In Cyrus's third year, Daniel mourns and fasts three weeks before receiving a vision by the Tigris of a glorious man clothed in linen with face like lightning. This heavenly messenger explains he was delayed twenty-one days by the prince of Persia until Michael came to help; he now reveals what will befall Daniel's people in the latter days, preparing him for the detailed prophecy to follow.
Read Daniel Chapter 10 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Daniel
Faithful Jewish exile who served in Babylonian and Persian courts
Nebuchadnezzar
Babylonian king who had troubling dreams and eventually acknowledged God
Shadrach
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Meshach
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Abednego
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Cyrus
Persian King who Freed the Jews
Places in This Chapter
Persia
View on MapPersia (modern Iran) was a major empire that conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. King Cyrus issued the decree permitting the temple's reconstruction. The books of Esther and Daniel are set partly in the Persian court. Nehemiah served as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes before returning to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
Position in Book
Life in ExileChapters 1-6
Apocalyptic VisionsChapters 7-12
Four beasts, ram and goat, seventy weeks, final conflict and resurrection.
Bible Bites
Written in two languages
The book of Daniel switches languages mid-sentence in chapter 2:4, moving from Hebrew to Aramaic and back to Hebrew in chapter 8. The Aramaic section (2:4-7:28) focuses on Gentile kingdoms, while Hebrew sections address Israel specifically.
Daniel 2:4Half History, Half Prophecy
Daniel's 12 chapters divide into two distinct sections: chapters 1-6 contain historical narratives (including the fiery furnace and lions' den), while chapters 7-12 record apocalyptic visions of future kingdoms. Remarkably, chapters 2-7 were written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.
Daniel