Daniel 10:19

And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) Be strong.—Comp. 2Samuel 10:12.

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 said, O man greatly beloved - See the notes at Daniel 9:23.

Fear not - Neither at my presence, nor at what I have to say. There was nothing in the visitation of an angel that could be a ground of dread to a good man; there was nothing in what he had to communicate that could be a reasonable cause of alarm.

Be strong, yea, be strong - These are words of encouragement such as we address to those who are timid and fearful. We exhort them not to yield; to make a vigorous effort to meet danger, difficulty, or trial.

Let my lord speak - That is, I am now prepared to receive what you have to communicate.

For thou hast strengthened me - By your encouraging words, and by the kindness of your manner.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. peace be unto thee—God is favorable to thee and to thy people Israel. See Jud 13:21, 22, as to the fear of some evil resulting from a vision of angels.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The Lord is gracious and compassionate towards his saints under their infirmities, Psalm 103:13,14. And this tender carriage towards him was a token for good to him and his people, that the Lord would be propitious to them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And said, O man, greatly beloved,..... Or, "man of desires", as before, Daniel 10:11, which shows it to be the same here speaking as there, and probably Gabriel:

fear not; for a man has nothing to fear, from men or devils, that is beloved of the Lord; and especially from good angels, how glorious and majestic soever they are:

peace be unto thee; all prosperity of body and soul; inward peace of mind, a freedom from all hurry of thought, and commotion of the passions, and eternal peace and joy in the world to come:

be strong, yea, be strong; take heart, pull up the spirits, be of good courage, play the man; be strong in the Lord, and in his grace, and fear nothing: the word is repeated for the greater encouragement:

and when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened: divine power going along with his word; the prophet found his bodily strength renewed, his spirits revived, his heart cheerful, and his soul comforted, and all fear and dread removed from him; which was owing to the energy of divine grace; for otherwise not only men, but angels too, would speak in vain:

and said, let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me; and so was able to bear the sight of him, support in his presence, and hear his words, and take in what he said, which before he was unfit for; so an angel may be an instrument of strengthening a saint, yea, a prophet, and even our Lord Jesus Christ himself as man, Luke 22:43.

Geneva Study Bible

And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: {n} peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I {o} was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

(n) He declares by this that God would be merciful to the people of Israel.

(o) Which declares that when God smites his children down, he does not immediately lift them up at once (for now the Angel had touched him twice), but by little and little.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. And he said] The dazzling being described in Daniel 10:5-6, who has been speaking in Daniel 10:11 a, 12–14, and whom Daniel had addressed in Daniel 10:16 b, 17. Not the angel mentioned in Daniel 10:16 a, 18.

Fear not (Daniel 10:12), O man greatly desired] Daniel 10:11.

be strong … was strengthened] as in Daniel 10:18. Cf. 2 Samuel 10:12, A.V., R.V. ‘be of good courage, and let us play the man’; Heb., exactly as here, ‘be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves (or be strengthened)’; Ezra 7:28.

20–11:1. Before, however, the speaker proceeds to disclose the future to Daniel (Daniel 11:2 ff.), in accordance with the promise of Daniel 10:14, he acquaints him with certain facts relating to the celestial world, calculated to inspire him with confidence: in himself, and Michael, the people of Israel have two champions able to defend them effectually against the assaults of heathen powers.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 19. - And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. The LXX. has its ordinary translation of the phrase rendered, "man greatly beloved (ἄνθρωπος ἐλεεινὸς εϊ)." They give three words for the repetition of the command, "be strong:" ὑγίαινε, "be in good health;" ἀνδρίζου, "play the man;" ἴσχυε, "be strong." In the last clause the third person is retained, "Let my lord speak, for he strengthened me" - a change made for symmetry. Theodotion is much closer to the Massoretic text, only he, too, varies the words in the command, and has ἀνδρίζου καὶ ἵσχυε. The Peshitta, like Theodotion, varies the word in the command, In the last clause the verb is put in the passive, "and I was strengthened," For the command the Vulgate has, confortare et esto robustus; but the last clause is in strict agreement with the Massoretic. It is to be noted that the repetition of the imperative, united by ray, is unexampled; the various renderings in the versions point to this being felt a difficulty, but do not suggest any variations of reading. Not only is the strengthening touch given, but consoling words are added, "Be strong, yea, be strong." Daniel was called upon to put forth energy, to summon his forces mental and spiritual. He had received the strengthening touch, but his own volition must go along with the aid divinely afforded. It is the combination which we find in our Lord's life; without faith even the miraculous power of our Lord could not be put forth. As we have noted, there is some uncertainty as to the reading, but no change would alter the sense of the passage, "And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened." The words spoken called forth the power that was latent, and had been imparted to Daniel. And said, Let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me. Even to hold converse with angelic beings, entailed expenditure of vital energy. The overpowering sense of the spiritual has to be resisted, at least so far, in order that mental action may go on. Had strength not been imparted, the revelations bestowed would not have produced any permanent impression on the mind. Daniel 10:19

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Therefore he may not talk with this Lord, i.e., with Him who appeared before him in such dread majesty; and he is yet in such a state, since all strength has departed from him and his breath has gone, that he fears he must die; cf. 1 Kings 17:17. Then once more one like the appearance of a man touched him. אדם כּמראה is in reality equals אדם בּני כּדּמוּת: both forms of expression leave the person of him who touched him undefined, and only state that the touching proceeded from some one who was like a man, or that it was such as proceeds from men, and are like the expression used in Daniel 10:19, "a hand touched me." From this it does not follow that he who spoke to him touched him, but only that it was a spiritual being, who appeared like to a man. After thus being touched for the third time (Daniel 10:18), the encouragement of the angel that talked with him imparted to him full strength, so that he could calmly listen to and observe his communication.