Daniel 9:13 · Bible study
Daniel 9:13 Commentary: The Failure to Seek God Under Judgment
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Daniel 9:13: the confession that even under prophesied judgment, Israel did not entreat God. What true repentance requires.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Daniel confesses that even when the covenant curses fell as foretold, the people did not sincerely entreat God with repentance and discernment.
- Key words: chalah (entreat, soothe the face), shuv (turn, repent), haskil (give attention, act wisely), emet (truth, faithfulness).
- Main debate: Whether “have discernment in your truth” means interior understanding of God’s ways or prudent conduct aligned with God’s word, or both.
- Theological theme: Suffering does not automatically produce repentance; true turning to God requires intentional seeking of His face and submission to His truth.
- Best use: A lens for examining whether trials have softened or hardened the heart; a model for corporate confession.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Just 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we have not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities and have discernment in your truth.
KJV King James Version 1769
As 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet have we not entreated the favor of Jehovah our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in thy truth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
as it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil hath come upon us, and we have not appeased the face of Jehovah our God to turn back from our iniquities, and to act wisely in Thy truth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us; yet we besought not Jehovah our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: and we entreated not thy face, O Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and think on thy truth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Según está escrito en la ley de Moisés, todo aqueste mal vino sobre nosotros: y no hemos rogado á la faz de Jehová nuestro Dios, para convertirnos de nuestras maldades, y entender tu verdad.
Assim como está escrito na Lei de Moisés, todo aquele mal veio sobre nós; contudo não suplicamos à face do SENHOR nosso Deus, para nos convertermos de nossas maldades, e entender a tua verdade.
Comme cela est écrit dans la loi de Moïse, toute cette calamité est venue sur nous; et nous n’ avons pas imploré l’ Éternel, notre Dieu, nous ne nous sommes pas détournés de nos iniquités, nous n’ avons pas été attentifs à ta vérité.
Gleichwie es geschrieben steht im Gesetz Mose' s, so ist all dies große Unglück über uns gegangen. So beteten wir auch nicht vor dem HERRN, unserm Gott, daß wir uns von den Sünden bekehrten und auf deine Wahrheit achteten.
Gelijk als in de wet van Mozes geschreven is, alzo is al dat kwaad over ons gekomen; en wij smeekten het aangezicht des HEEREN, onzes Gods, niet, afkerende van onze ongerechtigheden, en verstandelijk acht gevende op Uw waarheid.
Com’è scritto nella legge di Mosè, tutta questa calamità ci è venuta addosso; e, nondimeno, non abbiamo implorato il favore dell’Eterno, del nostro Dio, ritraendoci dalle nostre iniquità e rendendoci attenti alla sua verità.
Tak jako napisano w zakonie Mojżeszowym, wszystko to złe przyszło na nas; a wżdyśmy nie prosili oblicza Pana, Boga naszego, abyśmy się odwrócili od nieprawości naszych, a mieli wzgląd na prawdę jego.
Как написано в законе Моисея, так все это бедствие постигло нас; но мы не умоляли Господа Бога нашего, чтобы нам обратиться от беззаконий наших и уразуметь истину Твою.
這 一切 災禍 臨 到我們身上 是照摩西 律法 上所 寫的，我們卻沒有 求 耶和華─我們 神的恩典，使我們回頭 離開罪孽，明白 你的真理。
As it was recorded in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us: but we have made no prayer for grace from the Lord our God that we might be turned from our evil doings and come to true wisdom.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 9:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Daniel makes a startling confession: the covenant curses written by Moses fell exactly as promised, yet the people did not respond with repentance. Barnes notes the Hebrew verb chalah (Piel) means “to rub or stroke the face,” that is, to soothe or beseech; Israel failed to do this. Calvin adds that even when beaten with stripes, the people remained stubborn, they “never grew wise.” JFB states simply: “Not even our chastisement has taught us penitence.” The Cambridge Bible points to the idiom “make the face sweet” used of approaching a human or divine patron for favor. Across the traditions, the consensus is clear: suffering alone does not bring about repentance. Daniel’s confession exposes a deeper rebellion, the refusal to turn to God even when His judgments are visibly fulfilled.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Failure to repent under judgment: The obvious reading: Israel experienced the curses but did not call on God. This view emphasizes human hardness (Calvin, Barnes).
