Charles Ellicott Commentary Daniel 10

A thing: A revelation, as in Daniel 9:25. The contents of the revelation are specified in the perplexing words, the thing was true, and the time appointed was long. By this it is apparently meant that truth and long tribulation were the subject of their vision. “Time appointed” is translated “warfare” (Isaiah 40:2) and is used here in the same sense, meaning “hardship” or “tribulation.” This revelation, however, speaks of the “warfare” that not only Israel, but all God’s people must undergo before the coming of the Messiah in His kingdom.

And he understood: Compare Daniel 8:27. It appears from Daniel 12:8 that the whole was not understood by him. Certainly, the duration of the tribulation was not clearly revealed to the prophet, though he received enigmatic declarations respecting it (Daniel 12:10 and following).

I ... was mourning: It is unnecessary to suppose that Daniel’s fast was a result of some breaches of the Passover ritual that his people had committed. The Jews were involved in troubles and had committed sins of faithlessness that justified the prophet in turning to God with fasting and prayer. At Jerusalem, there were the factious oppositions offered to the newly returned colonists, as we read in the book of Ezra. They experienced the lack of spiritual guides (Ezra 2:63) in one very important matter; and we need not doubt that the circumstances mentioned in Ezra 4:1-6 had caused many complications.

But there was in Israel the sin of faithlessness to God’s promises, which grieved the aged seer's heart. The number of those who had obeyed the prophet’s command, Go ye forth from Babylon (Isaiah 48:20), was comparatively insignificant. Those who should have been foremost in leading their fellow-countrymen—namely, the Levites—had preferred life in Babylon to the trials and hardships of rebuilding their own city (Ezra 2:40).

Pleasant bread — that is, delicate food. Abstaining from this as well as from the use of oil (compare to 2 Samuel 12:20; Amos 6:6) were the outward signs of Daniel’s grief.

The twenty-fourth day—After the end of his three weeks’ fast the prophet was on the bank of the Tigris, where he saw the following vision. Hiddekel is the Accadian name of the river. (Compare to Genesis 2:14.) Great river is an epithet usually applied to the river Euphrates, as Genesis 15:18. Daniel was here in the body, and not only in the spirit, as Daniel 8:2.

A certain man. — The appearance of this person is minutely described, while that of the angels is not mentioned. The dress especially recalls to our minds the clothing of the high priest. (See Exodus 39:27-29, and compare Revelation 1:13.) The person himself is carefully distinguished from Michael (Daniel 10:21), and as we may infer from Daniel’s silence , he is distinct from Gabriel also. He is the same man who stood before Daniel (Daniel 8:15), and must be regarded as “the Angel of God” (Exodus 32:34), or “God’s Presence” (Exodus 33:14), or “God’s Name”; in fact, the One who was the Logos.

Uphaz. — A place only mentioned in this passage and Jeremiah 10:9. Its location is unknown. The additions of the Septuagint should be noted.

Beryl. —Hebrew, Tarshish, a variety of the topaz.

His feet. —More correctly, the place where his feet were, or the lower extremities of his limbs. We are not told in what position the man was when Daniel first saw him. Later on (Daniel 12:6) he is described as being upon or above the waters. In this position he symbolizes God as supreme over the nations who are represented by the Tigris.