The Meaning of Daniel 6:10 Explained

Daniel 6:10

KJV: Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

YLT: And Daniel, when he hath known that the writing is signed, hath gone up to his house, and the window being opened for him, in his upper chamber, over-against Jerusalem, three times in a day he is kneeling on his knees, and praying, and confessing before his God, because that he was doing it before this.

Darby: And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

ASV: And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now when Daniel  knew  that the writing  was signed,  he went  into his house;  and his windows  being open  in his chamber  toward  Jerusalem,  he kneeled  upon  his knees  three  times  a day,  and prayed,  and gave thanks  before  his God,  as  he did  aforetime. 

What does Daniel 6:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The new decree did not deter Daniel from continuing to pray for the welfare of the city where God had sent them into exile, and for the Jews" return from exile. That this was the subject of his praying, among other things, including thanksgiving ( Daniel 6:10), seems clear since Daniel possessed a copy of Jeremiah"s prophecy ( Daniel 9:2; cf. Jeremiah 29:1; Jeremiah 29:7; Jeremiah 29:10). Jeremiah had written that God had promised to hear such prayers, if they were sincere and wholehearted, to restore the fortunes of the Jews, and to Revelation -gather them to the Promised Land ( Jeremiah 29:12-14). Cyrus issued his decree allowing the Jews to return from exile in538 B.C. ( 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). The events of Daniel 6 must have happened just before or shortly after this great turning point in Israel"s history. The events recorded in this chapter undoubtedly played some part in Cyrus" decision to favor the Jews. Daniel refused to pray to the king, but he willingly prayed to the king"s Sovereign.
"It is not a question of a positive sin which he will not commit, but of a positive duty which he will not omit." [1]
Solomon had taught the Jews to pray to the Lord facing Jerusalem, since that is where He promised to be in a special sense for them ( 2 Chronicles 6:21; 2 Chronicles 6:34-39; cf. Psalm 5:7). Jesus Christ later taught that the place of worship is not as important as truly spiritual worship ( John 4:20-24). Daniel"s kneeling posture, reminiscent of Solomon"s at the temple dedication, indicated his dependence on God as a supplicant. Normally the Jews stood when they prayed (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:30; Nehemiah 9; Matthew 6:5; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11; Luke 18:13), but they kneeled (and prostrated themselves) when they felt a more urgent need (cf. 1 Kings 8:54; Ezra 9:5; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Acts 9:40; Acts 20:36; Acts 21:5). Praying three times a day was evidently the practice of godly Jews dating back to David, if not before then (cf. Psalm 55:16-17). The fact that his window was open evidently symbolized for Daniel that his prayers were unhindered. Windows in ancient Near Eastern cities were normally small, high, and had a lattice covering, so Daniel was probably not praying with his window open to be seen by others. [2]
"While Daniel"s consistency of life and testimony has been evident throughout the book of Daniel , here we learn the inner secret. In spite of the pressures of being a busy executive with many demands upon his time, Daniel had retired to his house three times a day to offer his prayers for the peace of Jerusalem as well as for his personal needs. This was not the act of a person courting martyrdom but the continuation of a faithful ministry in prayer which had characterized his long life." [3]
"It was this prayer-fellowship with Yahweh that had safeguarded Daniel from the corrupting influences of Babylonian culture." [4]
"It is a common observation that those who have no regular habits of prayer very seldom do much praying. It is well for God"s people purposefully and deliberately to set aside and faithfully adhere to a definite prayer schedule. Prayer is thus recognized as a [5] important part of the Christian life and given the place which it deserves." [6]
"In times of testing believers need to remain faithful to God. Sometimes this will require:•Wisdom to seek a creative compromise that enables the believer to meet society"s expectations without violating his or her beliefs ( Daniel 1:8-14).•Courage to be willing to stand up for one"s beliefs when no compromise is possible ( Daniel 3:15-18).•Personal discipline to develop a lifestyle of faithfulness so the right response to a test will come "naturally" ( Daniel 6:10)." [7]

