Page 299 - Daniel

physically sick as a result of the extensive vision given to him. The
introductory statement is sufficient, however, to alert the reader that a
tremendous revelation is about to be presented.

DANIEL’S PREPARATION FOR THE VISION (10:2–3)

10:2–3 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no
delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself
at all, for the full three weeks.

Daniel’s self-inflicted preparation to receive this vision was extensive.
During these three weeks, he did not eat the dainties of the king’s table,
abstained from meat and wine, and did not anoint himself at all.

“Delicacies” are literally “bread of pleasures, of desires,” in contrast to
“bread of affliction” (Deut. 16:3), that is, the unleavened bread that was
eaten during the Passover. During this period, Daniel apparently limited
himself to basic nourishment, but followed a meager diet.

The duration of the period is obviously three weeks composed of days
in contrast to the seventy “weeks” of Daniel 9:24–27. Although Leupold
resists the idea that the Hebrew expression here, literally, “three weeks
of days,” is used in contrast to Daniel 9, that may be precisely the point;
that is, Daniel wanted to make clear that normal days were in view in

this prophecy. Practically everyone agrees that twenty-one days is the
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resulting sense. In any case, the three weeks included the normal week
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for the Passover season, as can be learned by comparison with Daniel
10:4. Passover occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month, and
was followed by seven days in which unleavened bread was eaten.

The reason for Daniel’s fasting probably was his concern for the
pilgrims who had returned to Jerusalem two years before, anticipated in
his prayer in Daniel 9. As the book of Ezra makes plain, the Israelites
had encountered great difficulty in getting settled in the land. Although

the altar had been set up and the foundation of the temple laid (Ezra 3),
the work had been suspended because of opposition by the people of the
land (Ezra 4:1–5, 24). All of this was a great concern to Daniel, for his
primary purpose in encouraging the expedition had been the restoration
of the temple as well as the city of Jerusalem.