Daniel 10:11
in Daniel 10He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto me, O Daniel, thou man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright; for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
KJV
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
⋯
This verse in Daniel 10
Commentary
11 notes on this verseVerse 11. "And he said to me, 'Daniel, thou man of desires...'" It was fitting that he be addressed as a man of desires, for by dint of urgent prayer and affliction of body and the discipline of severe fasting he desired to learn of the future and to be informed of the secret counsels of God. Instead of "man of desires," Symmachus rendered it as "desirable man." The term is apt, for every saint possesses a beauty of soul and is beloved by the Lord.
This site's exposition
an hand touched me
on Daniel 10:10-14
The delay is explained: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days” until Michael came to help. Keil and Barnes name these princes as the text does; Michael Heiser reads them as a heavenly host set over the nations.
This site's exposition
a man who is highly precious
Barnes gives the Hebrew for highly precious as man of desires, and Symmachus gave desirable man. Jerome thought the words fit a man who sought God with prayer and fasting, and Augustine saw in the desires a longing to understand. Knowing he was precious did Daniel no harm, Spurgeon held.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Daniel, pay attention," … that is, learn and weigh carefully the mysteries of those things whose results you asked with constant prayer and with three weeks of mourning and fast.
I indeed maintain that even Gabriel in no other way foretells events to come than by the foreknowledge of the Spirit, by reason of the fact that one of the boons distributed by the Spirit is prophecy. And whence did he who was ordained to announce the mysteries of the vision to the man of desires derive the wisdom whereby he was enabled to teach hidden things, if not from the Holy Spirit? The revelation of mysteries is indeed the peculiar function of the Spirit, as it is written, "God has revealed them to us by his Spirit."
Daniel was called by the angel "a man of desires." What were those desires of his, but ardent longings for the beauty of wisdom? Because in his youth he had trampled on lust, as a prisoner he had crushed the pride of kings, when shut in close he had shut the mouths of lions.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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 (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2256: “Daniel's Band” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
IT did not do Daniel any harm to know that he was greatly beloved of God, or else he would not have received that information from Heaven. Some people are always afraid that if Christian people obtain full assurance and receive a sweet sense of Divine love, they will grow proud, and be carried away with conceit. Do not have any such fear for other people and especially do not be afraid of it for yourselves!
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2256: “Daniel's Band” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IT did not do Daniel any harm to know that he was greatly beloved of God, or else he would not have received that information from Heaven. Some people are always afraid that if Christian people obtain full assurance and receive a sweet sense of Divine love, they will grow proud, and be carried away with conceit. Do not have any such fear for other people and especially do not be afraid of it for yourselves! I know of no greater blessing that can happen to any man and woman here than to be assured by the Spirit of God that they are greatly beloved of the Lord. Such knowledge might do some of us, who are Christians, the greatest conceivable good! Daniel was not injured by knowing that he was greatly beloved. It has often been said that Daniel is the John of the Old Testament and John is the Daniel of the New Testament. Those two men, Daniel and John, were choice saints. They rose to the greatest height of spiritual obedience and then to the greatest height of spiritual enjoyment. The knowledge that we are greatly beloved of God, instead of doing us harm, will be a means of blessings in many ways. If you know, my dear Brothers and Sisters, for sure, that you are greatly beloved of God, you will become very humble. You will say, "How could God ever love me?— 'What was there in me to merit esteem, Or give the Creator delight?'" I think a sense of God's love is even more humbling than a sense of our own sin! When the two are blended, they sink the soul very low, not in depression of spirit, but in its estimate of itself. A sense of God's love will also excite in you great gratitude. "Oh," you will say, "how can I repay the Lord for such an amazing favor?" You will be conscious that you can never repay Him, but you will begin working out all sorts of schemes and plans to try to show how much you value the love of God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved - That is, in heaven. Margin, as in Hebrew, “of desires.” See the notes at Dan 9:23. Understand the words that I speak unto thee - That is, attend to them, implying that he would be able to understand them. And stand upright - Margin, as in Hebrew, upon thy standing. That is, stand erect. See the notes at Dan 8:18.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and moved me as one who moves a sleeping person to awaken him.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and I have come because of your words I have come on this mission because of your words. Our Rabbis, however, explained in Tractate Yoma (77a): “and I came within the curtain because of you, for I was banned from its midst.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלַ֡י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּנִיֵּ֣אל | daniyel | O Daniel | H1840 → | 24 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| חֲ֠מֻדוֹת | chamudot | preciousness<es> | H2532 → | 21 times |
| הָבֵ֨ן | haven | understand | H995 → | 170 times |
| בַּדְּבָרִ֜ים | badevarim | <in> the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֨י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | |
| דֹבֵ֤ר | dover | [am] about to speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַעֲמֹ֣ד | vaamod | and stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עָמְדֶ֔ךָ | ʾamedekha | standing place your | H5977 → | 9 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| שֻׁלַּ֣חְתִּי | shulachti | I have been sent | H7971 → | |
| אֵלֶ֑יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וּבְדַבְּר֥וֹ | uvedabero | and when spoke he | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִמִּ֛י | ʾimi | with me | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עָמַ֥דְתִּי | ʾamadti | I stood up | H5975 → | 521 times |
| מַרְעִֽיד׃ | marid | trembling | H7460 → |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלַ֡יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
דָּנִיֵּ֣אלO Daniel
daniyelH1840 →24 times
אִישׁ־man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
חֲ֠מֻדוֹתpreciousness<es>
chamudotH2532 →21 times
הָבֵ֨ןunderstand
havenH995 →170 times
בַּדְּבָרִ֜ים<in> the words
badevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֨יI
ʾanokhiH595 →
דֹבֵ֤ר[am] about to speak
doverH1696 →1141 times
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙to you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וַעֲמֹ֣דand stand
vaamodH5975 →521 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עָמְדֶ֔ךָstanding place your
ʾamedekhaH5977 →9 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַתָּ֖הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
שֻׁלַּ֣חְתִּיI have been sent
shulachtiH7971 →
אֵלֶ֑יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וּבְדַבְּר֥וֹand when spoke he
uvedaberoH1696 →1141 times
עִמִּ֛יwith me
ʾimiH5973 →1050 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֥רthe word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
עָמַ֥דְתִּיI stood up
ʾamadtiH5975 →521 times
מַרְעִֽיד׃trembling
maridH7460 →
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
Daniel 10:19“Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious,” he said. “Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!” As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Judges 6:23
But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
- Daniel 9:23
At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:
- Daniel 10:11–12
He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to…
- Isaiah 35:4
Through
Acts 26:16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I…
it leads to
- Acts 22:14–15
Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.
- Acts 22:14–15
Through
Ezekiel 2:1“Son of man,” He said to me, “stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 3:17
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
- Ezekiel 4:1
“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 3:17
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 391:5; Basil of Caesarea, ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 16:38; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2256: “Daniel's Band” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 10:9-11; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TEN; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Michael Heiser, The Unseen Realm.