Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
1In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—
2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
4And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
7To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You have driven us because of our unfaithfulness to You.
11All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.
12You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.
13Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and giving attention to Your truth.
14Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.
15Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and who made for Yourself a name renowned to this day, we have sinned; we have acted wickedly.
16O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, I pray that Your anger and wrath may turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all around us.
18Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.
20While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
23At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:
24Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
25Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress.
26Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed.
27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”
Daniel 9 records one of Scripture's most pivotal prayers and prophecies. Upon reading Jeremiah's promise that Jerusalem's desolation would last seventy years, Daniel intercedes with passionate confession on behalf of his people. God responds through the angel Gabriel with the "Seventy Weeks" prophecy—a stunning preview of Christ's coming, death, and the end times. This chapter beautifully demonstrates how prayer prompted by God's Word opens the door to divine revelation, and it contains some of the most important messianic prophecies in all of Scripture.
Daniel receives understanding during the reign of Darius the Mede, the new ruler after Babylon's fall. Reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Jerusalem would lie desolate for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12), Daniel realizes the appointed time is near. Rather than passively waiting, he sets his face toward the Lord in earnest prayer, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. This demonstrates that knowing God's promises should drive us to prayer, not complacency. Daniel's posture—seeking the Lord with intensity—shows his deep love for God's purposes and his people.
Daniel's prayer is remarkable: though he himself was righteous and faithful, he identifies completely with Israel's sin. He confesses corporate guilt, acknowledging that the nation has sinned, committed iniquity, rebelled, and rejected the prophets (verses 5-6). He affirms God's righteousness while accepting national shame (verse 7). Crucially, Daniel does not excuse the people; he owns their transgressions and God's just judgment. The curses of the Mosaic covenant have fallen (verse 11) because Israel departed from God's law. Yet even in confession, Daniel trusts in God's mercies and forgivenesses (verse 9). This prayer models true repentance: honest acknowledgment of sin without minimizing it, coupled with faith in God's mercy.
Daniel shifts from confession to supplication. He reminds God of His power—the exodus from Egypt—and appeals to His righteousness and renown (verses 15-16). He asks not on the basis of Israel's worthiness, but on God's great mercies (verse 18). Notice his urgent refrain: "Hear, forgive, hearken and do; defer not" (verse 19). Daniel's intercession is bold yet humble, pleading for God to act for His own sake and for the sake of His name, which is called upon Jerusalem. This teaches us that effective prayer aligns our desires with God's glory and honor.
As Daniel prays, the angel Gabriel appears—the same messenger who visited him in chapter 8. Gabriel announces that Daniel is greatly beloved (verse 23) and that God heard his prayer from its very beginning (verse 22). This assures us that God listens to sincere intercession and responds to faithful seeking. The angel comes to give Daniel skill and understanding regarding the vision to follow.
Gabriel reveals that seventy weeks (Hebrew shabu'im, literally "sevens"—almost certainly meaning years, or 490 years) are determined upon thy people and thy holy city (verse 24). These weeks accomplish six goals: finishing transgression, ending sin, making reconciliation, bringing everlasting righteousness, sealing up vision and prophecy, and anointing the Most Holy. The timeline breaks down: 7 weeks (49 years) for Jerusalem's rebuilding, then 62 weeks (434 years), then the Messiah is cut off (verse 26)—a clear reference to Christ's crucifixion. After His death, the city and sanctuary are destroyed (fulfilled in 70 AD). The final week involves covenant confirmation and the cessation of sacrifices (verse 27), pointing to Christ's death ending the old covenant system.
Application for Today
Daniel's example calls us to pray Scripture back to God. When we read His promises, we should intercede earnestly. We should confess sin personally and corporately without excuse, yet with confidence in God's mercy. Most importantly, we should recognize that Christ is the fulfillment of all messianic promise. Our Messiah has come, been cut off for our sins, and awaits His return. Let this stir us to both gratitude and faithful witness.
Study Notes — Daniel 9
6 sectionsDaniel 9 records one of Scripture's most pivotal prayers and prophecies. Upon reading Jeremiah's promise that Jerusalem's desolation would last seventy years, Daniel intercedes with passionate confession on behalf of his people. God responds through the angel Gabriel with the "Seventy Weeks" prophecy—a stunning preview of Christ's coming, death, and the end times. This chapter beautifully demonstrates how prayer prompted by God's Word opens the door to divine revelation, and it contains some of the most important messianic prophecies in all of Scripture.
Daniel receives understanding during the reign of Darius the Mede, the new ruler after Babylon's fall. Reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Jerusalem would lie desolate for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12), Daniel realizes the appointed time is near. Rather than passively waiting, he sets his face toward the Lord in earnest prayer, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. This demonstrates that knowing God's promises should drive us to prayer, not complacency. Daniel's posture—seeking the Lord with intensity—shows his deep love for God's purposes and his people.
Daniel's prayer is remarkable: though he himself was righteous and faithful, he identifies completely with Israel's sin. He confesses corporate guilt, acknowledging that the nation has sinned, committed iniquity, rebelled, and rejected the prophets (verses 5-6). He affirms God's righteousness while accepting national shame (verse 7). Crucially, Daniel does not excuse the people; he owns their transgressions and God's just judgment. The curses of the Mosaic covenant have fallen (verse 11) because Israel departed from God's law. Yet even in confession, Daniel trusts in God's mercies and forgivenesses (verse 9). This prayer models true repentance: honest acknowledgment of sin without minimizing it, coupled with faith in God's mercy.
Daniel shifts from confession to supplication. He reminds God of His power—the exodus from Egypt—and appeals to His righteousness and renown (verses 15-16). He asks not on the basis of Israel's worthiness, but on God's great mercies (verse 18). Notice his urgent refrain: "Hear, forgive, hearken and do; defer not" (verse 19). Daniel's intercession is bold yet humble, pleading for God to act for His own sake and for the sake of His name, which is called upon Jerusalem. This teaches us that effective prayer aligns our desires with God's glory and honor.
As Daniel prays, the angel Gabriel appears—the same messenger who visited him in chapter 8. Gabriel announces that Daniel is greatly beloved (verse 23) and that God heard his prayer from its very beginning (verse 22). This assures us that God listens to sincere intercession and responds to faithful seeking. The angel comes to give Daniel skill and understanding regarding the vision to follow.
Gabriel reveals that seventy weeks (Hebrew shabu'im, literally "sevens"—almost certainly meaning years, or 490 years) are determined upon thy people and thy holy city (verse 24). These weeks accomplish six goals: finishing transgression, ending sin, making reconciliation, bringing everlasting righteousness, sealing up vision and prophecy, and anointing the Most Holy. The timeline breaks down: 7 weeks (49 years) for Jerusalem's rebuilding, then 62 weeks (434 years), then the Messiah is cut off (verse 26)—a clear reference to Christ's crucifixion. After His death, the city and sanctuary are destroyed (fulfilled in 70 AD). The final week involves covenant confirmation and the cessation of sacrifices (verse 27), pointing to Christ's death ending the old covenant system.
Daniel's example calls us to pray Scripture back to God. When we read His promises, we should intercede earnestly. We should confess sin personally and corporately without excuse, yet with confidence in God's mercy. Most importantly, we should recognize that Christ is the fulfillment of all messianic promise. Our Messiah has come, been cut off for our sins, and awaits His return. Let this stir us to both gratitude and faithful witness.