Daniel 10:14

Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) The latter days.—Comp. Daniel 2:28; Daniel 8:17. The time is here more narrowly defined as “those days,” that is, the period when the vision of Daniel 11 shall receive its complete fulfilment. The “vision” is identical with “the thing” (Daniel 10:1), or “the vision” (Daniel 10:16). It must be carefully borne in mind that there is no reference to preceding visions, except so far as the revelation contained in Daniel 11 develops certain details of other visions.

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

Now I am come to make thee understand ... - After these long delays, and after the arrangements have been made necessary to bring about the objects sought by your prayers.

In the latter days - In future times - extending down to the last period of the world. See the notes at Isaiah 2:2.

For yet the vision is for many days - Extends far into future time. It is probable that the prayer of Daniel referred more particularly to what he desired should soon occur - the restoration of the people to their own land; the angel informs him that the disclosures which he was to make covered a much more extended period, and embraced more important events. So it is often. The answer to prayer often includes much more than we asked for, and the abundant blessings that are conferred, beyond what we supplicate, are vastly beyond a compensation for the delay.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. what shall befall thy people in the latter days—an intimation that the prophecy, besides describing the doings of Antiochus, reaches to the concluding calamities of Israel's history, prior to the nation's full restoration at Christ's coming—calamities of which Antiochus' persecutions were the type.

vision is for many days—that is, extends far into the future.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Now at last, with much ado, after the contest is over, I am come to give thee understanding touching all the purposes and providences of God relating to his church: this made amends for the delay; this was the comfortable effect of effectual fervent prayer; this was God’s overflowing kindness to his servant Daniel, to certify him by so honourable a messenger as this, that God would not only give him the knowledge of the present times and dispensations towards his church and their enemies, but for a long time after, even four hundred and ninety years, to the coming of the Messias, as he did to David, 2 Samuel 7:19. By which we learn this solemn truth, that God will never leave himself without witness to his people; but in the worst of times he will afford them sufficient discoveries of his care of them; as he did by this prophecy in those dark days.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Now I am come to make thee to understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days,.... The contest being over with the prince of Persia, and having got an advantage, and carried his point in favour of the Jews; he came directly to Daniel, to inform him of what should befall the people of the Jews in the succeeding monarchies, especially in the times of Antiochus; and even of all that should befall them until the Messiah came, as Aben Ezra rightly interprets it; for the last days generally design the days of the Messiah; see Genesis 49:1,

for yet the vision is for many days; before it will be accomplished; reaching not only to the times of Antiochus, three hundred years after this, but even to the times of antichrist, of whom he was a type; and to the resurrection of the dead, and the end of time, as the two next chapters show; see Habakkuk 2:3.

Geneva Study Bible

Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the {k} vision is for many days.

(k) For even though the Prophet Daniel would end and cease, yet his doctrine would continue until the coming of Christ, for the comfort of his Church.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. And I am come to make thee understand, &c.] cf. Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:22; also Daniel 9:23 b.

what shall befall thy people in the end of the days] The sentence seems to be framed on the model of Genesis 49:1. On the ‘end (a different word from that occurring in Daniel 8:17; Daniel 8:19) of the days,’ see on Daniel 2:28. Here the expression denotes the age of Antiochus Epiphanes.

for there is yet a vision for the days] viz. the days just mentioned: a vision, relating to these, remains still to be told. Or, altering the point which indicates the article, for the vision is yet for (many) days: it relates to the ‘end of the days,’ not to the present; cf. Daniel 8:17 b, 26 b.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. - Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. None of the versions call for remark. The Peshitta inserts lesooph, "at the end," before "days." The Massoretic Hebrew has a peculiarity unsupported by the curlier versions: it has "for the days." Of course, these versions may simply have neglected the article, as have our English versions, Authorized and Revised. In the latter drays. Kranichfeld holds that this refers to the tatter portion of the vision in ch. 8, not at the end of time. For yet the vision is for many days. Professor Bevan would translate, "since there is yet a vision for the days," i.e. for the days already referred to in the eighth chapter. This would make both clauses have practically the same meaning, which this logical connection implies. There seems no need to take the "end of days," as the end of the world. Daniel 10:14

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

With this joyful message the angel comes to Daniel, to open up to him what would befall his people in the last time. The punctuation of יקרה (shall befall) is according to יקרא (Genesis 49:1); the Kethiv יקרה has the correct form. חימים בּאחרית as Daniel 2:28, the Messianic world-time, in Daniel 8:17 is called the time of the end. "For," the angel adds, "the vision refers, or stretches itself out, to the days." ליּמים, with the article, are the days of the אחרית (the latter time), the Messianic world-time. חזון is the revelation which in Daniel 10:1 is called דּבר and מראה, the following revelation in Daniel 11. Kliefoth is incorrect in thinking on the revelations already given, Daniel 7, 8, 9, to Daniel, regarding which the angel now seeks to bring to him further understanding. For although those revelations stretch out to the last time, and the revelations in Daniel 11 only give further disclosures regarding it, yet neither does the angel who speaks to Daniel here thus represent the matter, nor does the form of the revelation Daniel 10-12, namely, the majestic appearance of the Angel of the Lord, not a common angel-revelation, correspond with this supposition. חזון also cannot, without further definition, refer to those earlier revelations; and the opinion that הבּין denotes the understanding, as distinguished from the revelation or proclamation, does not accord with the usual style of Daniel's language. הבּין denotes here, as in Daniel 8:16, the interpretation of the vision, which in both cases contains the things which shall befall the people of God in the future. Cf. Daniel 9:22, where יבּין is used of the announcement of the revelation of God regarding the seventy weeks.