Daniel 9

King James Version

Full text for Daniel Chapter 9

1¶ In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

2In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

3And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

4¶ And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7O Lord, righteousness [belongeth] unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, [that are] near, and [that are] far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

8O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9To the Lord our God [belong] mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

12And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13As [it is] written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

14Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God [is] righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to all [that are] about us.

17Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

20¶ And whiles I [was] speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

21Yea, whiles I [was] speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

22And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

23At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew [thee]; for thou [art] greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

26And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

In the first year of Darius, Daniel discerns from Jeremiah's prophecy that Jerusalem's desolation would last seventy years, prompting him to seek the Lord through fervent prayer, fasting, and confession. He confesses Israel's widespread sins and pleads for God's mercy upon the desolate city and sanctuary. While Daniel prays, the angel Gabriel appears to him, revealing a prophecy of "seventy weeks" determined for Daniel's people and holy city, detailing future events concerning the Messiah, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and subsequent destruction and desolation.

Medium Summary

In the first year of Darius, Daniel understands from Jeremiah's writings that the seventy years of Jerusalem's desolation were nearing their end. He then turns to the Lord God in earnest prayer, fasting, and supplication, confessing the collective sins and rebellion of Israel against God's laws and prophets. Daniel acknowledges God's righteousness and mercy, pleading for the restoration of Jerusalem and the sanctuary, not based on their merit but on God's great compassion and for His name's sake. As Daniel prays, the angel Gabriel swiftly appears, informing him that he is greatly beloved and has come to impart understanding. Gabriel then delivers the prophecy of seventy weeks, a period determined for Israel to accomplish various spiritual and historical milestones. This prophecy outlines the timing of the Messiah's appearance and cutting off, the rebuilding of Jerusalem in troubled times, and the future destruction of the city and sanctuary by a coming prince, culminating in a final period of covenant and desolation.

Long Summary

In the first year of Darius the Mede, Daniel, studying the prophetic books, understood that the seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem, foretold by Jeremiah, were nearing their completion. Deeply moved, he set his face to the Lord God, seeking Him through prayer, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel's extensive prayer is a profound confession of Israel's collective sinfulness, rebellion, and disobedience to God's commandments and His prophets. He humbly acknowledges God's righteousness and covenant faithfulness, while attributing shame and confusion to his people for their trespasses, which led to their scattering and suffering. Daniel appeals to God's great mercies and forgiveness, recalling His mighty deliverance from Egypt and pleading for His anger and fury to be turned away from Jerusalem, His holy city and mountain, which had become a reproach. He emphasizes that their supplications are not based on their own righteousness, but solely on God's compassion and for the sake of His name, which is called upon their city and people. While Daniel was still praying and confessing, the angel Gabriel, whom he had seen in an earlier vision, swiftly appeared to him around the time of the evening oblation. Gabriel informed Daniel that he was greatly beloved and had come to give him skill and understanding, having been dispatched at the very beginning of Daniel's supplications. The angel then revealed the prophecy of "seventy weeks," a specific period determined upon Daniel's people and holy city. This period is set to accomplish monumental tasks: to finish transgression, make an end of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy. Gabriel further elucidated that from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince would be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. After these threescore and two weeks, the Messiah would be cut off, "but not for himself." The prophecy also foretold that the people of a future prince would destroy the city and the sanctuary, with desolations determined until the end of a war. Finally, Gabriel described a single week during which this prince would confirm a covenant with many, but in the midst of that week, he would cause sacrifice and oblation to cease, bringing desolation due to abominations until a determined consummation.

Core Concepts

  • Daniel's IntercessionDaniel, understanding Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years of desolation, engages in fervent prayer, fasting, and confession on behalf of his people, acknowledging their sins and appealing to God's mercy for Jerusalem's restoration.
  • Confession of SinThe chapter features a detailed prayer where Daniel confesses the collective sins of Israel, including rebellion, disobedience to God's laws, and disregard for His prophets, attributing their suffering to these transgressions.
  • God's Righteousness and MercyDaniel's prayer highlights the contrast between God's inherent righteousness and faithfulness to His covenant, and Israel's unrighteousness, yet he appeals to God's great mercies and forgiveness as the sole basis for hope.
  • The Seventy Weeks ProphecyA pivotal angelic revelation detailing a specific period of 490 years (70 "weeks" of years) determined for Israel and Jerusalem, outlining key events leading to the Messiah, the rebuilding and destruction of the city, and a final period of covenant and desolation.
  • Messiah's Appearance and Cutting OffThe prophecy explicitly states that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince would be 69 weeks, and that after this period, the Messiah would be "cut off, but not for himself."
  • Desolation of Jerusalem and the SanctuaryThe prophecy foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary by the people of a coming prince, and the continuation of desolations until a determined end, linked to a future covenant and the cessation of sacrifices.
  • Gabriel's RevelationThe angel Gabriel, previously seen by Daniel, appears to him to impart understanding regarding the future, emphasizing Daniel's "greatly beloved" status as the reason for this divine communication.