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Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
Daniel 8:18 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
  • BSB While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, helped me to my feet,
  • NKJV Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
  • NASB Now while he was talking with me, I was dazed with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand at my place.
  • NLT While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.

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

Daniel falls into a deep sleep, but Gabriel touches him and sets him upright. God strengthens His servant to receive the revelation.

Overview

Overwhelmed, Daniel sinks into a stupor, yet Gabriel's touch restores him to his feet. The gracious strengthening enables him to hear what he could not bear in his own strength. It pictures how God equips His people to stand and receive His word, never leaving them to face His glory unaided.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Dan 10:18Then there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.
  • Ezek 2:2The Spirit entered into me when he spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard him who spoke to me.
  • Dan 10:16Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength.
  • Luke 9:32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.
  • Dan 10:8–10So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
  • Dan 8:17So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face: but he said to me, Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end.
  • Job 4:13In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
  • Dan 8:27I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king’s business: and I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.
  • Acts 26:6Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
  • Zech 4:1The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.
  • Luke 22:45When he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief,
  • Gen 15:12When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Daniel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Daniel 8:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DanielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 8:18 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.