Daniel 10.6-Daniel Describes the Body and Voice of the Unidentified Man
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday February 13, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 10:6-Daniel Describes the Body and Voice of the Unidentified Man
Lesson # 301
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 10:1.
Daniel 10:1 During Cyrus’s third year, king over Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel who was called by his name Belteshazzar. Specifically this message was truth and concerning a great conflict because he understood this message, yes he possessed understanding concerning this revelation. 2 During those days, I myself, Daniel caused myself to enter the state of mourning for three weeks. 3 I never ate expensive choice food or meat. Also, wine never entered into my mouth likewise I never anointed myself with oil until the end of the three weeks. 4 Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the first month while I myself was beside that great river, namely the Tigris, 5 while I lifted up my eyes, I then stared as behold there was a certain man dressed in linen. Specifically, his waist was girded with gold from Uphaz. (My translation)
Daniel 10:6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. (NASB95)
“His body also was like beryl” is composed of the noun gewiy·yā(h) (גְּוִיָּה) (ghev-ee-yaw´), “body” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “His” and then we have the preposition k- (ךְּ־) (kee), “like” and its object is the noun tǎr·šîš (תַּרְשִׁישׁ) (tar-sheesh´), “beryl.”
The noun gewiy·yā(h) means “torso” in the sense of the human trunk and is referring here to the torso of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel by the banks of the Tigris river during the third year of the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
The word in this context does not mean “body” referring to the human body with all of its limbs such arms, feet, legs and hands.
This is indicated by the fact that the arms, legs and feet of this man as well as his eyes, all of which help to compose the human body, are described by different colors than this part of the body denoted by this noun gewiy·yā(h).
The noun tǎr·šîš refers to a precious stone whose exact meaning is hard to identify.
This is reflected in the fact that there is no consensus in the English translations of this word here in Daniel 10:6.
The NET Bible translates the word here in Daniel 10:6 as “yellow jasper.”
The ESV, NRSV and NKJV translates it “beryl” whereas the LEB renders it “turquoise.”
The NIV and TNIV translate the word “topaz” and the NIV84 “chrysolite” while the NLT renders it simply “precious gem.”
This noun tǎr·šîš is related to the proper name tǎr·šîš (תַּרְשִׁישׁ) (tar-sheesh´), “Tarshish” which refers of course to Spain.
Spanish gold topaz was chrysolite to the ancients like Daniel, which had a yellowish color.
The Septuagint employs the Greek noun χρυσόλιθος in Exodus 28:20 to translate it, which means “chrysolite,” which was golden yellow in color.
The consensus among scholars is that tǎr·šîš was a precious stone that had a yellowish color thus the meanings put forth as “yellow jasper, topaz” and “chrysolite,” all of which have a yellowish color.
I will translate the word “chrysolite” since Spanish gold topaz was chrysolite to the ancients like Daniel.
This noun tǎr·šîš is the object of the preposition k-, which means “like” since it functions as a marker of comparison comparing the torso of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel on the banks of the Tigris with the precious stone chrysolite.
“His face had the appearance of lightning” is comparing the face of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel on the banks of the Tigris with the appearance of lightening or a glittering appearance.
“His eyes were like flaming torches” is comparing the eyes of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel on the banks of the Tigris with flaming torches.
“His arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze” is comparing the arms and legs of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel on the banks of the Tigris with the appearance of polished bronze.
“Arms” is the noun mǎr·gelôṯ (מַרְגְּלוֹת) (mar-ghel-aw´), which means “legs” rather than “feet” since the word pertains to the major extension part of the human body from the hips to the feet since it is used in conjunction with “arms.”
“The sound of his words like the sound of a tumult” is comparing the sound of a large crowd with the sounds of the words of this unidentified man who appeared to Daniel.
Daniel 10:6 His torso like chrysolite, his face like a glittering appearance, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms as well as his legs like the appearance of polished bronze, and in addition the sound of his words like the sound of a large crowd. (My translation)
In Daniel 10:5, Daniel begins to describe for the reader a unidentified individual who appeared to him by the banks of the Tigris river during the third year of the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
In this verse, he says that he lifted up his eyes and saw this man, which implies that his eyes were looking downward maybe indicating he was meditating or in prayer to God.
Daniel does not tell us what he was doing while by the banks of the Tigris.
The interjection hin·nē(h), “behold” in verse 5 draws the attention of the reader in order to mark that what Daniel saw was impressive and astounding to him.
Daniel tells the reader that this individual was “dressed in linen,” which consisted of several parts.
Daniel then proceeds to describe specifically this man’s clothing at the end of verse 5.
He first says that his waist was girded with gold from Uphaz.
Now, here in Daniel 10:6, he continues his description of this unidentified man by describing for the reader the appearance of the torso of this man as well as his face, eyes, arms and legs as well as his voice or the sound of this man’s words.
He describes this man’s torso as being like chrysolite, his face like a glittering appearance, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the appearance of polished bronze.
Lastly, he describes the voice of this mysterious individual as like the sound of a large crowd or multitude.
