Daniel 9:10 Meaning and Explanation
“Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Daniel names his people's failure honestly, owning the disobedience as his own with the word "we."
The Context of Daniel 9:10
Part of Daniel's great prayer of confession (verses 4 to 19), prayed in Babylon as he read in Jeremiah that the seventy years of exile were nearly finished. Though Daniel himself was faithful, he stands with his people and confesses their sin in the first person.
What Does Daniel 9:10 Mean?
Daniel is on his knees, and the most striking thing is the word he keeps using: 'we.' He had been one of the faithful, carried off young into a foreign court and holding fast there. Yet he does not pray as one looking down on his people's failure. He gathers it up and carries it himself: we have not obeyed, we did not walk in His laws, even though God had spoken plainly through the prophets He sent. The voice was clear; the disobedience was real; Daniel names it without excuse and without distancing himself from it.
This honest confession points ahead to the only One who could pray it from the inside without a single sin of His own. Jesus stood with sinners, was baptized among them, and finally bore their disobedience on the cross, becoming 'sin for us, who knew no sin' (2 Corinthians 5:21). Daniel could confess the failure but could not undo it. Christ took the whole weight of the unkept law and answered it with His own obedience, and that is the ground on which we can come, honest about our sin, and still be received.
Daniel 9:10 in the Original Language
shama (שָׁמַע), 'obeyed' -- literally to hear, a hearing that listens and then does.
How to Apply Daniel 9:10 Today
There is a quiet courage in praying 'we' instead of 'they.' Daniel shows us how to come before God without excuses, owning our failures plainly rather than explaining them away. And because Jesus took that unkept obedience on Himself, honest confession leads us not to despair but to mercy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Daniel 9:10
What does Daniel 9:10 mean?
Daniel names his people's failure honestly, owning the disobedience as his own with the word "we."
What is the context of Daniel 9:10?
Part of Daniel's great prayer of confession (verses 4 to 19), prayed in Babylon as he read in Jeremiah that the seventy years of exile were nearly finished. Though Daniel himself was faithful, he stands with his people and confesses their sin in the first person.
How can I apply Daniel 9:10 today?
There is a quiet courage in praying 'we' instead of 'they.' Daniel shows us how to come before God without excuses, owning our failures plainly rather than explaining them away. And because Jesus took that unkept obedience on Himself, honest confession leads us not to despair but to mercy.