I heard the sound of his wordsThis phrase indicates a direct encounter with a divine or angelic being, often associated with receiving a revelation or message from God. In the context of
Daniel 10, the "his" refers to a heavenly messenger, possibly Gabriel, who is delivering a message to Daniel. The sound of the words suggests authority and power, reminiscent of other biblical instances where God's voice is described as overwhelming, such as in
Exodus 19:19 and
Revelation 1:15. The auditory experience signifies the importance and divine origin of the message.
and as I listened
Daniel's attentive listening underscores his role as a prophet and servant of God, emphasizing the importance of being receptive to divine communication. This act of listening is a common theme in Scripture, where hearing God's word is crucial for understanding and obedience (Romans 10:17). It also reflects Daniel's humility and readiness to receive God's guidance, a characteristic seen throughout his life and ministry.
I fell into a deep sleep
The deep sleep signifies a state of being overwhelmed by the divine presence, often associated with receiving visions or revelations. This is similar to the experiences of other biblical figures, such as Abram inGenesis 15:12 and Peter inActs 10:10. The deep sleep can symbolize a transition from the natural to the supernatural realm, where God imparts wisdom and understanding beyond human comprehension.
with my face to the ground
This posture of humility and submission is common in biblical accounts of encounters with the divine. It reflects reverence and awe in the presence of God's holiness, as seen inEzekiel 1:28 andRevelation 1:17. The act of falling with one's face to the ground is a physical manifestation of worship and acknowledgment of God's supreme authority. It also highlights the human response to the overwhelming glory and majesty of God, which is a recurring theme in prophetic literature.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DanielA prophet and a man of God who is receiving a vision. Known for his faithfulness and wisdom, Daniel is in a state of spiritual and physical exhaustion due to his fasting and mourning for three weeks.
2.
The Heavenly MessengerAlthough not named in this verse, the context suggests this is a divine being, possibly an angel, delivering a message to Daniel. The presence of this being is overwhelming to Daniel.
3.
The VisionDaniel is experiencing a profound vision that leaves him physically weak and spiritually awestruck. This vision is part of a larger revelation concerning future events.
4.
The Tigris RiverThe location where Daniel receives this vision. It is significant as a place of revelation and divine encounter.
5.
The Deep SleepA state of unconsciousness that Daniel falls into, symbolizing the overwhelming nature of the divine encounter and the human inability to fully comprehend the divine without God's help.
Teaching Points
The Power of God's WordGod's words are powerful and can bring us to a place of humility and reverence. We should approach Scripture with a heart ready to listen and be transformed.
Human Frailty in the Presence of the DivineRecognize our limitations and the need for God's strength. In moments of spiritual encounter, our human frailty is evident, reminding us of our dependence on God.
The Importance of Spiritual PreparednessDaniel's fasting and mourning prepared him for this encounter. Spiritual disciplines can prepare us to receive and understand God's revelations.
The Role of Angels and Divine MessengersAngels are often used by God to deliver messages. We should be open to the various ways God communicates with us, whether through Scripture, prayer, or other means.
The Significance of HumilityDaniel's posture of falling with his face to the ground is a physical expression of humility. We should cultivate a humble heart in our walk with God.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 10:9?
2.How can Daniel 10:9 inspire us to listen for God's voice today?
3.What does "I heard the sound of his words" teach about divine communication?
4.How does Daniel's reaction compare to other biblical encounters with God's presence?
5.How can we prepare ourselves spiritually to receive God's messages like Daniel?
6.What steps can we take to deepen our understanding of God's word daily?
7.What does Daniel 10:9 reveal about the nature of divine encounters?
8.How does Daniel 10:9 challenge our understanding of spiritual experiences?
9.Why did Daniel fall into a deep sleep upon hearing the voice in Daniel 10:9?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 10?
11.John 18:5–6 – How could Jesus’ words alone physically knock an entire armed group to the ground, and is there any historical evidence corroborating such a dramatic reaction?
12.How do we reconcile Daniel 9:1-2's reference to Jeremiah's seventy years with the actual duration of the Babylonian exile?
13.Acts 22:9 - Why does this account differ from Acts 9:7 regarding what Paul's companions heard and saw?
14.If Job 19:27 implies a personal, bodily resurrection, does this conflict with other Old Testament notions of the afterlife?What Does Daniel 10:9 Mean
I heard the sound of his words• Daniel is not imagining an inner whisper; he literally hears a mighty, audible voice.
• The voice belongs to the majestic figure described in vv. 5-6, most naturally understood as a heavenly being sent by God (cf.Revelation 1:15;Ezekiel 43:2).
• Scripture often links God’s voice with power and authority—“The voice of the LORD is majestic” (Psalm 29:4). Daniel’s experience lines up perfectly with that pattern, underscoring that the message he receives carries divine weight and cannot be dismissed.
and as I listened• Daniel chooses the posture of a listener rather than a speaker, mirroring Samuel’s “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10) and Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:39).
