Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Daniel 10:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And, 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Daniel 10:16 develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”.
Speech and strength return by repeated touch
This verse is one part of that explanation in Daniel 10:15-21. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Daniel 10:15–21
Read Daniel 10:16 with 10:15–21. Daniel 10:16 develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”. The complete unit establishes this movement: Daniel's speech and strength return through repeated touch, and the messenger names Michael before continuing the disclosure.
Why This Verse Appears Here
10:10-14 completes “The Messenger Raises Daniel and Explains Delay”; the text now turns to “Daniel Is Strengthened for the Written Truth.” This completes the present movement before the next larger development: Daniel 11:1 continues the messenger's speech and unfolds Persian, Greek, Ptolemaic, Seleucid, and Antiochene conflicts before chapter 12's crisis and resurrection. Within that movement: Daniel 10:16 develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”
In plain language: This wording develops this movement.
Daniel's speech and strength return through repeated touch, and the messenger names Michael before continuing the disclosure. Daniel 10:16 develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”.
Why it matters: This wording carries a material lexical, historical, theological, reception, or misuse boundary.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Daniel 10:16 does not stand alone from Daniel 10:15–21. Daniel 10:16 does not establish a modern identification, date, guarantee, or command by itself. Its verse-specific role is: develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”.
What Remains True
Human beings may receive strength enough for truth without receiving control over the unseen or the future. Daniel 10:15-21 keeps that truth tied to this claim: Daniel's speech and strength return through repeated touch, and the messenger names Michael before continuing the disclosure. In this unit: Daniel 10:16 develops this movement with “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”.
Teach It Back
Explain Daniel 10:16's role in 10:15–21. Name the ancient setting, quote or paraphrase “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I…”, state one material uncertainty, and name one conclusion the verse does not authorize.
Your explanation stays in this browser. It is not sent or saved.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Daniel 10:15-21 — Daniel Is Strengthened for the Written TruthSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
Daniel 10:16 must be read with this unit-level uncertainty: Identity of the radiant figure, relation to the messenger, nature of the princes, scope of angelic conflict, and Daniel's fasting practice remain debated. Later spiritual-warfare systems must not be projected backward as explicit detail.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Daniel 10:15-21, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew aramaic text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Daniel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew-Aramaic wording, morphology, language boundary, names, repeated roots, clauses, and lexical controls.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Dan.xml, 10:15-21; Hebrew 1:1–2:4a and 8:1–12:13, Aramaic 2:4b–7:28
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Daniel with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level Hebrew-Aramaic, textual, historical, translation, chronology, angelic-language, and duration notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Daniel PDF, printed pp. 1664–1665, translation and translator notes on 10:15-21
Open source ↗