The Meaning of Daniel 9:5 Explained

Daniel 9:5

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

YLT: we have sinned, and done perversely, and done wickedly, and rebelled, to turn aside from Thy commands, and from Thy judgments:

Darby: we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from thy commandments and from thine ordinances.

ASV: we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from thy precepts and from thine ordinances;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Daniel 9:5 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 9:5 mean?

we have sinned and committed iniquity - we have done wickedly and rebelled and even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments
חָטָ֥אנוּ וְעָוִ֖ינוּ [והרשענו] (הִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ) וּמָרָ֑דְנוּ וְס֥וֹר מִמִּצְוֺתֶ֖ךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ

חָטָ֥אנוּ  we  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
וְעָוִ֖ינוּ  and  committed  iniquity 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: עָוָה 
Sense: to bend, twist, distort.
[והרשענו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
(הִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ)  we  have  done  wickedly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.
וּמָרָ֑דְנוּ  and  rebelled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: מָרַד  
Sense: to rebel, revolt, be rebellious.
וְס֥וֹר  and  even  by  departing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִמִּצְוֺתֶ֖ךָ  from  Your  precepts 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ  and  Your  judgments 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.