Daniel 10:2-9 · Bible study
Daniel 10:2-9 Commentary: Mourning, Fasting, and a Glorious Vision
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Daniel mourned three weeks, the heavenly vision he received, and what this passage reveals about prayer, fasting, and divine encounters.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Daniel’s three-week fast of mourning, prompted by his people’s distress, leads to a vision of a glorious heavenly messenger that reduces the prophet to utter weakness.
- Key words: “Mourning” (H56, formal lament); “pleasant bread” (bread of desires, i.e., rich food); “great vision” (theophanic appearance); “deep sleep” (trance or unconsciousness from awe).
- Main debate: Whether the man in linen is the pre-incarnate Christ (Gill, Wesley) or a high-ranking angel, possibly Gabriel (Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Theological theme: The holiness of God and the proper human response: humble fasting, intense prayer, and utter dependence in the face of divine glory.
- Best use: Teaching on persistent intercession paired with a recognition that God’s presence may first undo us before it builds us up.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.
3I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.
4On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
5I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
6His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but a great terror fell upon them, and they ran and hid themselves.
8So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision. No strength remained in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.
9I heard the sound of his words, and as I listened, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.
WEB World English Bible 2000
2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.
3I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4In the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel,
5I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose waist was adorned with pure gold of Uphaz.
6His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches. His arms and his feet were like burnished bronze. The voice of his words was like the voice of a multitude.
7I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
8So I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength remained in me; for my face grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength.
9Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.
KJV King James Version 1769
2In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.
3I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel,
5I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz:
6his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like unto burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
8So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
2`In those days, I, Daniel, have been mourning three weeks of days;
3desirable bread I have not eaten, and flesh and wine hath not come in unto my mouth, and I have not anointed myself at all, till the completion of three weeks of days.
4`And in the twenty and fourth day of the first month, I have been by the side of the great river, that is Hiddekel:
5and I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, a certain one clothed in linen, and his loins girt with pure gold of Uphaz,
6and his body as a beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet as the aspect of bright brass, and the voice of his words as the voice of a multitude.
7`And I have seen--I, Daniel, by myself--the appearance: and the men who have been with me have not seen the appearance, but a great trembling hath fallen on them, and they flee to be hidden;
8and I have been left by myself, and I see this great appearance, and there hath been no power left in me, and my honour hath been turned in me to corruption, yea, I have not retained power.
9`And I hear the voice of his words, and when I hear the voice of his words, then I have been in a trance on my face, and my face is to the earth;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
2In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks:
3I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three full weeks were fulfilled.
4And on the four-and-twentieth day of the first month, I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel:
5and I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz;
6and his body was like a chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as torches of fire, and his arms and his feet as the look of burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7And I Daniel alone saw the vision; and the men that were with me saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
8And I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; and my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9And I heard the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, I fell into a deep stupor on my face, and my face to the ground.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
2In those days I, Daniel, mourned the days of three weeks.
3I ate no desirable bread, and neither flesh, nor wine, entered into my mouth, neither was I anointed with ointment: till the days of three weeks were accomplished.
4And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, I was by the great river, which is the Tigris.
5And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw: and behold a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with the finest gold:
6And his body was like the chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lamp: and his arms, and all downward even to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass: and the voice of his word like the voice of a multitude.
7And I, Daniel alone, saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw it not: but an exceeding great terror fell upon them, and they fled away, and hid themselves.
8And I, being left alone, saw this great vision: and there remained no strength in me, and the appearance of my countenance was changed in me, and I fainted away, and retained no strength.
9And I heard the voice of his words: and when I heard I lay in a consternation upon my face, and my face was close to the ground.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 10:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Daniel’s three-week mourning (vv.2-3) was an extraordinary fast prompted by grief for his people. The motive, as Barnes and the Cambridge Bible infer from verse 12, was likely the discouraging state of the returned exiles, who faced opposition from Samaritans (Ezra 4:4-5). Calvin notes that Cyrus had left Babylon, leaving the work vulnerable. The fast ended on the 24th day of Nisan (v.4), the month of Passover. What follows is a vision of a glorious being (vv.5-6) described in terms that Clarke and others compare directly to the risen Christ in Revelation 1:13-15: linen garment, gold girdle, lightning face, flaming eyes, bronze limbs, voice like a multitude. The men with Daniel felt a terror but saw nothing (v.7); Daniel alone saw the vision, and it left him completely drained of strength, his face deathly pale (v.8). He then fell into a deep sleep on hearing the being’s voice (v.9). The consensus recognizes this as a theophanic appearance of a heavenly messenger, some see the pre-incarnate Son (e.g., Gill, Wesley), others regard it as an angel of the highest rank (Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch). All agree the passage depicts an overwhelming divine encounter that reduced the prophet to utter weakness, preparing him to receive further revelation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Pre-incarnate Christ: Parallels to Revelation 1:13-16; divine attributes (lightning, fire, voice of multitude); priestly and kingly adornment; Daniel’s reaction of utter collapse is typical of theophany encounters.
- High-ranking angel (possibly Gabriel or the angel of the Lord): The figure is “sent” (v.11); he is not worshiped as God; Michael is mentioned alongside him (v.13); earlier visions in Daniel are mediated by Gabriel (Dan 8:16, 9:21).
What is clear: Daniel experienced a genuine, objective supernatural encounter with a glorious heavenly being, which left him physically and emotionally devastated and prepared him to receive further prophecy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the heavenly messenger | He is an overwhelmingly glorious being sent from God; his appearance mirrors that of the Son of Man in Revelation 1:13-16. | Some (Gill, Wesley, Matthew Henry) identify him as the pre-incarnate Christ on the basis of his divine attributes and priestly/royal dress. Others (Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge Bible) see him as a high angel, perhaps Gabriel, noting that the figure receives commands from another voice in Daniel 12:6-7. |
| Purpose of Daniel’s three-week fast | Daniel was mourning out of concern for his people and their situation in the post-exilic period. | Some say the fast was directly preparatory for receiving the vision (Lange, Calvin). Others emphasize it as a spontaneous response to bad news that God then used as a setting for revelation (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). |
| Literal vs. visionary location | Daniel was physically by the Tigris River when the vision occurred. | Keil & Delitzsch argue for a real, non-visionary setting, contrasting with Daniel 8:2 (vision at the Ulai). Others, noting the “sleep” in v.9, suggest the vision may have been a dream-state or ecstatic experience while awake. |
| The nature of the “deep sleep” (v.9) | It was a state of unconsciousness or trance caused by the overwhelming presence of the heavenly being. | Some interpret it as a literal fainting (Clarke, YLT). Others see it as a prophetic trance like that of Ezekiel (Keil & Delitzsch), a passive state receptive to divine communication. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The vision is dated to the third year of Cyrus king of Persia (Daniel 10:1), roughly 535 BC. Two years earlier, Cyrus had decreed the Jews could return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1). But opposition from local adversaries had stalled the work (Ezra 4:4-5). Daniel, still in Babylon (though some suggest he may have traveled to the Tigris), received troubling reports. The Cambridge Bible and Lange note that the “first month” (Nisan) contained Passover (14th-21st), so Daniel’s fast spanned and extended beyond that feast, a deliberate posture of mourning rather than celebration.
Daniel was by “the great river, Hiddekel” (the Tigris, v.4). This location may be literal; Keil & Delitzsch stress that Daniel was there in reality, not merely in a vision, unlike his earlier vision at the Ulai canal (Daniel 8:2). The twenty-one days of abstinence coincide with the angel’s explanation in Daniel 10:13: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days.” Daniel’s fasting, though begun without knowing the spiritual battle, paralleled and supported the angelic conflict. This interlocking chronology underscores the reality of spiritual warfare and the efficacy of persistent prayer.