Many Bible scholars believe that Daniel 10:4-7 is what we call in theology, a “theophany” or “Christophany.”
A theophany or Christophany are theological terms used to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ.
Others interpret this as a vision of an elect angel of God such as Gabriel.
However, if one compares the account in Daniel 10:4-11 with the account of the apostle John’s vision of the resurrected, glorified Christ in Revelation 1:13-16, it appears that Daniel saw a vision of the preincarnate Christ.
John’s description of the glorified resurrected Christ is similar to Daniel’s description of the supernatural being he saw.
If we compare Revelation 1:13-16 with Daniel 10:4-7 there are many similarities.
John describes Christ as having a robe reaching to the feet and a golden sash girded across His chest.
Daniel does not mention these things in the revelation he received from God.
However, he does mention that the waist of the man who appeared to him was girded with gold.
John says that Christ’s head and hair was white like snow.
Daniel does not mention this about the man he saw.
John describes Christ’s eyes were like a flame of fire.
Daniel says that the eyes of the man he saw were like flaming torches.
John says that the legs and feet of Christ were like burnished bronze.
Daniel describes the legs of the man he saw as like polished bronze.
John says that Christ’s voice was like the sound of many waters whereas Daniel describes the voice of the man who appeared to him as sounding like a large crowd or multitude.
John does not describe the torso of Christ in his revelation whereas Daniel says that the torso of the man he saw was like chrysolite.
John does not describe the face of Christ whereas Daniel describes the face of the man he saw as having a glittering appearance.
John says that he fell at the feet of Christ like a dead man which is similar to Daniel’s response to the appearance of the man he saw since he says that all his strength left him and he fell into a deep sleep when he heard the sound of this man’s words.
Therefore, we can see that when John describes the eyes, legs and voice of Christ they correspond to Daniel’s description of the eyes, legs and voice of the man he saw in his revelation.
Further indicating that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ is the response of Daniel’s friends to this vision, which is similar to the response of those who saw the vision Paul saw of the resurrected Christ at his conversion recorded in Acts 9:1-7.
Another indication that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ is that the man he saw could very well be “the Son of Man” in Daniel 7:13.
There are those who argue that it is unlikely that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ since they see that this individual was hindered by a prince (fallen angel) of Persia (10:13) and that he needed the help from the arch-angel Michael.
But this has problems, since Daniel could have received this vision of Christ, then fell asleep and then was awakened by an elect angel.
After the vision recorded in Daniel 10:4-8, Daniel tells the reader in verse 9 that he fell into a deep sleep.
Then in verse 10, an elect angel touches him.
That this is an angel speaking to Daniel throughout the rest of the chapter is clearly indicated.
Therefore, the man who appeared to Daniel in 10:4-7 is not the same individual who woke him up and spoke to him in 10:10-12:4.
So Daniel could have very well received a vision of the preincarnate Christ, then fell into a deep sleep but then was awakened by an elect angel.
Furthermore, in Daniel 12:6, Daniel says that Gabriel spoke to the very same man dressed in linen who appeared in Daniel 10:4-7.
This man dressed in linen was above the waters of the river.
Gabriel asked this man dressed in linen a question, namely how long it would be until the end of these wondrous events recorded in chapters 10-12.
Daniel 12:7 records the man dressed in linen answering Gabriel’s question.
In Daniel 12:7 the man dressed in linen possesses a knowledge that transcended that of the other angels such as Gabriel and he even takes a divine oath.
This man dressed in linen has an exalted position above the waters suggesting he is superior to Gabriel and the other elect angels.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in Daniel 12 we have a conversation between two elect angels, namely Gabriel and an unidentified angel.
However, the apostle John’s description of Christ in Revelation 1:13-16 is very similar to Daniel’s description in Daniel 10:4-7.
The description of the response to Paul’s vision of Christ by his traveling companions in Acts 9:1-7 is similar to the response of Daniel’s companions to the vision he received.
Furthermore, in Daniel 10:4-7, Daniel was not describing Gabriel because he had already appeared to Daniel in chapters eight and nine and he did not describe this angel in the same way as he does here in chapter ten.
This implies that what Daniel is describing here in Daniel 10:4-9 is not a vision of Gabriel or any other elect angel but someone who is to be distinguished and is distinguished from the angels and is superior to them.
Interestingly, the gold belt around the waist of this unidentified man in Daniel 10:5 suggests that this person was a king or a judge since in the ancient world a gold belt was worn by wealthy and royal classes of people.
If the person Daniel saw is the preincarnate Christ and there is sufficient evidence to say that he did see Him, then the gold belt of the preincarnate Christ speaks of triumphant royal authority, His chrysolite torso represents His heavenly brilliance, and the glittering appearance of His face represents His brilliant heavenly glory.
The fact that His eyes were like flaming torches represents the fact that He judges men and angels.
The fact that his arms and legs were like polished bronze reflects His purity of powerful action.
His voice being like the sound of a large crowd represents the fact that His voice was powerful enough to be heard by the entire world and every one of His creatures.