The Meaning of Daniel 8:18 Explained

Daniel 8:18

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.

YLT: And in his speaking with me, I have been in a trance on my face, on the earth; and he cometh against me, and causeth me to stand on my station,

Darby: Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep stupor, with my face toward the ground. And he touched me, and set me up where I had stood.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Daniel 8:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 8:15-27 - God's Deliverance Is Sure
It does not fall within our province to go into the various fulfillments which have been assigned to the predictions of this chapter-one to the time of the Maccabees, one to our own days, and one to that malign Satanic power which stands up perpetually against the Prince of princes. Let us dwell, rather, on the assertion that whatever sets itself against the kingship of Jesus Christ shall inevitably be broken. The Church of God is menaced today, as never before, by a vast multiplication of malign influences; but the Master's promise holds good that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her. They shall be broken without hand. This is our strong confidence with respect to all our foes, and therefore we may possess our souls in patience. It is interesting that Daniel continued to do the king's business, notwithstanding the abundance of the revelations given unto him. However much we may be caught up into the heaven of religious meditation and ecstasy, we must never forget or neglect the interests which are committed to our hands, whether of the home, the business, or the state. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 8

1  Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat
13  The two thousand three hundred days of the suspension of the daily sacrifice
15  Gabriel comforts Daniel, and interprets the vision

What do the individual words in Daniel 8:18 mean?

And 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 on upright
וּבְדַבְּר֣וֹ עִמִּ֔י נִרְדַּ֥מְתִּי עַל־ פָּנַ֖י אָ֑רְצָה וַיִּ֨גַּע־ בִּ֔י וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֖נִי עַל־ עָמְדִֽי

וּבְדַבְּר֣וֹ  And  as  he  was  speaking 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עִמִּ֔י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
נִרְדַּ֥מְתִּי  I  was  in  a  deep  sleep 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָדַם  
Sense: (Niphal) to be asleep, be unconscious, be in heavy sleep, fall into heavy sleep, be fast asleep.
פָּנַ֖י  my  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אָ֑רְצָה  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּ֨גַּע־  but  he  touched 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
בִּ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֖נִי  and  stood  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
עָמְדִֽי  upright 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.