On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris)
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is that Daniel isn't in a trance here; the text emphasizes he's physically present by the Tigris river, not just in spirit. This grounded reality highlights the intense spiritual battle that's about to unfold, impacting the real world and not just a mystical vision.
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Three weeks after beginning a period of fasting and mourning, Daniel finds himself standing by the Tigris River, not in a vision as before, but in a physically real setting with attendants present. This specific day, the twenty-fourth of Nisan, falls within the Passover season, suggesting Daniel's solitary observance of his intense sorrow for his people away from the traditional festival. The proximity to a major river hints at his location, likely near Shushan, as he prepares for a profound divine revelation.
Why does the Bible get so specific about dates? Daniel tells us it was the 24th day of the first month. What’s so significant about this exact day?
A Date Marked by Sorrow and Anticipation
The verse pinpoints a specific time: the twenty-fourth day of the first month, Nisan. This wasn't just any day; it fell right after the Passover feast, a time when Israel remembered their liberation from Egypt.
Daniel isn't just anywhere; he's by a 'great river.' What does this geographical detail add to the spiritual encounter he's about to have?
A Physical Setting for a Spiritual Reality
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Daniel is described as being 'by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel.' This isn't a vision; it's a physical location.
Daniel's specific date and location, by the Tigris River during the Passover month, underscore his deep sorrow and prolonged prayer for his people's plight, set against the backdrop of the Persian Empire and the recent return from exile.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great overthrows the Neo-Babylonian Empire, marking a significant shift in regional power and allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to potentially return home.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, a pivotal moment for the post-exilic community.
c. 536 BC
Return of Exiles Begins
The first wave of Jewish exiles, led by Zerubbabel, begins their journey back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and re-establish community life.
The month of Nisan (the first month)— this verse
The Passover Season
Daniel is by the Tigris River during the month of Nisan, the same month the Passover feast is observed. This timing highlights his intense sorrow and prolonged prayer, as his fast extended beyond the usual Passover period.
Later in the 3rd year of Cyrus
The Angelic Visitor
Following Daniel's prayer and fasting, a powerful angelic being appears to him, delivering a significant prophecy about future kingdoms and the struggles of God's people.
This passage provides the original naming of the Tigris River (Hiddekel), linking Daniel's geographical and historical context to the very beginning of creation accounts.
Daniel 8:2This verse also places Daniel by a river (the Ulai) but explicitly states it was in a vision, contrasting with the waking reality described in Daniel 10:4.
Exodus 12:18The timing of Daniel's fast and vision falls within the period of Passover, a significant event that would have resonated deeply with Daniel's thoughts on Israel's history and God's redemptive plan.
Jeremiah 1:11-12This passage describes the Lord watching over His word to perform it, mirroring the divine oversight and prophetic revelation Daniel was experiencing by the river.
Revelation 1:10John, like Daniel, received a profound heavenly vision while in a state of spiritual awareness by a body of water (the island of Patmos), highlighting a common setting for apocalyptic revelation.
ellicottDaniel 10:4: "And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;"
(4) The four and twentieth day .—After the end of his three weeks’ fast the prophet was upon the bank of the Tigris, where he saw the following vision. Hiddekel is the Accadian name of the river. (Comp. Genesis 2:14 .) “Great river” is an epithet usually applied to the river Euphrates, as Genesis 15:18 . Daniel was here in the body, and not only in the spirit, as Dani…
jfbDaniel 10:4: "And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;"
- first month—Nisan, the month most suited for considering Israel's calamity, being that in which the feast of unleavened bread reminded them of their Egyptian bondage. Daniel mourned not merely for the seven days appointed (Ex 12:18), from the evening of the fourteenth to the twenty-first of Nisan, but thrice seven days, to mark extraordinary sorrow. His mourning en…
What's easily missed is that Daniel isn't in a trance here; the text emphasizes he's physically present by the Tigris river, not just in spirit. This grounded reality highlights the intense spiritual battle that's about to unfold, impacting the real world and not just a mystical vision.
Three weeks after beginning a period of fasting and mourning, Daniel finds himself standing by the Tigris River, not in a vision as before, but in a physically real setting with attendants present. This specific day, the twenty-fourth of Nisan, falls within the Passover season, suggesting Daniel's solitary observance of his intense sorrow for his people away from the traditional festival. The proximity to a major river hints at his location, likely near Shushan, as he prepares for a profound divine revelation.
Three weeks after beginning a period of fasting and mourning, Daniel finds himself standing by the Tigris River, not in a vision as before, but in a physically real setting with attendants present. This specific day, the twenty-fourth of Nisan, falls within the Passover season, suggesting Daniel's solitary observance of his intense sorrow for his people away from the traditional festival. The proximity to a major river hints at his location, likely near Shushan, as he prepares for a profound divine revelation.
"On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris)" — What's easily missed is that Daniel isn't in a trance here; the text emphasizes he's physically present by the Tigris river, not just in spirit. This grounded reality highlights the intense spiritual…
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Last reviewed October 2026