Daniel 10:9-21

10:9 I listened to his voice, ¹  and as I did so ²  I fell into a trance-like sleep with my face to the ground. 10:10 Then ³  a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. ⁴  10:11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are of great value. ⁵  Understand the words that I am about to ⁶  speak to you. So stand up, ⁷  for I have now been sent to you.” When he said this ⁸  to me, I stood up shaking. 10:12 Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind ⁹  to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. 10:13 However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But ¹⁰  Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there ¹¹  with the kings of Persia. 10:14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days.”

10:15 While he was saying this to me, ¹²  I was flat on ¹³  the ground and unable to speak. 10:16 Then ¹⁴  one who appeared to be a human being ¹⁵  was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, ¹⁶  due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength. 10:17 How, sir, am I able to speak with you? ¹⁷  My strength is gone, ¹⁸  and I am breathless.” 10:18 Then the one who appeared to be a human being touched me again ¹⁹  and strengthened me. 10:19 He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are valued. ²⁰  Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, ²¹  for you have given me strength.” 10:20 He said, “Do you know why I have come to you? ²²  Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming. 10:21 However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. ²³  (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, ²⁴  except Michael your ²⁵  prince.

[10:9]  ¹ tc Heb “I heard the sound of his words.” These words are absent in the LXX and the Syriac.

[10:9]  ² tn Heb “as I listened to the sound of his words.”

[10:10]  ³ tn Heb “Behold.”

[10:10]  ⁴ tc Theodotion lacks “and the palms of my hands.”

[10:10]  tn Heb “on my knees and the palms of my hands.”

[10:11]  ⁵ tn Or “a treasured person”; KJV “a man greatly beloved”; NASB “man of high esteem.”

[10:11]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew participle is often used, as here, to refer to the imminent future.

[10:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “stand upon your standing.”

[10:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “spoke this word.”

[10:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “gave your heart.”

[10:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and behold.”

[10:13]  ¹¹ tc The Greek version of Theodotion reads “I left him [i.e., Michael] there,” and this is followed by a number of English translations (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[10:15]  ¹² tn Heb “speaking to me according to these words.”

[10:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “I placed my face toward.”

[10:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Behold.”

[10:16]  ¹⁵ tc So most Hebrew MSS; one Hebrew MS along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX read “something that looked like a man’s hand.”

[10:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my lord,” here a title of polite address. Cf. v. 19.

[10:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “How is the servant of this my lord able to speak with this my lord?”

[10:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “does not stand.”

[10:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “He added and touched me.” The construction is a verbal hendiadys.

[10:19]  ²⁰ tn Heb “treasured man.”

[10:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “my lord may speak.”

[10:20]  ²² sn The question is rhetorical, intended to encourage reflection on Daniel’s part.

[10:21]  ²³ tn Heb “a book of truth.” Several English versions treat this as a title of some sort (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although the NAB’s rendering “the truthful book” regards “truth” as an attributive adjective, as does the present translation.

[10:21]  ²⁴ tn The word “princes” is supplied for clarity.

[10:21]  ²⁵ tn The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, suggesting that Michael is the angelic prince of Daniel and his people.