Daniel 8:2
And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to skim over the setting, but Daniel's repetition of "I saw in a vision" emphasizes that he's not physically there, but experiencing a profound, divinely-given revelation. The specific location, Susa on the Ulai canal, isn't just a backdrop; it foreshadows the rise of the Persian empire, which would eventually conquer Babylon and impact Daniel's people.
Daniel finds himself in a vision, experiencing it as if he were physically present in Susa, a significant city in the province of Elam. He is specifically by the Ulai canal, a detail that anchors the vision geographically and sets the scene for the powerful symbolic imagery that is about to unfold concerning the rise and fall of empires.
Daniel is thrust into a vivid setting, but was he really there? What does it mean to 'see' in a vision?
Daniel opens this powerful vision by describing his location: 'I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.' This isn't a travelogue of Daniel's physical body. The scholars point out that 'vision' signifies a divine revelation, an experience beyond ordinary senses. Daniel wasn't teleported to Susa; rather, his mind and spirit were transported to that specific place to witness what God wanted him to see. Think of it like an incredibly immersive movie where you feel like you're there, but you're actually safe on your couch. This allows God to bring crucial scenes and symbols directly to Daniel's consciousness, no matter where Daniel's physical body was at the moment.
Why Susa? This ancient city held layers of meaning, pointing not just to the past, but to a future empire.
The specific location of Susa is no accident. While Daniel might have been physically in Babylon, the vision places him in Susa, the capital of Elam, a region soon to be central to the Medo-Persian empire. The commentators note that Susa would become the future capital of Persia after Cyrus. By setting the vision here, God is immediately tying the prophecy to the very empire that would rise to power and eventually impact His people. It’s like God saying, 'Pay attention, Daniel, because the future of the nations, and particularly the power that will affect Israel, is about to unfold right here in this significant place.'
Rivers often symbolize life, judgment, or boundaries. What might the Ulai canal represent in Daniel's vision?
Daniel finds himself not just in a city but by the Ulai canal. Rivers and water are frequently used in Scripture to represent the flow of nations, the movement of peoples, or even the forces of judgment. The fact that Daniel is by this canal suggests he is on the edge of significant events, observing the flow of history as it pertains to the empires that will rise and fall. It’s a place of observation, perhaps hinting at the cleansing or delimiting power associated with such waterways. The scholars mention its historical significance, flowing by Susa, and how prophets often received visions by rivers, associating these tranquil yet dynamic settings with divine revelation.
Understand the original words
birah · Hebrew Noun
A fortified palace or royal residence, often serving as a center for administrative and military power. In Daniel, it designates the political capital where significant historical events are decreed.
Daniel's vision in Susa, a city destined for future imperial importance, highlights God's sovereignty over empires, even as His people endured Babylonian exile. The vision's setting foreshadows the rise of the Medo-Persian empire that would eventually grant the exiles their freedom.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Elam
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers the province of Elam, prophesied in Jeremiah 49:34-39. Elam, and its capital Susa, become part of the Babylonian Empire.
c. 550 BC
Cyrus the Great rises to power
Cyrus, a Persian prince, overthrows his Median father-in-law, Astyages, uniting the Medes and Persians. He later conquers Babylon and establishes the Achaemenid Empire.
c. 540 BC
Cyrus conquers Babylon
Cyrus conquers Babylon, fulfilling prophecies and ending the Babylonian exile for the Jewish people. Daniel, who served under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, continues to serve under Cyrus.
Undated (during Belshazzar's reign)— this verse
Daniel receives vision in Susa
Daniel experiences the vision described in Daniel 8, placing himself in Susa, the capital of Elam (Persia) and a future capital of the Persian Empire, by the Ulai canal.
Like Daniel, Ezekiel also receives a significant vision while by a river, highlighting a common setting for divine revelation in Scripture.
Daniel 10:4This passage describes Daniel having another vision by a great river (the Tigris/Hiddekel), reinforcing the pattern of prophetic experiences occurring near water.
Esther 1:2The book of Esther also places significant events in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, underscoring its historical importance as a center of power and royal residence.
Jeremiah 49:34This prophecy directly addresses Elam (which Susa was part of) and speaks of its destruction, providing prophetic context for the future of the region Daniel is envisioning.
ellicottDaniel 8:2: "And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai."
(2) At Shushan— i.e., Susa. At this time (see Records of the Past, vol. 1, p. 71, &c.) Susa was, as Daniel describes it, in the province of Elam; at a later period it became the capital of the Persian empire. Daniel was at Susa only in vision, he was not bodily transported thither. The Ulai is the rive…
barnesDaniel 8:2: "And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai."
And I saw in a vision - I looked as the vision appeared to me; or I saw certain things represented to me in a vision. On the word vision, see the notes at Daniel 1:17 . The meaning here would seem to be that a vision appeared to Daniel, and that he contemplated it with earnestness, to understand what i…
It's easy to skim over the setting, but Daniel's repetition of "I saw in a vision" emphasizes that he's not physically there, but experiencing a profound, divinely-given revelation. The specific location, Susa on the Ulai canal, isn't just a backdrop; it foreshadows the rise of the Persian empire, which would eventually conquer Babylon and impact Daniel's people.
Daniel finds himself in a vision, experiencing it as if he were physically present in Susa, a significant city in the province of Elam. He is specifically by the Ulai canal, a detail that anchors the vision geographically and sets the scene for the powerful symbolic imagery that is about to unfold concerning the rise and fall of empires.
Daniel finds himself in a vision, experiencing it as if he were physically present in Susa, a significant city in the province of Elam. He is specifically by the Ulai canal, a detail that anchors the vision geographically and sets the scene for the powerful symbolic imagery that is about to unfold concerning the rise and fall of empires.
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c. 520 BC
Susa becomes Persian capital
Under Darius I, Susa is rebuilt and becomes one of the primary administrative capitals of the vast Persian Empire, a center of royal power and decree.
"And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal." — It's easy to skim over the setting, but Daniel's repetition of "I saw in a vision" emphasizes that he's not physically there, but experiencing a profound, divinely-given revelation. The specific loca…
