Daniel 9:3

Daniel 9:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
• New International Version (NIV)So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Context of Daniel 9:3

1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by the books that the number of the years, whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishment of the desolations of Jerusalem, was seventy years. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes; 4and I prayed unto Jehovah my God, and made my confession, and said, Alas Lord! the great and terrible God, keeping covenant and loving-kindness with them that love him, and that keep his commandments: 5we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from thy commandments and from thine ordinances.

Daniel 9:3 word by word

וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה אֶת־פָּנַ֗י אֶל־אֲדֹנָי֙ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ תְּפִלָּ֖ה וְתַחֲנוּנִ֑ים בְּצ֖וֹם וְשַׂ֥ק וָאֵֽפֶר׃Read the interlinear

• setנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• prayerתְּפִלָּהtephillâh · prayerH8605
• supplicationsתַּחֲנוּןtachănûn tachănûnâh · supplicationH8469
• fastingצוֹםtsôm tsôm · fastH6685
• sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665

Cross-references for Daniel 9:3

• Daniel 6:10And 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.
• Nehemiah 1:4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of the heavens,
• Psalms 102:13Thou wilt rise up, thou wilt have mercy upon Zion: for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the set time is come.
• Jeremiah 29:10For thus saith Jehovah: When seventy years shall be accomplished for Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in bringing you back to this place.
• Jeremiah 33:3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and I will shew thee great and hidden things, which thou knowest not.
• Ezekiel 36:37Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it unto them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
• James 5:16Confess therefore your offences to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. [The] fervent supplication of the righteous [man] has much power.
• Daniel 10:2In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks:
• Ezra 8:21And I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
• Ezra 9:5And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation; and with my mantle and my garment rent, I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God,
• Ezra 10:6And Ezra arose from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he ate no bread and drank no water; for he mourned because of the unfaithfulness of them that had been carried away.
• Nehemiah 9:1And on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
• Esther 4:1And when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry,
• Psalms 35:13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom:
• Psalms 69:10And I wept, my soul was fasting: that also was to my reproach; —
• Isaiah 22:12And in that day did the Lord Jehovah of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;

Commentaries on Daniel 9:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I set my face - to seek by prayer - He found that the time of the promised deliverance could not be at any great distance; and as he saw nothing that indicated a speedy termination of their oppressive captivity, he was very much afflicted, and earnestly besought God to put a speedy end to it; and how earnestly he seeks, his own words show. He prayed, he supplicated, he fasted, he put sackcloth upon his body, and he put ashes upon his head. He uses that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And I set my face unto the Lord God - Probably the meaning is, that he turned his face toward Jerusalem, the place where God had dwelt; the place of his holy abode on earth. See the notes at Daniel 6:10. The language, however, would not be inappropriate to denote prayer without such a supposition. We turn to one whom we address, and so prayer may be described by “setting the face toward God.” The essential idea here is, that he engaged in a set and formal…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Daniel realized the seventy years were almost over, so he asked the Lord God to restore his people and Jerusalem. People who were mourning often wore rough burlap clothing and placed ashes on themselves as a sign of sorrow (compare Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:1; Lamentations 2:10; Luke 10:13). Focused prayer often included fasting to prioritize spiritual concerns over physical needs.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. prayer ... supplications--literally, "intercessions ... entreaties for mercy." Praying for blessings, and deprecating evils.Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 9:3

• Ashes
• Fasting
• Intercession
• Nation
• Prayer
• Prophets
• Sackcloth
• Seekers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Accomplish
• Belong
• Confession
• Daniel
• Finish
• Prince
• Reconciliation
• Restore

Commentaries on Daniel 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings