John Calvin Commentary Daniel 10:19

"And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he spake unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me." — Daniel 10:19 (ASV)

He first explains how he recovered his spirits at the angel’s exhortation, for he refers to this encouragement as a command to be courageous. Fear not, therefore, O man of desires. The angel here addresses Daniel soothingly to calm his fears, for he needed some reassurance when oppressed with fear by both the words and the appearance of the angel.

This is the reason why he calls him a man to be desired. He adds, peace to you, a customary salutation among the Hebrews, who by this phrase mean the same as the Latin expression, "May it be well with you." Peace, as the Jews used it, means a state of prosperity, happiness, quiet, and everything of this kind.

Peace, therefore, to you, meaning, "May you prosper." By this word, the angel declares his arrival as a sign of favor to the Prophet, to bear witness to God’s merciful feelings toward the Israelites and to the acceptance of Daniel’s prayers. We should diligently note this because, as I have already remarked, whenever God reveals any sign of His majesty, we inevitably become frightened.

No other remedy is equal to the favor of God fully manifested toward us, and His testimony that He is drawing near to us as a father. The angel expresses this by the phrase he uses, showing with what justification Daniel fell down lifeless through reverence for God’s presence, and the necessity for him to be calm and collected when he knew he was sent forth to bear witness to God’s favor.

Peace, therefore, to you. He next adds, be strong, be strong. By this repetition, the angel shows how strong an effort was required to arouse the Prophet; if he had been only slightly terrified, one word would have been enough to revive him. But as he was carried beyond himself, and all his senses had failed him, the angel impresses upon him twice the same exhortation to be strong.

Be strong, then, be strong; that is, recover your spirits; and if this cannot be done in a moment, persevere in recovering that alacrity which will make you a fitting disciple, for while you thus remain astonished, I would address you in vain. There are two reasons why we must notice the Prophet informing us again how dejected he was.

1. It proves how free from ambiguity this revelation really was, and how clearly it was stamped with marks of genuineness.
2. We must learn how formidable God’s presence is to us, unless we are persuaded of His paternal love toward us.
3. We must observe how, when we are struck down, we cannot immediately and completely recover our spirits, but we must be satisfied if God gradually and successively inspires us with renewed strength.

Daniel afterward says, he was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak, for you have made me strong. By these words, he indicates his peace of mind after the angel had roused him by touching him twice and by giving him courage through his exhortation.

It is very useful for us to take due notice of this mental tranquility, because the Prophet must first become a diligent scholar to enable him afterward to discharge for us the office of a faithful teacher. With the greatest propriety, he repeats his assertion about the recovery of his strength, which enabled him to address the angel with ease.

It now follows: