Daniel 10:11

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) Greatly beloved.—See Daniel 9:23, Note. The assuring words thus addressed to the prophet enabled him to stand upright, but his alarm had not as yet subsided.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:10-21 Whenever we enter into communion with God, it becomes us to have a due sense of the infinite distance between us and the holy God. How shall we, that are dust and ashes, speak to the Lord of glory? Nothing is more likely, nothing more effectual to revive the drooping spirits of the saints, than to be assured of God's love to them. From the very first day we begin to look toward God in a way of duty, he is ready to meet us in the way of mercy. Thus ready is God to hear prayer. When the angel had told the prophet of the things to come, he was to return, and oppose the decrees of the Persian kings against the Jews. The angels are employed as God's ministering servants, Heb 1:14. Though much was done against the Jews by the kings of Persia, God permitting it, much more mischief would have been done if God had not prevented it. He would now more fully show what were God's purposes, of which the prophecies form an outline; and we are concerned to study what is written in these Scriptures of truth, for they belong to our everlasting peace. While Satan and his angels, and evil counsellors, excite princes to mischief against the church, we may rejoice that Christ our Prince, and all his mighty angels, act against our enemies; but we ought not to expect many to favour us in this evil world. Yet the whole counsel of God shall be established; and let each one pray, Lord Jesus, be our righteousness now, and thou wilt be our everlasting confidence, through life, in death, at the day of judgment, and for evermore.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 Daniel 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 Daniel 8:18.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. man … beloved—(See on [1100]Da 9:23).

understand—"attend to." See Da 8:17, 18.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

A man greatly beloved: the Lord moulds and models us as clay in his hands to receive his impressions: we are not fit for any great thing till we are abased; and yet when we are vilest in our eyes we are most precious in God’s eyes.

Understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright. Thus Saul, when he was struck down, and struck blind, then he received his call and commission to be an apostle, and to know the mystery of Christ: see Habakkuk 3:16.

When he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling: the Lord doth not restore at once his servants from their frailties, that they by gradual comforts may prize every drop of mercy, being not quickened at once, when they are mortified, but may be admonished, by the remains of fears and frailties, to keep their hearts humble.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved,.... Or, "a man of desires" (u); a most desirable man, lovely to God and men; the same epithet Gabriel gives him, Daniel 9:22, which confirms the sentiment, that it is he that touched Daniel, and is here speaking, distinct from the glorious Person before described:

understand the words that I speak unto thee; attend unto them, in order to understand them; and which he was sent to give him an understanding of, as in Daniel 8:16, which is a further confirmation that this is Gabriel:

and stand upright; being upon his hands and knees, Daniel 10:10, but now is bid to "stand on his standing" (w), or his station; upon his feet, in an erect posture, which was fittest for attention, and most decent and becoming a hearer and learner of the mind of God, from one of his messengers: and therefore, the more to excite him to such a posture, he adds,

for unto thee am I now sent: of God, and particularly to the prophet, and that after three weeks' fasting and mourning: this is another proof that not the glorious Person before described, but an angel of his, is meant, since he is said to be "sent" to Daniel:

and when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling: he got up and stood upon his feet, as the angel had bid him, but trembling and tottering, not yet recovered from his fainting fit; like a man that has been ill, and got upon his legs again, trembles and totters as he goes or stands: and also, though the angel was kind and serviceable to him, set him on his knees and hands, and spoke to him in a tender manner; yet the appearance of such a divine messenger had such an effect upon him, as we find such appearances used to have on good men.

(u) "vir desideriorum", V. L. (w) "sta super stare tuum", Montanus, Calvin; "sta in statione tua", Piscator; "super statione tua", Michaelis.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. And he said unto me] The speaker is the dazzling being described in Daniel 10:5-6.

thou man greatly beloved] greatly desired, lit. man of desirablenesses: see on Daniel 9:23.

stand upright] lit. stand upon thy standing, the idiom explained on Daniel 8:18.

for now am I sent unto thee] now, i.e. (Daniel 9:22) at last, after the delay described in Daniel 10:12.

trembling] that I should have been accosted by a being so august. The word, as Ezra 10:9 (not as Daniel 10:7, above).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - 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 dew sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. The versions do not afford cause for remark. O Daniel, a man greatly beloved. This is the same term as that applied to Daniel (Daniel 9:23), "man of desires" (which see). Understand the words that I speak unto thee; "have understanding in the words," or better, "matters, which I am speaking or telling to thee." As the language used was one intelligible to Daniel, it was needless to command him to understand the words, but the "matters" communicated by the words might require a special effort of attention to comprehend. Debareem means "matters" as well as "words." And stand upright; "'stand upon thy standing." Gesenius would render this word when it occurs before (Daniel 8:18), "place;" but both here and there the contrast is in the attitude. From being absolutely prone, as in the eighth chapter, or on hands and knees as here, he is to be upright, and, taking his previous attitude into account, this is not merely to stand where he is, and neither approach nor depart. The LXX. renders, τόπου; Theodotion, στάσει; the Vulgate has gradu. For unto thee am I now sent. This assigns a reason for the command to stand upon his feet. In the Assyrian marbles, however lowly the obeisance made to the monarch by any one admitted to his presence, he stands when he receives the monarch's commands. Standing implies attention. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. He obeyed the command, but still trembling took hold of him in the angelic presence. Daniel 10:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When Daniel heard the voice, which according to v. 6 was like the noise of a multitude, he was stunned, and fell on his face to the ground, as Daniel 8:17. Yet the expression here, נרדּם הייתי, is stronger than נבעתּי, Daniel 8:17. Daniel 10:10 shows how great was his amazement in the further description it gives. The touching of him by an unseen hand raised him up and caused him to reel on his knees and hands (תּניעני, vacillare me fecit), but did not enable him to stand erect. This he was first able to do after he heard the comfortable words, and was directed to mark the communication of the heavenly messenger. Regarding חמות אישׁ see under Daniel 9:23, and for עמדך על עמד see at Daniel 8:18. He now raises himself up, but still trembling (מרעיד). The עתּה now am I sent to thee, points to the delay of his coming spoken of in Daniel 10:12.