Daniel 8:15
in Daniel 8While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
KJV
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
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This verse in Daniel 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision,.... The whole of the preceding vision, concerning the ram, he goat, and little horn, and what were done by them; the prophet not only affirms he saw this vision, but repeats the affirmation, expressing his own name, partly for the sake of emphasis, and partly for the greater confirmation of his words; wherefore it was a most impudent thing Porphyry to say, that the true Daniel never saw this vision; but what is here related was written after Antiochus's reign, and falsely ascribed to him.
This site's exposition
sought for the meaning
on Daniel 8:15-19
Daniel seeks the vision's meaning and one with the appearance of a man stands before him, then a voice between the banks of Ulai names him: Gabriel, make this man to understand. This is the first time any angel is named in Scripture, a distinction verified against the floor, Gabriel appearing again at 9:21 and then at Luke 1:19 and 1:26 to announce the births of John and Jesus. Daniel is addressed as son of man, a title the bench is careful to distinguish from the Son of man of chapter seven, here simply the messenger's address to a mortal, and Daniel falls on his face and is set upright to hear that the vision belongs to the time of the end.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
That these things are true, just as has been said, Daniel himself testifies. For he spoke in this way, "And it happened when I saw the vision and I sought to understand, and behold, there stood before me an appearance of a man, and I heard the voice of a man above the midst of the Ubal, and he called and he said, 'Gabriel cause him to understand that vision.' And he came and stood holding me, and when he came, I was astounded and fell upon my face and he said to me, 'Understand son of man. For the vision is for the end of time.' And while he spoke with me I was astounded and I fell upon my face upon the ground and he touched me and stood me on my feet and he said, 'Behold, I myself make known to you what will be at the end of wrath. For the vision is of the end of time. The ram which you saw, who had horns, he is the king of the Persians and Medes. And the male goat is king of the Greeks. And the great horn which was above the midst of his eyes, he is the first king. And after he is shattered, four horns stood up after him, four kings from his nation shall arise and not in his strength. And at the end of their kingdom, when their sins are full, a king, shameless in countenance, shall arise, and who understands riddles. And his rule shall be strong and not in his own strength and he shall destroy wonderful things and he shall prosper and he shall practice and he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people, and the yoke of his chain shall prosper. Cunning is in his hand and in his heart he shall be magnified and in cunning he shall destroy many and he shall stand for the destruction of many and he shall shatter people as eggs in a hand. And the vision of evening and morning which was said is true. […]
Verse 15. "And it came to pass that when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it." He beheld the vision by way of a picture or likeness, and he failed to understand it. Consequently, not everyone who sees comprehends what he has seen; it is just as if we read the Holy Scripture with our eyes and do not understand it with our heart, "...And behold, one stood before me who resembled the appearance of a man." Angels, after all, are not actually men by nature, but they resemble men in appearance.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 8 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"Now it came to pass, when I, Daniel, saw the vision and sought understanding: behold, there stood before me as it were the appearance of a man; and he cried out and said: Gabriel, make this one understand the vision." This illumination is aided through …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
One in the appearance of a man (who, some think, was Christ himself, for who besides could command angels?) orders Gabriel to make Daniel understand this vision. Sometimes God is pleased to make use of the ministration of angels, not only to protect his children, but to instruct them, to serve the kind intentions, not only of his providence, but of his grace.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v11-12
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
As the appearance of a man - Supposed to be the Messiah.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And it came to pass ... - Daniel saw the vision, but was unable to explain it. And sought for the meaning - Evidently by meditating on it, or endeavoring in his own mind to make it out. There stood before me as the appearance of a man - One having the appearance of a man. This was evidently Gabriel Dan 8:16, who now assumed a human form, and who was addressed by the voice from between the banks of the Ulai, and commenced to make known the meaning of the vision.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בִּרְאֹתִ֛י | biroti | when saw I | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| דָנִיֵּ֖אל | daniyel | Daniel | H1840 → | 24 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֶחָז֑וֹן | hechazon | the vision | H2377 → | 35 times |
| וָאֲבַקְשָׁ֣ה | vaavakshah | and I sought ! | H1245 → | 225 times |
| בִינָ֔ה | vinah | understanding | H998 → | 38 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֛ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עֹמֵ֥ד | ʾomed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לְנֶגְדִּ֖י | lenegdi | to before me | H5048 → | 151 times |
| כְּמַרְאֵה־ | kemareh- | like [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| גָֽבֶר׃ | gaver | a man | H1397 → |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בִּרְאֹתִ֛יwhen saw I
birotiH7200 →1300 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
דָנִיֵּ֖אלDaniel
daniyelH1840 →24 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הֶחָז֑וֹןthe vision
hechazonH2377 →35 times
וָאֲבַקְשָׁ֣הand I sought !
vaavakshahH1245 →225 times
בִינָ֔הunderstanding
vinahH998 →38 times
וְהִנֵּ֛הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עֹמֵ֥ד[was] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
לְנֶגְדִּ֖יto before me
lenegdiH5048 →151 times
כְּמַרְאֵה־like [the] appearance of
kemareh-H4758 →103 times
גָֽבֶר׃a man
gaverH1397 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 1:13and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
it leads to
- Daniel 10:16
And suddenly one with the likeness of a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and said to the one standing before me, “My lord, because of the vision, I am overcome…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 7:13
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led…
- Daniel 10:5–6
I 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.
- Revelation 15:6
And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests.
- Exodus 28:6–8
They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
- Daniel 10:16
Through
Daniel 10:16And suddenly one with the likeness of a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and said to the one standing before me, “My lord, because of the vision, I am overcome…
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:7
And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”
- Jeremiah 1:9
Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
- Daniel 8:27
I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
- Isaiah 6:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 8; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.27.1-2; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER EIGHT; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.