• True listening in Scripture involves the heart as well as the ears (James 1:21-22). Daniel demonstrates this readiness, preparing him to receive God’s revelation about epic spiritual conflict (vv. 12-14).
• The detail reminds us that God still expects His people to stop, listen, and receive before they act (Isaiah 55:2-3).
I fell into a deep sleep• The phrase describes an overpowering, literal loss of strength and consciousness, similar to Abram’s experience when “a deep sleep fell upon Abram” as God cut covenant with him (Genesis 15:12).
• This deep sleep signals that what follows is entirely God’s doing; human effort is set aside (cf.Jonah 1:5-6;Luke 9:32).
• Physical collapse in the presence of the holy is a common biblical reaction (Ezekiel 1:28;Revelation 1:17). Daniel’s body simply cannot bear the unveiled glory.
with my face to the ground• Prostration is the instinctive human response to heavenly majesty (Matthew 17:6;Joshua 5:14).
• Face-down humility underscores Daniel’s reverence and the literal reality that he is overwhelmed by holiness, not merely awed in a figurative sense.
• This posture also anticipates the angel’s strengthening touch in v. 10, highlighting our dependence on divine enablement whenever God speaks (Psalm 3:3).
summaryDaniel 10:9 portrays an unmistakably literal encounter: Daniel hears God’s thunderous words, listens attentively, collapses into a divinely induced sleep, and lies prostrate. Each detail—audible voice, deliberate listening, physical overpowering, face-down humility—underscores God’s absolute authority and the frailty of even the holiest human when heaven breaks through.
(9)
His words.--He refers to the unrecorded words of
Daniel 10:6. (Comp.
Daniel 8:17-18.)
Verse 9.- Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. The Septuagint rendering here is briefer than the Massoretic, "And I heard the sound of his speech (
λαλιᾶς, ' talking'), and I was fallen upon my face upon the earth." The Septuagint translator seems to have read
נְפַלְתִּי (
nephalti) instead of
נִרְדַם (
nir'dam). Theodotion is somewhat nearer the Massoretic text, but renders
nirdam by "stupefied." The Pesifitta is an accurate rendering of the text behind the Septuagint. Jerome agrees with Theodotion, rendering
nirdam by
consternatus; he strengthens the phrase, "my face toward the ground," by inserting
haerebat. It would seem that
nirdam is of doubtful authenticity. It may be said this was omitted because of the difficulty of imagining the prophet seeing while in a deep sleep. But a state of sleep does not preclude the possibility of seeing a vision. In the parallel passage (
Daniel 8:18) the LXX. has no difficulty in translating,
נִרְדַמְתִּיἐκοιμήθην. By assuming the reading of the LXX. and the Peshitta to be correct, we make the process of events more natural; according to the Massoretic reading, though we have an account of his sense of weakness, we have no record that he
fell to the ground, and yet we are told that he was "in a deep sleep, with his face toward the ground" The resemblance is very great to
Job 4:12, "A thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof in thoughts from the vision of the night, when sleep falleth on men (
תַּרְדֵמָה,
tardaymah)." If there has been imitation, the originality and beauty of the passage in Job render it certain that it is the original. It seems more likely to be a change introduced to bring the revelation to Daniel in line with other prophetic revelations. The attitude Daniel assumed was one which implied the deepest abasement - the envoy of the great king kisses the ground at the feet of the envoy of the King of kings. Even the revelation given while sleep had fallen on the subject of the revelation, seems paralleled with what took place at the Transfiguration (
Luke 9:32, "And Peter and those that were with him were heavy with sleep," yet it was when they were awaked that they saw the glory). So with Gethsemane. The Hebrew word is the same as that used when Eve was taken out of the side of Adam; he then was asleep - a deepsleep had fallen on him,
תַּרְדֵמָה (
tardaymah)." (For further illustrations, see
Ezekiel 1:28;
Ezekiel 3:23;
Zechariah 4:1;
Revelation 1:17.)
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
I heardוָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע(wā·’eš·ma‘)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085:To hear intelligentlythe soundק֣וֹל(qō·wl)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963:A voice, soundof his words,דְּבָרָ֑יו(də·ḇā·rāw)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1697:A word, a matter, thing, a causeand as I listened,וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙(ū·ḵə·šā·mə·‘î)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8085:To hear intelligentlyIוַאֲנִ֗י(wa·’ă·nî)Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Ifell into a deep sleep,נִרְדָּ֥ם(nir·dām)Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7290:To be in or fall into heavy sleepwith my faceפָּנַ֖י(pā·nay)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440:The faceto the ground.אָֽרְצָה׃(’ā·rə·ṣāh)Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, land
Links
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OT Prophets: Daniel 10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his (Dan. Da Dn)