Daniel 10:7
in Daniel 10Only 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in Daniel 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseVerse 7. "And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me saw it not; but an exceeding great terror fell upon them, and they fled away and hid themselves." The Apostle Paul had a similar experience in the Book of Acts, in that while the others could see nothing, he alone beheld the vision (Acts 22:6-9).
This site's exposition
Only I, Daniel, saw the vision
on Daniel 10:7-9
Daniel alone sees the vision, while the men with him see nothing, yet “a great terror fell upon them, and they ran and hid themselves”. Left alone, Daniel loses his strength, his face grows “deathly pale,” and he falls into “a deep sleep” with his face to the ground.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
And thou must also understand from the testimony of the Prophets, that they too, whenever they were held worthy to receive a vision of God or of the angels, led a life of much fasting, and then were they worthy to receive the vision of …
But perhaps someone would say, "Why then did they flee, if they did not see the vision?" Most likely this fact is what filled them all the more with dread, for since they saw no one and yet heard a great voice, they likely all …
What would you do then? That he who came for our salvation should become a minister of destruction because people could not bear him? Or that he should suit his grace to our measure? Daniel could not bear the vision of an angel, and were you capable of the sight of the Lord of angels? Gabriel appeared, and Daniel fell down; and of what nature or in what guise was he that appeared? His countenance was like lightning, not like the sun, "and his eyes as lamps of fire," not as a furnace of fire. "And the voice of his words [was] as the voice of a multitude," not as the voice of twelve legions of angels; nevertheless the prophet fell down.… If an angel appearing took away the prophet's strength, would the appearance of God have allowed him to breathe?… So then after trial had shown our weakness, the Lord assumed that which people required: for since people required to hear from one of like countenance, the Savior took on him the nature of like affections, that people might be the more easily instructed.
"And, I, Daniel alone saw the vision." [Daniel 10:7] For to the saints and to those who fear him, to these only he reveals himself. For if one now expects this also to be conducted in the church, he has not the fear of God, and the assembly of the saints helps him in nothing, having not acquired the power of the Spirit in himself. For also at that time, there were many who were standing with Daniel, but they did not see the vision for they were not worthy, but great astonishment fell upon them and they fled in fear. [Daniel 10:7]
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And I Daniel alone saw the vision,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The encouragement that was given him to expect such a discovery of future events as should be satisfactory and useful both to others and to himself, and that he should be enabled both to understand the meaning of this discovery, though difficult, and to bear up under the lustre of it, though dazzling and dreadful,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The men that were with me saw not the vision - An exactly parallel case with what occurred at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, Act 9:7. There was a Divine influence which they all felt, but only Daniel saw the corporeal appearance.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I Daniel alone saw the vision - That is, he only saw it distinctly. The others who were with him appear to have seen or heard something which alarmed them, and they fled. Who those men were, or why they were with him, he does not say. They may have been his own countrymen, engaged with him in the act of devotion, or they may have been Babylonians occupied in the public service; but whoever they were, or whatever was the reason why they were there, they became alarmed and fled.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְרָאִיתִי֩ | veraiti | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֲנִ֨י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| דָנִיֵּ֤אל | daniyel | Daniel | H1840 → | 24 times |
| לְבַדִּי֙ | levadi | to alone me | H905 → | 200 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּרְאָ֔ה | hamarah | the vision | H4759 → | 12 times |
| וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙ | vehaanashim | and the men | H582 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָי֣וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִמִּ֔י | ʾimi | with me | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רָא֖וּ | rau | they saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּרְאָ֑ה | hamarah | the vision | H4759 → | 12 times |
| אֲבָ֗ל | ʾaval | but | H61 → | |
| חֲרָדָ֤ה | charadah | terror | H2731 → | |
| גְדֹלָה֙ | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| נָפְלָ֣ה | nafelah | it fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַֽיִּבְרְח֖וּ | vaiyivrechu | and they fled | H1272 → | |
| בְּהֵחָבֵֽא׃ | behechave' | in hiding themselves | H2244 → |
וְרָאִיתִי֩and I saw
veraitiH7200 →1300 times
אֲנִ֨יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
דָנִיֵּ֤אלDaniel
daniyelH1840 →24 times
לְבַדִּי֙to alone me
levadiH905 →200 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמַּרְאָ֔הthe vision
hamarahH4759 →12 times
וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙and the men
vehaanashimH582 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָי֣וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
עִמִּ֔יwith me
ʾimiH5973 →1050 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
רָא֖וּthey saw
rauH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמַּרְאָ֑הthe vision
hamarahH4759 →12 times
אֲבָ֗לbut
ʾavalH61 →
חֲרָדָ֤הterror
charadahH2731 →
גְדֹלָה֙great
gedolahH1419 →526 times
נָפְלָ֣הit fell
nafelahH5307 →435 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וַֽיִּבְרְח֖וּand they fled
vaiyivrechuH1272 →
בְּהֵחָבֵֽא׃in hiding themselves
behechave'H2244 →
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
Genesis 3:10“I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
it leads to
- Psalms 119:120
My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.
- Psalms 119:120
Through
Hebrews 12:21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
it leads to
- Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
- Deuteronomy 9:19
For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that the LORD had directed against you, enough to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me this time as well.
- Exodus 19:16
Through
Acts 9:7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.
it leads to
- Acts 22:9
My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
- Acts 26:13–14
About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
- Acts 22:9
Through
Isaiah 2:10Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.
it leads to
- Revelation 6:15–16
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
- Isaiah 2:19–21
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Revelation 6:15–16
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 10 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); Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 12:14; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.38.1-3; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TEN; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 10:7.