דניאל, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ג

God's response to sincere prayer can be immediate, setting divine communication in motion the moment a person turns to Him. An angel is sent to the prophet to clarify a profound revelation and to affirm his unique standing. From the very first instant the prayer began, God issued a command to provide the requested answer [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This divine response was an absolute decree, much like a royal edict that can neither be expanded nor reduced [אבן עזרא]. The angel specifically highlights this immediate timing to prevent a potential misunderstanding. The prophet might have assumed that his lengthy, persistent pleading was what ultimately changed God's mind and brought about the answer. By clarifying that the decree was issued at the very start, the angel assures him that the continuous prayers were not what forced the decision [מלבי״ם, יוסף אבן יחיא].

The swift arrival of the heavenly messenger is a direct result of the prophet's extraordinary character. He is considered a deeply beloved and precious individual [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This special status reflects his graceful manner of speaking toward God [רש״י] and his highly desirable moral virtues [מצודת דוד]. Because he attained such an elevated spiritual level, the angel was sent to deliver the prophecy in a direct, face-to-face encounter, rather than from afar through a dream or a vague vision [מלבי״ם].

Concluding his initial address, the angel urges the prophet to pay deep and careful attention to the message [רש״י]. The primary approach among commentators suggests that the angel's repetitive phrasing in this urging is simply a tool to strongly encourage focus on the upcoming vision [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, others see a meaningful distinction in the angel's dual instruction to understand. One perspective explains that the prophet must grasp both the explicit words spoken by the angel and the hidden, underlying meanings of the vision [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Another approach views this instruction as bridging two distinct historical moments. According to this view, the prophet is directed to correctly understand an earlier prophecy from Jeremiah that had previously troubled him, while also fully comprehending the new revelation unfolding before him right now [מלבי״ם].