And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The surprising part is Daniel’s immediate return to "the king's business" after such a profound and disturbing vision. It highlights how even after experiencing the extraordinary, he remained grounded in his earthly responsibilities, demonstrating a remarkable balance between the divine revelation and his civic duty.
And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel's profound grief and physical distress over the vision's disturbing prophecies about future calamities for his people and the temple lead to him becoming ill for days. Though he eventually recovers and resumes his royal duties, the overwhelming nature of the vision leaves him stunned and unable to fully grasp its meaning, nor can anyone else he might have shared it with.
Ever felt so shaken by something you saw or heard that your body just couldn't handle it? Daniel's experience shows us that God's truth can have a profound physical impact.
Daniel's vision of future calamities and the desecration of the temple was so overwhelming that he 'fainted' and became 'sick for some days.' The original language suggests he was 'done for' or 'pined away.' This wasn't just emotional distress; it manifested physically.
Even after experiencing such a profound and unsettling vision, Daniel didn't retreat. He got up and continued his responsibilities. What does this teach us about faithfulness?
Despite his physical and emotional distress, Daniel didn't remain incapacitated. The verse states, 'afterward I rose up, and did the king's business.' This demonstrates a remarkable commitment to his duties.
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Daniel was 'astonished' by the vision, and 'none understood it.' Prophecy often leaves us in awe, and sometimes, in the dark.
The vision Daniel received was profoundly unsettling, leading to astonishment and a lack of full comprehension, even for him and those he might have shared it with. This reveals important aspects of biblical prophecy:
Understand the original words
nihyeti · Hebrew Verb
Being physically, emotionally, or spiritually overwhelmed or exhausted, often resulting from the intense impact of experiencing a divine encounter or receiving a weight of prophetic truth.
mele’keth · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the administrative duties or service performed on behalf of the reigning monarch, signifying the prophet's continued responsibility to earthly authorities despite receiving profound heavenly revelations.
mishtomem · Hebrew Verb
A state of profound shock, astonishment, or distress, often triggered by witnessing something beyond human comprehension or witnessing a divine judgment or future calamity.
Daniel's profound distress after receiving the vision highlights the immense emotional and spiritual toll of understanding God's future plans, especially when those plans involve suffering for His people.
c. 550 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Media
Cyrus the Great, king of Anshan, overthrows the Median Empire, establishing the Persian Empire. This shift in power sets the stage for future interactions between Babylon and Persia.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, incorporating the Babylonian Empire into the rapidly expanding Persian Empire. Daniel, who served in the Babylonian court, likely continued his service under Persian rule.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus for Jewish Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This event marks a turning point for the Jewish people.
Undated (likely reign of Cyrus or his immediate successors)— this verse
Daniel's Vision of the Ram and Goat
Daniel receives a profound vision of a ram and a goat, symbolizing future empires and the conflicts that will affect God's people. The vision is intensely disturbing to him.
Undated (immediately following the vision)
Daniel's Physical and Emotional Reaction
Overwhelmed by the vision's implications, Daniel collapses and falls sick for several days, deeply distressed by the future calamities foretold. He resumes his duties but remains deeply troubled and confused by the vision's meaning.
Ezekiel also describes his overwhelming reaction to a divine vision, fainting and falling prostrate as a result of the glory and power he witnessed, mirroring Daniel's physical and emotional response.
Isaiah 6:5Isaiah's encounter with God's holiness leads him to declare his own unworthiness and sinfulness, a profound sense of being undone that echoes Daniel's deep distress and astonishment over the vision's implications.
Habakkuk 3:16Habakkuk recounts his own physical reaction to hearing about God's judgments—trembling in his body, his lips quivering—similar to Daniel's fainting and sickness due to the overwhelming nature of the prophetic revelation.
John 16:12Jesus tells his disciples that there is still much He wants to say but they cannot yet bear it, reflecting the idea that some divine revelations are too profound or overwhelming for human understanding or capacity at a given time, just as Daniel couldn't fully grasp the vision.
barnesDaniel 8:27: "And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it."
And I Daniel fainted - Hebrew, "I was " - נהייתי nı̂heyēythı̂y. Compare Daniel 2:1 . The meaning, according to Gesenius ("Lexicon"), is, "I was done up, and was sick:" - I was done over, etc. Perhaps the "reason" of his using this verb here is, that he represents himself as "having been sick," and then as fainting away, a…
bensonDaniel 8:27: "And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it."
Daniel 8:27 . And I Daniel fainted — Rather, languished, or pined, being overwhelmed with grief at the calamities which I learned by the vision were to come upon my countrymen, and also for the profanation of the temple in those days. And I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it — The meaning of this clause se…
The surprising part is Daniel’s immediate return to "the king's business" after such a profound and disturbing vision. It highlights how even after experiencing the extraordinary, he remained grounded in his earthly responsibilities, demonstrating a remarkable balance between the divine revelation and his civic duty.
Daniel's profound grief and physical distress over the vision's disturbing prophecies about future calamities for his people and the temple lead to him becoming ill for days. Though he eventually recovers and resumes his royal duties, the overwhelming nature of the vision leaves him stunned and unable to fully grasp its meaning, nor can anyone else he might have shared it with.
Daniel's profound grief and physical distress over the vision's disturbing prophecies about future calamities for his people and the temple lead to him becoming ill for days. Though he eventually recovers and resumes his royal duties, the overwhelming nature of the vision leaves him stunned and unable to fully grasp its meaning, nor can anyone else he might have shared it with.
"And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it." — The surprising part is Daniel’s immediate return to "the king's business" after such a profound and disturbing vision. It highlights how even after experiencing the extraordinary, he remained grounde…
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Last reviewed October 2026