The description of the heavenly figure draws heavily on priestly and royal imagery. The linen garment recalls the high priest’s vestments (Exodus 28:42), while the gold girdle, gleaming bronze, and lightning-like face echo Ezekiel’s visions (Ezekiel 1:4-7, 27-28). The voice “like a multitude” suggests overwhelming power and authority. The men with Daniel experienced a “great quaking”, a reverential terror that drove them to hide, though they saw nothing. Their response verifies that the encounter was objective, not merely subjective.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources do not mention significant textual variants for Daniel 10:2-9. The Hebrew text is well preserved across manuscripts, and the differences among English translations (e.g., “deep sleep” vs. “trance”) reflect interpretive choices rather than genuine textual uncertainty. The only minor variation is the spelling of “Hiddekel” (Tigris), which is uniform in the tradition.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions primarily through two lenses. The earliest church fathers often saw the man in linen as a Christophany, a pre-incarnation appearance of the Son of God. The Geneva Bible, Gill, and Wesley continued this view into the Reformation era, emphasizing the divine attributes described. Calvin and many modern commentators treat the figure as a high angel, noting that the messenger later says he was “sent” (v.11) and names Michael as a helper (v.13). The vision’s imagery strongly influenced the portrayal of the risen Christ in Revelation 1:13-16, as Clarke and others observe. In liturgical tradition, the description has been sung in hymns of divine majesty (e.g., “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” echoes the light imagery). For the Reformed and Puritan streams, this passage was a textbook example of the proper human response to divine holiness, self-abasement and silence before God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Mourning that prepares the heart (vv.2-3). Daniel’s three-week fast was not a formula to force a vision. It arose from genuine grief for his people’s sin and suffering. He identified with their trouble, not from a distance but personally, setting aside the comforts of his high position in Babylon.
- Glory that overwhelms (vv.4-6). The messenger’s appearance combines priestly linen, kingly gold, and divine fire, the full weight of heaven’s majesty. This is not a gentle visit but a revelation that undoes human strength, exactly as the risen Christ later appeared to John in Patmos (Revelation 1:13-16).
- Weakness that opens the door (vv.7-9). Daniel’s total collapse, no strength, deathly pale, deep sleep on his face, is not failure. It is the proper human response before God’s holiness. The vision does not destroy him; it empties him so that God can fill him with the words to come.
Five-point outline
- The context: trouble in the community (v.2). Daniel’s personal mourning reflects corporate distress. The returned exiles faced opposition, and Daniel carried their burden.
- The discipline: three weeks of self-denial (v.3). No pleasant bread, no meat, no wine, no anointing. He lived as a mourner, setting aside the markers of normal life to seek God.
- The setting: by the great river (v.4). A solitary place, away from the palace. Daniel was in a physical location that became the site of a divine encounter.
- The revelation: a man of glory (vv.5-6). Seven details of the heavenly messenger, linen, gold, beryl, lightning, fire, bronze, multitude-voice, each echoing the tabernacle, theophany, and the Son of Man.
- The response: terror, weakness, and sleep (vv.7-9). For Daniel’s companions: fear and flight. For Daniel: collapse. The pattern of revelation in Scripture often moves from human inability to divine enablement.
Illustration hooks
- Waiting for an answer. A student prays for weeks before a difficult exam with no apparent breakthrough, then suddenly the moment of clarity comes. Daniel’s three weeks remind us that prayer often involves persistent waiting before the answer arrives.
- Being undone. A parent receives devastating news about a child and cannot stand, cannot think, can only cry out. Daniel’s loss of strength is a picture of the human frame collapsing under the weight of the divine, or the weight of grief. Either way, God meets us in our weakness.
- The power of shared trouble. A church fasting together during a time of crisis. Daniel’s mourning was personal, but the men with him felt the effect, a powerful reminder that one person’s intercession can affect those nearby.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I fast and pray for three weeks and hear nothing, am I doing something wrong?
- How can I know if an overwhelming experience is from God or just emotional exhaustion?
- Why would a loving God show himself in such terrifying glory instead of gentle comfort?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us into the discipline of intercession and the awe of divine encounter. Daniel’s three weeks of mourning were not about manipulating God; they were about aligning his heart with God’s concerns. The vision that followed was both stunning and shattering. As you discuss these verses, let them challenge your assumptions about prayer, fasting, and what it means to meet God.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What specific actions did Daniel take during the three weeks (vv.2-3)? What did he give up, and what does that tell you about the intensity of his mourning?
