The Meaning of Daniel 10:20 Explained

Daniel 10:20

KJV: Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

YLT: And he saith, Hast thou known why I have come unto thee? and now I turn back to fight with the head of Persia; yea, I am going forth, and lo, the head of Javan hath come;

Darby: And he said, Knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee? And now I return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I go forth, behold, the prince of Greece shall come.

ASV: Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I go forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  he, Knowest  thou wherefore I come  unto thee? and now will I return  to fight  with the prince  of Persia:  and when I am gone forth,  lo, the prince  of Grecia  shall come. 

What does Daniel 10:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The angel asked if Daniel knew why he had come to him. He apparently did this to focus the prophet"s attention on the vision to follow, and since Daniel was quite weak.
The angel informed Daniel that he had to return to resume fighting against the demon who was influencing Persia ( Daniel 10:13), and then battle the one that would be influencing Greece. The prince of Greece may be a reference to Alexander the Great. [1] Persia and Greece, of course, are two of the kingdoms that have been the focus of prophecy in this book (chs2; 7; 8; 9; Daniel 11:2-35).
"From this we can learn that, behind the many details of prophecy relating to the history of this period, there is the unseen struggle between angelic forces that the will of God may be accomplished." [2]

Context Summary

Daniel 10:1-21 - The Vision By The River
This chapter gives a glimpse into the great conflict which is always in progress between heaven and hell. For three weeks the radiant Being who came to Daniel as he prayed and fasted by the great river, was withstood by the mighty fallen spirit, who was concerned with the destinies of the kingdom of Persia; and it was only when he was succored and reinforced that he was able to accomplish the divine errand, Daniel 10:13. What a revelation is here-that probably each heathen country is ruled by some wicked spirit in the high places; that the fight is at times almost overpowering even for bright unfallen angels; and that the blessings which are ours are sometimes delayed because of the storms that sweep the ocean through which they come. Perhaps by our prayer we are able to throw an ounce-weight into the scale, and turn the battle. How reassuring the touch of that hand and tender the address of that voice. Who cannot be strong when strengthened by the right hand of God? Go forth into the fight of another day! God holds thy right hand. Be true and strong; thou canst not fail! [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 10

1  Daniel, having humbled himself, sees a vision
10  Being troubled with fear, he is comforted by the angel

What do the individual words in Daniel 10:20 mean?

And he said do you know why I have come to you now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia and when I have gone forth and indeed the prince of Greece will come
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲיָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ לָמָּה־ בָּ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְעַתָּ֣ה אָשׁ֔וּב לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עִם־ שַׂ֣ר פָּרָ֑ס וַאֲנִ֣י יוֹצֵ֔א וְהִנֵּ֥ה שַׂר־ יָוָ֖ן בָּֽא

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֲיָדַ֙עְתָּ֙  do  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
לָמָּה־  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
בָּ֣אתִי  I  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְעַתָּ֣ה  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אָשׁ֔וּב  I  must  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
שַׂ֣ר  the  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
פָּרָ֑ס  of  Persia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פָּרַס  
Sense: the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south.
וַאֲנִ֣י  and  when  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יוֹצֵ֔א  have  gone  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְהִנֵּ֥ה  and  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שַׂר־  the  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
יָוָ֖ן  of  Greece 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָוָן  
Sense: a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah.
בָּֽא  will  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.