Though Daniel is on the bank of the Tigris River in physical reality, not just in a spiritual vision, the timing itself speaks volumes. This is the 24th day of Nisan, the very week the Passover was celebrated, a feast he's now missing while in deep mourning for his people.
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel had just finished a solemn three-week period of mourning and fasting, and on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, he found himself by the banks of the Tigris River. This was not a vision like he’d experienced before; he was physically present, as indicated by the mention of attendants, and it was during the Passover season, a time of remembrance for Israel’s liberation.
Why mark such a specific day in the calendar? Discover the deeper meaning behind the 24th day of the first month.
Daniel's vision doesn't come out of the blue; it's precisely timed.
A Fast's End, A Vision's Beginning
Daniel had been in a season of intense prayer and fasting for three weeks. This verse marks the end of that solemn period, specifically the 24th day of Nisan (the first month). Some commentators note that this was just after the Passover feast, a time that would normally remind the Israelites of their redemption and hope. Daniel's extended mourning, however, goes beyond the usual observances, highlighting his deep concern for his people's plight.
Prepared for the Unseen
This specific timing isn't accidental. Daniel's mind and spirit were uniquely prepared through his devotion and earnest prayer for extraordinary revelation. It’s a reminder that our times of sincere seeking and heartfelt prayer can position us to receive divine insights and understanding.
Why the riverbank? Explore the significance of Daniel's physical location when receiving this heavenly vision.
Daniel's setting by the Tigris River grounds this heavenly encounter in a tangible, real-world place.
A Real Place, A Real Prophet
Unlike some visions that are purely spiritual or seen in a dream, Daniel is described as being physically present on the bank of the Tigris River (also called Hiddekel). The commentary points out he wasn't just in spirit, but 'in the body,' even having attendants with him. This signifies that the revelation wasn't a mere hallucination but a profound encounter with the angelic realm impacting his earthly reality.
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Echoes of Creation and Civilization
Rivers were often significant places in the ancient world – centers of life, trade, and even divine encounters. Being by the Tigris, a major river in the region of ancient empires like Assyria and Babylon, places Daniel at a crossroads of history and power, a fitting backdrop for a vision about God's overarching plan for nations.
Understand the original words
bad · Hebrew Noun
A plant-based fiber from the flax plant, often symbolizing purity, holiness, and priestly or heavenly office in the biblical narrative.
tarshish · Hebrew Noun
A precious stone, often associated with divine radiance, purity, and the presence of God; frequently used in apocalyptic literature to describe the glorious nature of heavenly beings.
This vision unfolds during the Passover season, a time meant for remembrance and celebration of God's deliverance, highlighting the tension between past redemption and the ongoing struggles and future hopes of Daniel's people in exile.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Medes and Persians, led by Cyrus the Great, conquer the Babylonian Empire. This marks a new era for the Jewish exiles in Babylon.
538 BC
Cyrus's Edict Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, a pivotal moment for their national and religious future.
c. 537-536 BC
First Wave of Returnees
A significant number of Jewish exiles, led by figures like Zerubbabel, return to Judah to begin the rebuilding process.
Third year of Cyrus (c. 536 BC)
Daniel's Three-Week Fast
Daniel undertakes an extended period of fasting and prayer, deeply troubled by news or visions concerning his people's future.
Nisan 24 (c. 536 BC)— this verse
Vision by the Tigris River
On the 24th day of the first month (Nisan), after his fast concludes, Daniel is by the Tigris River when he receives a profound prophetic vision.
This passage directly identifies the Hiddekel river as the Tigris, grounding Daniel's vision in a specific, divinely described geographical location.
Daniel 8:2This verse describes Daniel having a vision by the Ulai Canal, showing a pattern of significant prophetic experiences occurring near rivers or bodies of water.
Exodus 12:18The mention of the 'first month' (Nisan) connects to the Passover season, highlighting the solemn, redemptive context of Daniel's fasting and vision.
Ezekiel 1:1Like Daniel, Ezekiel experienced a profound divine encounter while by a river (the Chebar Canal), suggesting a common setting for prophetic 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…
Though Daniel is on the bank of the Tigris River in physical reality, not just in a spiritual vision, the timing itself speaks volumes. This is the 24th day of Nisan, the very week the Passover was celebrated, a feast he's now missing while in deep mourning for his people.
Daniel had just finished a solemn three-week period of mourning and fasting, and on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, he found himself by the banks of the Tigris River. This was not a vision like he’d experienced before; he was physically present, as indicated by the mention of attendants, and it was during the Passover season, a time of remembrance for Israel’s liberation.
Daniel had just finished a solemn three-week period of mourning and fasting, and on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, he found himself by the banks of the Tigris River. This was not a vision like he’d experienced before; he was physically present, as indicated by the mention of attendants, and it was during the Passover season, a time of remembrance for Israel’s liberation.
"On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. H…" — Though Daniel is on the bank of the Tigris River in physical reality, not just in a spiritual vision, the timing itself speaks volumes. This is the 24th day of Nisan, the very week the Passover was c…
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Last reviewed October 2026
