Daniel 9:23

9:23 At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God’s sight. ¹  Therefore consider the message and understand the vision: ² 

Daniel 10:1

An Angel Appears to Daniel

10:1 ³ In the third ⁴  year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. ⁵  He understood the message and gained insight by the vision.

Daniel 10:16

10:16 Then ⁶  one who appeared to be a human being ⁷  was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, ⁸  due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength.

[9:23]  ¹ tn Or “a precious treasure”; KJV “greatly beloved”; NASB, NIV “highly esteemed.”

[9:23]  ² tn This sentence is perhaps a compound hendiadys (“give serious consideration to the revelatory vision”).

[10:1]  ³ sn This chapter begins the final unit in the book of Daniel, consisting of chapters 10-12. The traditional chapter divisions to some extent obscure the relationship of these chapters.

[10:1]  ⁴ tc The LXX has “first.”

[10:1]  sn Cyrus’ third year would have been ca. 536 B.C. Daniel would have been approximately eighty-four years old at this time.

[10:1]  ⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צָבָא (tsava’) is uncertain in this context. The word most often refers to an army or warfare. It may also mean “hard service,” and many commentators take that to be the sense here (i.e., “the service was great”). The present translation assumes the reference to be to the spiritual conflicts described, for example, in 10:16–11:1.

[10:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “Behold.”

[10:16]  ⁷ tc So most Hebrew MSS; one Hebrew MS along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX read “something that looked like a man’s hand.”

[10:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “my lord,” here a title of polite address. Cf. v. 19.