Daniel 10:6
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)
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This isn't just a description of a divine being; it's a symphony of sensory details deliberately chosen to convey overwhelming power and glory. The comparisons to lightning, fire, and polished bronze aren't merely decorative; they're meant to shock Daniel into recognizing the sheer majesty of the messenger, far beyond anything human.
Daniel has been fasting and praying for weeks, seeking understanding about future troubles for his people. Suddenly, a glorious angelic being appears to him by the Tigris River, described with radiant, awe-inspiring features. This divine messenger has come in response to Daniel's prayer, though he explains he was delayed by spiritual opposition.
Daniel encounters a figure whose appearance is described with the brilliance of precious stones and the intensity of lightning. What does this radiant, almost overwhelming, display tell us about the divine messenger?
Daniel's vision presents a messenger whose physical description is far beyond ordinary human comprehension. The use of 'beryl,' often translated as chrysolite or topaz, evokes a sense of brilliant, golden-green light, suggesting immense value and celestial origin.
Radiant Descriptions
This combination of preciousness, light, and strength paints a picture not of a mere human, but of a celestial being radiating divine glory and power.
Beyond the visual spectacle, the messenger's voice is described in a way that is both immense and potentially overwhelming. What does the 'sound of a multitude' reveal about the message and its delivery?
The description of the messenger's words as 'like the sound of a multitude' is powerful. It's not just a loud voice, but one that carries immense weight, authority, and perhaps a multiplicity of meanings or judgments.
Echoes of Divine Power
Understand the original words
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 passage describes living creatures with appearances like torches of fire and the color of burnished bronze, echoing the radiant, metallic descriptions of the angelic being in Daniel.
Revelation 1:14-16The description of the glorified Christ with eyes like flames of fire and feet like burnished bronze bears a striking resemblance to the angelic figure Daniel sees, suggesting a divine connection.
Daniel 7:9This verse describes the Ancient of Days with clothing as white as snow and hair like pure wool, also highlighting the dazzling and pure appearance of divine beings.
Exodus 28:20The mention of beryl as a precious stone used in the high priest's breastplate connects earthly splendor with divine representation, similar to how the angelic being's appearance is described with precious stones.
ellicottDaniel 10:6: "His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."
(6) Beryl. —Heb., Tarshish, a variety of the topaz. His feet.—More correctly, the place where his feet were, or the lower extremities of his limbs. We are not told in what position the man was when Daniel first saw him. Later on (Daniel 12:6) he is describ…
barnesDaniel 10:6: "His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."
His body also was like the beryl - There is a very striking resemblance between the description here given and that of the Saviour as he appeared to John in Patmos, Revelation 1:13-16 . See the notes at that passage. It contains, however, no description of…
This isn't just a description of a divine being; it's a symphony of sensory details deliberately chosen to convey overwhelming power and glory. The comparisons to lightning, fire, and polished bronze aren't merely decorative; they're meant to shock Daniel into recognizing the sheer majesty of the messenger, far beyond anything human.
Daniel has been fasting and praying for weeks, seeking understanding about future troubles for his people. Suddenly, a glorious angelic being appears to him by the Tigris River, described with radiant, awe-inspiring features. This divine messenger has come in response to Daniel's prayer, though he explains he was delayed by spiritual opposition.
Daniel has been fasting and praying for weeks, seeking understanding about future troubles for his people. Suddenly, a glorious angelic being appears to him by the Tigris River, described with radiant, awe-inspiring features. This divine messenger has come in response to Daniel's prayer, though he explains he was delayed by spiritual opposition.
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This auditory imagery complements the visual splendor, portraying a being whose very presence and communication are marked by extraordinary divine power and significance.
"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." — This isn't just a description of a divine being; it's a symphony of sensory details deliberately chosen to convey overwhelming power and glory. The comparisons to lightning, fire, and polished bronze…
