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.

DANIEL 10:17KJV
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Daniel 10:17 (KJV)

What does Daniel 10:17 mean?

Daniel 10:17 shows Daniel overwhelmed and physically weakened in the presence of a heavenly figure, saying he has no strength or breath left to speak. Daniel is expressing that he feels completely unable to continue the conversation because of the intensity of the encounter.

Daniel is speaking to a majestic messenger (often understood as an angel) who has appeared to him by the Tigris River. The vision and the presence of this messenger have left Daniel so awestruck and drained that he feels he cannot even breathe or talk. This verse highlights the deep humility and frailty Daniel feels when faced with something so far beyond normal human experience.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 10:17

  • "Servant" (עֶבֶד, ʿeved): This word means a servant or slave, and Daniel uses it to show deep humility before the heavenly figure, emphasizing his low position.
  • "Strength" (כֹּחַ, koach): This word refers to physical or inner strength. Daniel’s claim that he has no strength left underlines how overwhelming the vision is.
  • "Breath" (נְשָׁמָה, neshama): This word means breath or spirit. Daniel saying there is no breath left in him suggests not just tiredness, but a sense of being completely overcome, almost as if life itself is leaving him.

Why Daniel 10:17 matters

  • Daniel 10:17 clears up that even a faithful prophet like Daniel can feel utterly powerless in the presence of the divine, showing the vast gap between human and heavenly beings.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness and awe-inspiring nature of the vision Daniel receives, helping readers understand why he reacts so strongly.
  • Daniel’s reaction connects to the wider passage, where the messenger must strengthen and reassure him, highlighting the need for divine help when humans encounter God’s messengers.

Where else these words appear

“how” Hebrew H1963 · used in 2 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 13:12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

“straightway” Hebrew H6258 · used in 9 verses

  • Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
  • Genesis 26:29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.
  • Psalms 113:2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

“breath” Hebrew H5397 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
  • 1 Kings 15:29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
  • Job 37:10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

“strength” Hebrew H3581 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him,(for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.
  • Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.