- Observation: Look at the description of the heavenly being in vv.5-6. Make a list of every detail. Which details strike you as most powerful, and why?
- Interpretation: Why do you think Daniel’s companions felt terror and fled, even though they saw nothing (v.7)? What might this say about the spiritual reality that surrounds us unseen?
- Interpretation: Some Christians see “the man clothed in linen” as the pre-incarnate Christ; others see a high angel. What reasons might support each view, based on the text and its cross-references?
- Interpretation: Daniel’s strength drained away, and he fell into a deep sleep (vv.8-9). How does this response compare with other biblical encounters with divine or angelic beings (e.g., Isaiah 6:1-5, Revelation 1:17)?
- Application: What would it mean for you to “mourn” over the brokenness in your community or in the church? What practical steps could you take this week to carry that burden before God?
- Application: The angel came after three weeks, in God’s timing. How does this encourage you to persist in prayer even when answers seem delayed?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezra 9:4 | Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me because of the trespass of the exiles; and I sat confounded until the evening offering. |
| Ezra 9:5 | At the evening offering I rose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God; |
| Nehemiah 1:4 | When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, |
| Psalms 42:9 | I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” |
| Psalms 43:2 | For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? |
| Psalms 137:1 | By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. |
| Psalms 137:5 | If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. |
| Isaiah 66:10 | “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a parallel between Daniel's vision and the description of Christ in Revelation 1, and notes that the men with Daniel felt a divine influence but did not see the appearance, just as at Saul's conversion. He also clarifies that Daniel's three-week fast meant coarse food, water only, and no bathing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Daniel's three-week fast was not aimed at earning a vision but arose from deep distress over his people's struggles. The vision came at the close of this prolonged devotion, showing that sincere, extended seasons of prayer prepare the heart to receive clear divine communications, even when the fast was not intended to produce such a result.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin explains that Daniel's three weeks of mourning were not a ritual fast but a response to the halted temple rebuilding, which made God's promises seem like a deception. He distinguishes these literal "weeks of days" from the symbolic "weeks of years" in Daniel 9, emphasizing that Daniel's grief prepared him for prayer, not for earning God's favor.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Daniel's twenty-one-day mourning was likely driven by grief over his people's sin and anxiety for their future, not by a absolute fast; he merely abstained from rich food and anointing. The vision came during Passover and Unleavened Bread, and the dazzling being described recasts Ezekiel's imagery. The sight left Daniel alone, drained of strength, his face disfigured by pallor, and collapsed into a deep sleep.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes emphasize Daniel's total physical and emotional collapse at the heavenly vision. Even after three weeks of fasting and mourning, the sight of the divine messenger leaves him helpless, his strength turning to decay. This shows that no human preparation can withstand the overwhelming glory of God's presence.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the man clothed in linen not as an angel but as the Son of God appearing in human form before his incarnation. The priestly garments and golden girdle symbolize Christ's office, purity, and the love that would compel him to become humanity's sacrifice.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Daniel's three-week fast expressed sorrow for his struggling countrymen, not a binding religious obligation. He also notes the vision came late because of the prince of Persia's opposition, and marks a progression in revelation from visible theophany to inward prophecy to apocalyptic angelic messages.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch identify the heavenly figure Daniel saw as no ordinary angel but a manifestation of Jehovah himself, the pre-incarnate Christ or Logos. They build this case by comparing his appearance to Ezekiel's vision of God's glory and John's vision of the glorified Son of Man in Revelation, rejecting interpretations that would make him Gabriel or Michael.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange interprets the prince of Persia as a demonic guardian angel who opposed God's messenger for twenty-one days, revealing an
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry's emphasis falls on the absolute trustworthiness of what Daniel received. The vision was true because every word from God is true, and Daniel solemnly confirmed both the fact of the revelation and its content on his authority as a prophet.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads Daniel's mourning as a direct response to foreseen calamities that would come upon the Jews for their sins, especially for killing the Messiah and rejecting his gospel. He identifies the majestic figure by the Tigris River as Christ, appearing in royal and priestly robes.