The Meaning of Daniel 9:13 Explained

Daniel 9:13

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Daniel 9:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 9:1-15 - Intercession For A Beloved People
What a prayer is this! In many respects it is a model for us all. It was based on the divine Word. The fact that God had promised to restore the desolations of Jerusalem after seventy years, did not restrain, but prompted and inspired Daniel's prayers. God's promises are not independent of our faith, but await our appropriation. The blank checks are drawn and signed in our favor, but they must be presented at the bank for payment. It was very humble. Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, were the outward habiliments, but notice the tone. We have sinned"¦ and have rebelled"¦; unto us [1] confusion of face. He confessed his sin and the sin of his people. There is such a thing as vicarious confession, in which some holy soul takes to himself the task of bearing the sins of his people, and pouring out the story before God, as though the sins were his own. But we hardly need go to our country or people for sins to confess, for we have plenty of our own, and the nearer we come to God's infinite light and holiness, the more we abhor ourselves and repent in dust and ashes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 9

1  Daniel, considering the time of the captivity,
3  makes confession of sins,
16  and prays for the restoration of Jerusalem
20  Gabriel informs him of the seventy weeks

What do the individual words in Daniel 9:13 mean?

As [it is] written in the Law of Moses - all disaster this has come upon us and yet not we have made our prayer with before Yahweh our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּתוּב֙ בְּתוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֵ֛ת כָּל־ הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בָּ֣אָה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וְלֹֽא־ חִלִּ֜ינוּ אֶת־ פְּנֵ֣י ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ לָשׁוּב֙ מֵֽעֲוֺנֵ֔נוּ וּלְהַשְׂכִּ֖יל בַּאֲמִתֶּֽךָ

כָּתוּב֙  [it  is]  written 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בְּתוֹרַ֣ת  in  the  Law 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  of  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֵ֛ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָרָעָ֥ה  disaster 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַזֹּ֖את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
בָּ֣אָה  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עָלֵ֑ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְלֹֽא־  and  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חִלִּ֜ינוּ  we  have  made  our  prayer 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
פְּנֵ֣י ׀  before 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לָשׁוּב֙  that  we  might  turn 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מֵֽעֲוֺנֵ֔נוּ  from  our  iniquities 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, first person common plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וּלְהַשְׂכִּ֖יל  and  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
בַּאֲמִתֶּֽךָ  Your  truth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.