Bible Commentaries

Daniel 10. Introduction to the Final Vision.—The last three chapters of Daniel form a unity and describe the final vision. Daniel 10 is introductory. A "shining" being appears to Daniel near the "great river" and tells him that he has been sent in answer to his prayers. The guardian angel of Persia had tried to intercept him, but Michael the protector of Israel had come to his assistance.

Daniel 10:1. third year of Cyrus: 535 B.C, the latest date in the Book.

Daniel 10:4. the great river: elsewhere (cf. Genesis 15:18) the Euphrates is described in this way, and as the Hiddekel, i.e. the Tigris, was 50 miles from Babylon, Charles thinks the name of the river is an interpolation.

Daniel 10:5. gold of Uphaz: the word "Uphaz" occurs only in Jeremiah 10:9, and no place of this name is known. Most scholars think that the word is a corruption of the more familiar Ophir.

Daniel 10:6. beryl: LXX reads, "chrysolite," i.e. the topaz. Compare with the description of the angel here that of the risen Christ in Revelation 1.

Daniel 10:13. the prince of the kingdom of Persia: "prince" is not here the title of an earthly ruler, but refers to the guardian angel (Isaiah 24:21 f.*). Each nation was supposed to have its own guardian angel, so also in the phrase, "one of the chief princes," i.e. one of the chief guardian angels (Isaiah 24:21*, Matthew 18:10*).—remained with the kings: Charles adopts an emendation which makes much better sense, "I left him alone there with the prince of the kings of Persia."

Daniel 10:16. like the similitude: i.e. an angel in the form of a man.

Daniel 10:20. prince: guardian angel, as in Daniel 10:13.