And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”
Parallel translations
- WEB I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
- KJV And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
- NKJV And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
- NASB And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”
- NLT And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A voice commands the angel Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel. God appoints a named messenger to make His revelation clear.
Overview
A human-sounding voice from over the Ulai directs Gabriel, named here for the first time in Scripture, to interpret the vision. This is one of the rare passages naming individual angels, showing heaven's ordered ministry. God's care to make His purposes understood reflects His desire that His people not be left in the dark about His plans.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Luke 1:19“I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
- Luke 1:26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
- Dan 8:2And in the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.
- Dan 12:5–7Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank.
- Rev 22:16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
- Heb 1:14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Zech 1:9“What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
- Zech 2:4and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it.
- Acts 10:13Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
- Dan 10:11–12He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.
- Dan 10:14Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days.”
- Dan 10:21But first I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. Yet no one has the courage to support me against these, except Michael your prince.
- Acts 9:7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.
- Rev 1:12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
- Dan 9:21–22while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 8:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.