Daniel 10:17

How can I, your servant, speak with you, my lord? Now I have no strength, nor is any breath left in me.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Daniel addresses a heavenly figure with the appearance of a man immediately after being touched on the lips and attempting to speak. He reports his physical depletion at the moment he tries to respond to the vision.

The words — The phrase וְהֵיךְ יוּכַל (ve./Heikh yu.Khal) literally renders "and how is he able," marking the speaker's assessment of his own capacity. The term עֶבֶד ('E.ved) identifies the speaker as a servant addressing his lord.

The thread — The pattern of human limitation before a superior presence appears in Exodus 24:10, which records a visual encounter with the God of Israel, and Genesis 32:20, which outlines a strategy of submission to a powerful brother. These passages frame the context of encountering authority or divine manifestation.

Why it lands — The text requires a reader to recognize physical and spiritual depletion before expecting divine intervention. It places the necessity of receiving strength prior to attempting any response to a heavenly message.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהֵ֣יךְve./Heikhand/ how?יוּכַ֗לyu.Khalis he able עֶ֤בֶד'E.ved[the] servant of אֲדֹנִי֙'a.do.N/ilord/ my זֶ֔הZehthis לְדַבֵּ֖רle./da.Berto/ speak עִם־'im-with אֲדֹ֣נִי'a.Do.n/ilord/ my זֶ֑הZehthis וַאֲנִ֤יva./'a.Niand/ I מֵעַ֙תָּה֙me./'A.tahfrom/ now לֹֽא־lo'-not יַעֲמָד־ya.'a.mod-it remainsבִּ֣יb/iin/ meכֹ֔חַKho.achstrength וּנְשָׁמָ֖הu./ne.sha.Mahand/ breath לֹ֥אlo'not נִשְׁאֲרָה־nish.'a.rah-it is leftבִֽי׃V/iin/ me

King James Version

For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Cross-references

Exodus 24:10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Genesis 32:20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
Exodus 33:20 But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
Judges 6:22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
Judges 13:21 And when the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it had been the angel of the LORD.
Matthew 22:43 Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:
Mark 12:36 Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.