said to me, "Daniel, you are Stand up and pay close attention to what I'm about to tell you, because I've been sent to you specifically." When he said this, I stood up, still shaking.
Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. From the very first day you to and before God, words were heard. I've come because of what you said."
But the of the of resisted me for Then one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I had been held up there with the kings of
"I've come to help you understand what will happen to in the This vision is about what's still to come in the future."
While he was saying this to me, I my the and couldn't speak.
Then who a being my I opened my mouth and started to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "My this vision has overwhelmed me with anguish, and I have no strength left."
"How can someone like me even talk to someone like you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can
Then the one who looked like a human being touched me again and me
He said, "Don't be afraid, you who are to you. Be — be As he spoke to me, I felt my strength return. I said, "Speak, my lord, because you've given me strength."
Then he said, "Do you know why I've come to you? Soon I'll go back to fight against the of and after that, the of will come."
"But first, I'll tell you what is written in the of No one stands with me against these forces except