Context Summary

Daniel 6:1-15 - Fidelity In Worship
Though he was the most distinguished man of his day, and full of public business, Daniel managed to find time for prayer, in the evening, morning, and at noon, according to the Hebrew custom, Psalms 55:17. He was outwardly a great magnate of the Persian court, but inwardly he was as true as ever to the city of his fathers and to the Temple now in ruins, Daniel 6:10. What a marvelous tribute was afforded to his saintly character by his foes, when they could find no fault in him except as concerned his religious life! Time spent in prayer is not lost time to the suppliant. Luther used to say: "I have so much to do today that I cannot get through with less than three hours of prayer." It was customary for the Jews to turn the face toward the Holy City, which for so long had been the center of their great religious system, 1 Kings 8:44; Jonah 2:4. With us, the upturned face and the references we make to the great High Priest, are significant of a posture of soul analogous and yet superior to the open window. See to it that your windows are always open towards the New Jerusalem, of which you are a citizen, but from which for a little while you are exiled. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 6

1  Daniel is made chief of the presidents
4  They, conspiring against him, obtain an idolatrous decree
10  Daniel, accused of the breach thereof, is cast into the lion's den
18  Daniel is saved;
24  his adversaries devoured;
25  and God magnified by a decree

What do the individual words in Daniel 6:10 mean?

And Daniel when knew that was signed writing the he went home and with windows open his in his upper room toward Jerusalem and times three in day the he knelt down on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God all according to as was his custom since Former time this -
וְ֠דָנִיֵּאל כְּדִ֨י יְדַ֜ע דִּֽי־ רְשִׁ֤ים כְּתָבָא֙ עַ֣ל לְבַיְתֵ֔הּ וְכַוִּ֨ין פְּתִיחָ֥ן לֵהּ֙ בְּעִלִּיתֵ֔הּ נֶ֖גֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם וְזִמְנִין֩ תְּלָתָ֨ה בְיוֹמָ֜א ה֣וּא ׀ בָּרֵ֣ךְ עַל־ בִּרְכ֗וֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּ֤א וּמוֹדֵא֙ קֳדָ֣ם אֱלָהֵ֔הּ כָּל־ קֳבֵל֙ דִּֽי־ הֲוָ֣א עָבֵ֔ד מִן־ קַדְמַ֖ת דְּנָֽה ס

וְ֠דָנִיֵּאל  And  Daniel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִיֵּאל  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
יְדַ֜ע  knew 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
רְשִׁ֤ים  was  signed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רְשַׁם  
Sense: to inscribe, sign.
כְּתָבָא֙  writing  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: כְּתָב  
Sense: a writing.
עַ֣ל  he  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲלַל  
Sense: to thrust in, go in, come in.
לְבַיְתֵ֔הּ  home 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת  
Sense: house (of men).
וְכַוִּ֨ין  and  with  windows 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: כַּוָּה  
Sense: window.
פְּתִיחָ֥ן  open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: פְּתַח  
Sense: to open.
לֵהּ֙  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
בְּעִלִּיתֵ֔הּ  in  his  upper  room 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִלִּי  
Sense: roof-room, roof chamber.
נֶ֖גֶד  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: in front of, facing.
יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשְׁלֶם  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְזִמְנִין֩  and  times 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: זְמַן  
Sense: a set time, time, season.
תְּלָתָ֨ה  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: תַּלְתָּא  
Sense: three.
בְיוֹמָ֜א  in  day  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: יׄום  
Sense: day.
בָּרֵ֣ךְ  knelt  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בְּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
בִּרְכ֗וֹהִי  his  knees 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּרֵךְ  
Sense: knee.
וּמְצַלֵּ֤א  and  prayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צְלָה  
Sense: (Pael) to pray.
וּמוֹדֵא֙  and  gave  thanks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יְדָה  
Sense: (Aphel) to praise, give thanks.
קֳדָ֣ם  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: קֳדָם  
Sense: before, in front of.
אֱלָהֵ֔הּ  his  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
קֳבֵל֙  according  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: קֳבֵל  
Sense: front prep.
עָבֵ֔ד  his  custom 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲבַד  
Sense: to make, do.
מִן־  since 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
קַדְמַ֖ת  Former  time 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קַדְמָה  
Sense: former time or situation, as before.
דְּנָֽה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: דְּנָה  
Sense: this, on account of this adv.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation