Commentary on Daniel Chapters 1-12 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
and free it from all doubt. Lastly, he enables us to confide in the angel's words, which were not uttered in an ordinary way, but were so obviously divine as to cast Daniel headlong upon the earth. In my judgment those expounders of the phrase, he became dumb, are in error when they refer it to his repenting of his prophetic office, through supposing his prayers to have been disregarded. This is much too forced, because the Prophet expresses nothing more than his seizure by fear, causing both his feet and his tongue to refuse their usual duties. Thus he was apparently carried beyond himself. By becoming prostrate on the ground, he manifested his reverence, and by becoming dumb displayed his astonishment. I have already briefly explained the object of all these assertions — to prove to us how the angel was adorned with his own attributes, and what full authority should be assigned to his words. It follows: —
Daniel 10:16-18 16. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
16. Et ecce secundum similitudinem filiorum hominis, 463 tetgit labia mea, et aperui os meum, et loquutus sum; et dixi ad eum qui stabat ad conspectum meum, 464 Domine, in visione conversi sunt dolores mei super me, et non continui robur.
17. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
17. Et quomodo poterit servus Domini mei hujus loqui cum domino meo hoc? Et exinde non stetit in me 465 robur; et anima, halitus, non fuit residuus in me.
18. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
18. Et addidit, hoc est, secundo, tetigit me secundum similitudinem 466 hominis, et roboravit me.
Daniel here narrates how the angel who inflicted the wound at the same time brought the remedy. Though he had been cast down by fear, yet the touch of the angel raised him up, not because there was any virtue in the mere touch, but the use of symbols we know to be keenly encouraged by God, as we have previously observed. Thus the angel raised the Prophet not only by his voice but by his touch. Whence we gather the oppressive nature of the terror from the difficulty with which he was roused from it. This ought to be referred to its own end, which was to stamp the prophecy
463That is, some one wearing the form of the sons of man. — Calvin 464That is, who stood opposite me, or at a distance from me. — Calvin 465There is in the original the pleonasm of the words, "and I," of which the Latin language does not admit. — Calvin
466That is, he who bore a human appearance. — Calvin