Daniel 10:13

We cannot possibly doubt that this prince of the kingdom of the Persians was a hostile power that befriended the nation of the Persians as an enemy of God's people. For in order to hinder the good which he saw would result from the archangel's solution to the question for which the prophet prayed to the Lord, in his jealousy he strove to prevent the saving comfort of the angel from reaching Daniel too speedily and strengthening the people of God, over which the archangel Gabriel was set.

But who is Michael, but the angel who is granted to the people, as he says to Moses, "I will not go with you on the way because the people are stiff necked, but my angel will go with you"? [Exodus 33:3] This one stood against Moses in the encampment when he carried the uncircumcised boy [Exodus 4:24-25] to Egypt. For it was not possible for Moses to be the elder and mediator of the law, who also announced the covenant of the fathers, and also to lead the uncircumcised boy, so that he may not be considered by the people as a false prophet and a deceiver.

Withstood me - God suffered the wicked counsels of Cambyses to take place awhile; but Daniel by his prayers, and the angel by his power, overcame him at last: and this very thing laid a foundation of the ruin of the Persian monarchies. Michael - Michael here is commonly supposed to mean Christ.

Some understand it of a created angel, but an archangel of the highest order, 1 Thess. iv. Others think that Michael the archangel is no other than Christ himself, the angel of the covenant, and the Lord of the angels, he whom Daniel saw in vision,

9 Yet 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. This vision is dated in the third year of Cyrus, that is, of his reign after the conquest of Babylon, his third year since Daniel became acquainted with him and a subject to him. A general idea of this prophecy (

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But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days,....

And, though much was done against them by the kings of Persia (God permitting it), it is probably that much more mischief would have been done them, and they would have been quite ruined (witness Haman's plot) if God had not prevented it by the ministration of angels.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia - In explaining this very difficult verse it may be proper (1) to consider the literal sense of the words; (2) to deduce the fair meaning of the passage as thus explained; and (3) to notice the practical truths taught. The word rendered “prince” - שׂר s'ar - means, properly, a leader, commander, chief, as of troops, Gen 21:22; of a king’s body-guard, Gen 37:36; of cup-bearers, Gen 41:9; of a prison, Gen 39:21-22; of a flock, Gen 47:

Michael--that is, "Who is like God?" Though an archangel, "one of the chief princes," Michael was not to be compared to God. help me--Michael, as patron of Israel before God (Da 10:21;

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But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me - I think it would go far to make a legend or a precarious tale of this important place to endeavor to maintain that either a good or evil Angel Is intended here. Cyrus alone was the prince of Persia, and God had destined him to be the deliverer of his people; but there were some matters, of which we are not informed, that caused him to hesitate for some time. Fearing, probably, the greatness of the work, and not being fully satisfied of his ability to execute it, he therefore for a time resisted the secret inspirations which God had sent him. The opposition might be in reference to the building of the temple. But lo, Michael - Gabriel, who speaks, did not leave Cyrus till Michael came to take his place. Michael, he who is like God, sometimes appears to signify the Messiah, at other times the highest or chief archangel. Indeed there is no archangel mentioned in the whole Scripture but this one. See Jud 1:9; Rev 12:7.

In Daniel 10 we see Daniel's prayers fueling a heavenly battle in which Gabriel is sent with a prophetic message but is delayed until Michael, the archangel, comes and fights this Persian principality.

As unusual as it sounds, the angel sent to answer Daniel’s prayers had been delayed for 21 days by the demonic resistance in the spiritual realm.