Daniel 10 · Verse 13

Daniel 10:13

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Daniel 10:13, King James Version

Daniel 10:13 in other translations

BSBHowever, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
WEBBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia.
ASVBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
YLT‘And the head of the kingdom of Persia is standing over-against me twenty and one days, and lo, Michael, first of the chief heads, hath come in to help me, and I have remained there near the kings of Persia;
DARBYBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
BBEBut the angel of the kingdom of Persia put himself against me for twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief angels, came to my help; and when I came he was still there with the angel of the kings of Persia.
WebsterBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

What does Daniel 10:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. prince of ... Persia--the angel of darkness that represented the Persian world power, to which Israel was then subject. This verse gives the reason why, though Daniel's "words were heard from the first day" (Da 10:12), the good angel did not come to him until more than three weeks had elapsed (Da 10:4). one and twenty days--answering to the three weeks of Daniel's mourning (Da 10:2). Michael--that is, "Who is like God?" Though an archangel, "one of the chief princes," Michael was not to be compared to God. help me--Michael, as patron of Israel before God (Da 10:21; 12:1), "helped" to influence the Persian king to permit the Jews' return to Jerusalem. I remained--I was detained there with the kings of Persia, that is, with the angel of the Persian rulers, with whom I had to contend, and from whom I should not have got free, but for the help of Michael. Gesenius translates, "I obtained the ascendency," that is, I gained my point against the adverse angel of Persia, so as to influence the Persian authorities to favor Israel's restoration.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me - I think it would go far to make a legend or a precarious tale of this important place to endeavor to maintain that either a good or evil Angel Is intended here. Cyrus alone was the prince of Persia, and God had destined him to be the deliverer of his people; but there were some matters, of which we are not informed, that caused him to hesitate for some time. Fearing, probably, the greatness of the work, and not being fully satisfied of his ability to execute it, he therefore for a time resisted the secret inspirations which God had sent him. The opposition might be in reference to the building of the temple. But lo, Michael - Gabriel, who speaks, did not leave Cyrus till Michael came to take his place. Michael, he who is like God, sometimes appears to signify the Messiah, at other times the highest or chief archangel. Indeed there is no archangel mentioned in the whole Scripture but this one. See Jde 1:9; Rev 12:7.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 10:10-21

Whenever we enter into communion with God, it becomes us to have a due sense of the infinite distance between us and the holy God. How shall we, that are dust and ashes, speak to the Lord of glory? Nothing is more likely, nothing more effectual to revive the drooping spirits of the saints, than to be assured of God's love to them. From the very first day we begin to look toward God in a way of duty, he is ready to…

Read the full comment on Daniel 10:10-21 →

Daniel 10:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְשַׂ֣ר\׀ve.Sarand [the] prince ofH8269
מַלְכ֣וּתmal.Khut[the] kingdom ofH4438
פָּרַ֗סpa.RasPersiaH6539
עֹמֵ֤ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
לְנֶגְדִּי֙le.neg.Dito before meH5048
עֶשְׂרִ֣ים'es.RimtwentyH6242
וְאֶחָ֣דve.'e.Chadand oneH259
י֔וֹםYomday[s]H3117
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
מִֽיכָאֵ֗לmi.kha.'ElMichaelH4317
אַחַ֛ד'a.Chadone ofH259
הַשָּׂרִ֥יםha.sa.Rimthe princesH8269
הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖יםha.ri.sho.Nim<the> chiefH7223
בָּ֣אba'he cameH935
לְעָזְרֵ֑נִיle.'a.ze.Re.nito help meH5826
וַאֲנִי֙va.'a.Niand IH589
נוֹתַ֣רְתִּיno.Tar.tiI remained behindH3498
שָׁ֔םShamthereH8033
אֵ֖צֶל'E.tzelbesideH681
מַלְכֵ֥יmal.Khei[the] kings ofH4428
פָרָֽס\׃fa.RasPersiaH6539

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 10:13

  • Jude 1:9

    Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

  • Daniel 12:1

    And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

  • Daniel 10:20-21

    Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

  • Revelation 12:7

    And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

  • Ezra 4:4-6

    Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Colossians 2:10

    And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:18

    Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

  • Ephesians 6:12

    For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

  • 1 Peter 3:22

    Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

  • Zechariah 3:1-2

    And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

  • Ezra 4:24

    Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the prince.
20; Ezr 4:4-6,24; Zec 3:1,2; Eph 6:12; 1Th 2:18
Michael.
21; 12:1; Jude 1:9; Re 12:7
one. or, the first.
Col 2:10; 1Pe 3:22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 10:12

    Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

  • Daniel 10:13

    But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

  • Daniel 10:14

    Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

Read all of Daniel 10

Daniel 10:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas el príncipe del reino de Persia se puso contra mí veintiún días: y he aquí, Miguel, uno de los principales príncipes, vino para ayudarme, y yo quedé allí con los reyes de Persia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
mais le chef du royaume de Perse m’a résisté 21 jours, et voici, Micaël, un des premiers chefs, vint à mon secours: et je restai là, auprès des rois de Perse.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Aber der Fürst des Königreichs Persien stand mir 21 Tage entgegen; und siehe, Michael, einer der ersten Fürsten, kam, um mir zu helfen, und ich trug daselbst den Sieg davon bei den Königen von Persien.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Princeps autem regni Persarum restitit mihi viginti et uno diebus: et ecce Michaël, unus de principibus primis, venit in adjutorium meum, et ego remansi ibi juxta regem Persarum.