Daniel 9:20-27 Meaning: God Answers Before We Finish
20While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God—
21yes, while I was speaking in prayer—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 offering.
22He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding.
23At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.
24“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
25“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.
26After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined.
27He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the decreed full end, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”
20And 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.
20And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21yea, while I was speaking in prayer, 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 instructed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding.
23At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.
24Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
25Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.
26And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: 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 even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
27And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.
20And while I am speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and causing my supplication to fall before Jehovah my God, for the holy mount of my God,
21yea, while I am speaking in prayer, then that one Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the commencement, being caused to fly swiftly, is coming unto me at the time of the evening present.
22And he giveth understanding, and speaketh with me, and saith, `O Daniel, now I have come forth to cause thee to consider understanding wisely;
23at the commencement of thy supplications hath the word come forth, and I have come to declare it , for thou art greatly desired, and understand thou concerning the matter, and consider concerning the appearance.
24`Seventy weeks are determined for thy people, and for thy holy city, to shut up the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover iniquity, and to bring in righteousness age-during, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies.
25And thou dost know, and dost consider wisely, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem till Messiah the Leader is seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks: the broad place hath been built again, and the rampart, even in the distress of the times.
26And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end is with a flood, and till the end is war, determined are desolations.
27And he hath strengthened a covenant with many--one week, and in the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'
20And whilst I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21whilst I was yet speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, Daniel, I am now come forth to make thee skilful of understanding.
23At the beginning of thy supplications the word went forth, and I am come to declare [it]; for thou art one greatly beloved. Therefore consider the word, and have understanding in the vision:
24Seventy weeks are apportioned out upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to close the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make expiation for iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal the vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies.
25Know therefore and understand: From the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah, the Prince, are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street and the moat shall be built again, even in troublous times.
26And after the sixty-two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with an overflow, and unto the end, war, — the desolations determined.
27And he shall confirm a covenant with the many [for] one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and because of the protection of abominations [there shall be] a desolator, even until that the consumption and what is determined shall be poured out upon the desolate.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Daniel confess both his sin and Israel's sin, and how does God respond? Gabriel arrives mid-prayer, showing God's eagerness to answer repentant hearts.
Context
Daniel had been reading the prophet Jeremiah and realised that the seventy years of Jerusalem's desolation were almost over. He began praying with fasting and sackcloth, confessing his own sin and the sin of his people Israel. He pleaded for God to restore the holy mountain, the city and the sanctuary. While he was still speaking, the angel Gabriel came to him. Gabriel brought a revelation about seventy weeks, a timeline that would see the end of sin, the coming of the Anointed One, and the final restoration of God's people. The passage makes clear that God heard Daniel the moment he started to pray.
Key Words
The Hebrew word behind Daniel's confession is mitvadeh, from the root yadah. It means to throw or cast, but in prayer it means to agree with God about sin, to hold nothing back. Daniel did not just list faults; he aligned himself with God's view of what had gone wrong. That is a different kind of confession, one that opens a channel for grace.
Gabriel calls Daniel chamudot, often translated 'greatly beloved' or 'precious'. The word describes something treasured, desired. Daniel was not perfect, but his heart for God made him precious. That same word is used elsewhere for things set apart for God. You are that too when you turn toward Him.
The prophecy says the Anointed One will be yikkaret, 'cut off.' The word means to be severed, to have life ended abruptly. It is the same verb used when God cuts a covenant. Here it points to a violent death, one that would accomplish reconciliation for iniquity long before the final end.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this prophecy as a central promise of the coming Messiah. Many see the seventy weeks as weeks of years, 490 years, beginning with a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and culminating in the death of Jesus Christ. Others within Reformed and historic premillennial traditions see the final week as a future tribulation period. The identity of the 'prince who comes' is also read variously: some point to the Roman general Titus, others to an end-times figure. All agree that God has a determined plan for redemption, a timeline He holds and fulfills.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think the 'seventy weeks' are literal seven-day periods, totaling 490 days. In fact, the Hebrew word shavuim means 'sevens' and in the context of Jeremiah's seventy years, it indicates weeks of years. The vast majority of interpreters understand these as 490 years, a prophetic stretch of time in which God would accomplish His purposes.
Living This Out
This passage invites you to pray the way Daniel did. You do not need to have everything figured out. You can confess your own failures and also the failures of the people around you, your family, your church, your nation. Bring them to God honestly. And here is the hope: God hears at the very beginning of your prayer. He does not wait until you have the right words. Before you finish, He may already be sending an answer. You can start today with a simple, honest prayer.
Main takeaway: God hears the moment His people turn to Him in confession, and He answers with swift and certain hope.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Daniel prayed to God and told Him about the wrong things he and his people had done. While he was still praying, God sent an angel to help him. God always hears you when you pray.
For ages 9, 12
When Daniel prayed, he admitted his own mistakes and the mistakes of his whole nation. He didn't wait to be perfect. Right away, God sent an answer. This shows us that God is ready to listen and help when we come to Him honestly. You can pray about anything, even if you feel messed up, and God is already listening before you finish.
Questions People Ask
What are the seventy weeks in Daniel 9?
The seventy weeks are a prophetic period of 490 years (weeks of years) decreed for the Jewish people and Jerusalem. They were to accomplish six goals, including putting an end to sin, making atonement for iniquity, and bringing in everlasting righteousness. This timeline points to the coming of the Messiah.
Who is the Anointed One in Daniel 9:25-26?
Most Christian interpreters see the Anointed One as Jesus the Messiah. He is described as being 'cut off' (killed) after 69 weeks, which Christians see as fulfilled in the crucifixion. The passage also speaks of a prince who destroys the city, often identified with the Roman general Titus.
Why does Daniel confess the sins of his people, not just his own?
Daniel identified himself with Israel's failures, even though he was personally faithful. This shows a kind of corporate repentance, acknowledging that the whole community has turned away from God. It reflects a heart that cares about God's honor and the well-being of others, not just personal purity.
When did the seventy weeks start?
The start is the 'commandment to restore and build Jerusalem.' Many interpreters point to the decree of Artaxerxes in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2). Others see earlier decrees. The exact date is debated, but the starting point marks a historical moment when God set the prophetic clock running for the coming of the Messiah.
What does Gabriel's swift flight teach us about prayer?
Gabriel's speed shows that God responds immediately to repentant prayer. Daniel was still speaking when the answer came. This encourages us to pray with confidence, knowing that God is attentive and eager to help those who turn to Him in humility.
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