And I Daniel fainted and was sick certain days
Or, "then I Daniel fainted" F24; after he had seen the vision, and had thought upon it, and considered the afflictions that were to come upon the people of God, and the condition the temple, and the worship of it, would be in; these so affected his mind, that he not only fainted away, and was struck with a kind of stupor and amazement, but had a fit of illness upon him, which continued some days; such a nearness and sympathy there are between the soul and body: afterwards I rose up;
from the bed in which he had laid some days ill: and did the king's business;
by which it appears, that, upon the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was as yet continued in the service of the king of Babylon, though perhaps not in the same posts as before, and was not a favourite at court, and so much known as he had been; and also that he was not in reality at Shushan, when he had this vision, but at Babylon: and I was astonished at the vision;
at the things contained in it, which were of so much importance, respecting the kingdoms of the earth, especially the Persian and Grecian empires, and the state of his own people the Jews: but none understood it:
to whom he showed it; none but himself, who was made to understand it by the angel, ( Daniel 8:16 Daniel 8:17 ) .