John Calvin Commentary Daniel 10:15

"and when he had spoken unto me according to these words, I set my face toward the ground, and was dumb." — Daniel 10:15 (ASV)

Daniel again signifies by these words that he was so overcome by reverence for the angel that he was unable to stand. This serves to commend the prophecy to our attention, — to show us not only how the holy Prophet was instructed by the angel, but also to confirm what he will later record in the 11th chapter, and to free it from all doubt.

Lastly, he enables us to trust in the angel’s words, which were not uttered in an ordinary way, but were so obviously divine that they cast Daniel headlong upon the earth. In my judgment, those interpreters of the phrase he became dumb, are in error when they attribute it to his repenting of his prophetic office because they suppose his prayers had been disregarded. This is much too forced, because the Prophet expresses nothing more than his seizure by fear, causing both his feet and his tongue to refuse their usual duties. Thus, he was apparently carried beyond himself. By becoming prostrate on the ground, he manifested his reverence, and by becoming dumb displayed his astonishment. I have already briefly explained the purpose of all these assertions — to prove to us how the angel was adorned with his own attributes and what full authority should be assigned to his words. It follows: —