- The need for divine enablement: Some connect “discernment in your truth” to Deuteronomy 29:4—God gives a heart to know; repentance itself requires God’s gift. The verse thus laments not just failure but lack of grace sought.
- Ambiguity of haskil (understand vs. deal wisely): Proponents note that the same verb appears in Daniel 11:33, 35; 12:3, 10 with both intellectual and practical senses. The view affects whether the outcome of repentance is insight or wise conduct.
What is clear: It is undisputed that Daniel confesses the people’s failure to entreat God and turn from sin, even as the prophesied disaster unfolded exactly as written.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of repentance | Repentance involves turning from sin and turning to God (the Hebrew verb shuv). | Christians differ on whether repentance is a human decision enabled by grace (synergistic) or a gift given entirely by God (monergistic). Daniel’s prayer includes both confession of human failure (we did not entreat) and an appeal to God’s mercy, leaving room for both sides. |
| The purpose of suffering | God uses hardship to discipline and call His people back to Himself. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize that suffering always has a divine purpose, even if unperceived. Others (e.g., Open Theism) allow that suffering can be a consequence of human sin that God works to redeem rather than a directly intended punishment. |
| The meaning of “have discernment in your truth” | The goal of repentance is a transformed understanding and way of life aligned with God’s revelation. | The Hebrew verb haskil can mean “understand” (intellectual insight) or “deal wisely” (practical obedience). Cambridge Bible notes both possibilities; traditions that emphasize understanding (Catholic, Orthodox) tend toward the former, while more pragmatic traditions (evangelical, Baptist) stress the latter. |
| Application of the Mosaic law to Christians | The covenant curses recorded in Moses’ writings were fulfilled in Israel’s history. | Some Christians see the law as entirely superseded (dispensationalism), while others see it as still revealing God’s character and moral standards (covenant theology). Both groups agree that Daniel’s confession of failure under the law points to the need for grace. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Daniel prays this prayer in the first year of Darius the Mede (539 BC), after reading Jeremiah’s prophecy that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Jer 25:11, 12; Dan 9:2). He identifies himself with the whole people, confessing sins that span generations. The reference to “the law of Moses” deliberately calls to mind the covenant curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, which threatened exile and calamity for disobedience. By Daniel’s day, every detail had come to pass: Jerusalem besieged, the temple destroyed, the people deported. The Hebrew phrase “we have not entreated the favor of” (לֹא חִלִּינוּ אֶת־פְּנֵי) uses the Piel perfect of chalah, indicating a sustained past failure to seek God’s face. The idiom pictures rubbing or stroking a face to calm anger, the way a subject would approach a king. In the ancient Near East, approaching a monarch with a petition required humility, gift-bearing, and careful timing. Israel, in their exile, had not taken that posture toward the true King. The verb “to turn” (לָשׁוּב, shuv) is the standard Hebrew word for repentance, and “give attention” (לְהַשְׂכִּיל, haskil) can mean to have insight or to act prudently. The exile was meant to produce this turning; instead, the people remained spiritually dull.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Daniel 9:13. The Hebrew text is stable. The main interpretive difference lies in translation: some render the final phrase as “understand thy truth” (KJV, Darby) while others prefer “have discernment in your truth” (ASV, WEB) or “deal wisely through thy truth” (margin, Cambridge Bible). This reflects the semantic range of the verb haskil, not a textual discrepancy.
Reception History
Daniel’s prayer, including verse 13, has served as a model for corporate confession in both Jewish and Christian traditions. The phrase “we have not entreated the face of the Lord” echoes in the penitential prayers of the Second Temple period, such as Baruch 2:8. Early Christian writers (e.g., Cyprian, Tertullian) cited Daniel’s example to urge believers to confess sins publicly in times of distress. In Reformation liturgy, the prayer shaped the pattern of confession followed by petition in many Reformed and Anglican prayer books. The verse has been read during Lent in some traditions as a reminder that suffering without repentance is wasted. Across the centuries, the verse has warned that God’s judgments, even when visibly fulfilled, do not guarantee a response of faith.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s warnings are sure. The law of Moses predicted disaster for covenant unfaithfulness, and every word came true. This establishes that God means what He says and that human history confirms His Word.
- Suffering alone does not produce repentance. Daniel confesses that even after the curses fell, the people did not entreat God. Pain can harden as easily as it can soften. True repentance is not automatic; it requires an active turning of the heart.
