Daniel 10:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

My Lord, the experience of Your presence has left me weak in my limbs and shaken my innermost being. This aligns with Theodotion's translation of what is expressed in Psalm 102:1: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Prior to witnessing the divine vision, our inner selves are drawn outward, but upon encountering this vision, we turn inward, engaging deeply with our souls. This is echoed in another psalm, which states, “All glory within the king’s daughter is of great worth, adorned in golden garments” (Psalm 44:14).

When the Prophet observed that I was once more in a state of intense struggle, it felt as if a human hand had touched my lips, empowering me to speak. I confessed to him that his mere presence had drained me of all strength, leaving my soul bewildered and unsettling my thoughts; fear had exhausted me profoundly, preventing me from breathing as I usually do. Consequently, how can I grasp what you have conveyed or provide an appropriate response? Nevertheless, it should not be assumed that the figure seen by Daniel was the Lord himself, for Daniel referred to him as Lord. At the conclusion of his vision, he raised his hands to heaven and, as Scripture states, ‘swore by the Lord that liveth’ (Dan. 12:7), indicating his acknowledgment of servitude with reverence.