- True repentance involves both turning from sin and seeking understanding of God’s truth. The two parts belong together: turning away from iniquity and pursuing discernment in God’s truth (or “faithfulness”). Repentance is not just sorrow but a new orientation of mind and life.
Five-point outline
- The fulfillment of prophecy confirms God’s justice. The evil that came was no accident; it was written.
- The absence of supplication reveals hardness of heart. Israel did not even cry out.
- Mere affliction does not equal repentance. Suffering can be wasted if it does not drive us to God.
- True repentance is turning from iniquity. The Hebrew shuv implies a decisive change of direction.
- Discernment in God’s truth is the goal. Repentance leads to wisdom, not just relief.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who grounds a teenager, only to see the teen brood in their room instead of reflecting on what went wrong.
- A patient who ignores doctor’s warnings, then blames the illness instead of changing habits.
- A nation that experiences a crisis but responds with blame, rage, and denial rather than self-examination.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why doesn’t God immediately make me repentant when I go through hard times?
- How can I tell if my prayers are genuine entreaties or just lifeless routines?
- What does it look like to “discern God’s truth” in the middle of suffering?
Leading a Discussion
Daniel’s prayer models corporate confession that is honest about sin and honest about the human tendency to resist God even under discipline. This verse hits a raw nerve: we often expect suffering to produce repentance automatically, but the Bible says it does not. The people experienced exactly what God said they would, and still did not turn to Him.
Discussion questions
- Read Daniel 9:13 aloud. What stands out to you about the way Daniel connects God’s written word and their present experience?
- The Hebrew idiom “entreat the face of Yahweh” suggests approaching God like a subject approaching a king. What does this tell us about the posture of repentance?
- Daniel says they did not entreat God “that we might turn from our iniquities.” How does this order (seeking God first, then turning) challenge common ideas of repentance?
- Why might suffering make a person more stubborn instead of more humble? (Consider Job 36:13: “Those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.”)
- The verse ends with “have discernment in your truth.” What kind of truth is Daniel talking about, facts about God, or something more relational?
- In what areas of your life might you be experiencing difficulty but not actively seeking God’s face about it?
- How does knowing that Daniel prayed this prayer from exile (after years of captivity) give hope for late repentance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 26:14 | “‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments, |
| Leviticus 26:46 | These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Yahweh made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses. |
| Deuteronomy 28:15 | But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you. |
| Deuteronomy 28:68 | Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you. |
| Deuteronomy 29:4 | But Yahweh has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day. |
| Job 36:13 | “But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them. |
| Psalms 85:4 | Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease. |
| Psalms 119:18 | Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the Hebrew word behind "made we not our prayer," which literally means to stroke the face or soothe, implying earnest entreaty for pardon. The people had sinned but failed to beseech God's mercy, a neglect he says will be true of all sinners when divine judgment arrives.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God does not immediately destroy sinners but progressively warns them through His word, promises, threats, and finally chastisement to drive them to repentance. When even direct punishment fails to humble them, their hardness is exposed as desperate and inexcusable.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary identifies Daniel's prayer as a careful composition built from earlier Scripture, especially Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and the prayer in 1 Kings 8. On the phrase "understand thy truth," it notes a double meaning: either gaining insight into God's revealed will, or acting wisely by it through obeying His word.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes that even while the disasters foretold in the Law of Moses were actually happening, the people still failed to pray earnestly, turn from their sins, and grasp God's truth. This highlights their stubborn refusal to respond rightly to divine judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that although Israel faced the exact calamities threatened in the law, their prayer during captivity was merely formal and lifeless. Because they did not pray with sincerity, repentance, and a desire to turn from sin, their prayer was not counted as prayer at all, and they remained ignorant of God's truth.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the Hebrew phrase "soothed not the face of" to show the people's prayer was hollow. Even after God's chastisement, they refused to repent, proving that suffering alone does not teach penitence. True prayer requires both a desire to turn from sin and an attentive regard for God's faithfulness in promises and threats.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Daniel prays with deep reverence, calling God both great and dreadful while still clinging to His covenant mercy. Far from excusing himself, Daniel identifies fully with the nation's sin, and Henry highlights that the people's own failure to plead with God was itself part of their transgression.