Daniel 9 21

Daniel 9:21 kjv

Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Daniel 9:21 nkjv

yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

Daniel 9:21 niv

while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

Daniel 9:21 esv

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

Daniel 9:21 nlt

As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.

Daniel 9 verses

Daniel 9 21 meaning

Daniel 9:21 describes the immediate, divine response to Daniel's earnest prayer. While Daniel was still confessing Israel's sins and interceding for his people, the angel Gabriel, the same heavenly messenger who had appeared to him previously, swiftly arrived at the symbolic time of the evening sacrifice to deliver a crucial revelation regarding the future of Jerusalem and the fulfillment of God's covenant promises.

Daniel 9 21 Context

Daniel 9:21 occurs in the midst of Daniel's profound prayer of confession and intercession for his people (Dan 9:3-19). This prayer is triggered by Daniel's understanding from Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer 29:10) that the 70 years of exile were nearing their end. He pleads for God to act, confessing Israel's sins and appealing to God's righteousness, mercy, and covenant. The immediate response of Gabriel, coming during the very utterance of this prayer, emphasizes God's attentiveness and readiness to reveal His greater plan, specifically the 70 weeks prophecy which far transcends the physical return from Babylon, pointing to the coming of Messiah and ultimate redemption. Historically, the Jews were still in exile under Persian rule, without a Temple in Jerusalem, making Daniel's observance of the traditional prayer time tied to the "evening sacrifice" a deeply spiritual act of faith and remembrance.

Daniel 9 21 Word analysis

• "yea, while I was speaking" (וְעוֹד אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר - ve'od ani medabber):
  • וְעוֹד (ve'od): "And still," "while still," "yet." Emphasizes continuity and immediacy.
  • אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר (ani medabber): "I was speaking" (present participle in Hebrew, denoting ongoing action). This highlights the divine answer breaking into Daniel's live, ongoing communion with God. It signifies God's promptness and attentiveness to sincere prayer, even before it fully concludes.
• "in prayer" (בַּתְּפִלָּה - battĕphillah):
  • בַּתְּפִלָּה (battĕphillah): "In the prayer." Refers specifically to the powerful and detailed prayer of Daniel recorded in Dan 9:4-19. This prayer was marked by confession, repentance, and fervent intercession on behalf of his people and the desolate Jerusalem.
• "the man Gabriel" (הָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל - ha'ish Gabriel):
  • הָאִישׁ (ha'ish): "The man." This anthropomorphic description suggests Gabriel appeared in a distinct, human-like form to Daniel, facilitating direct interaction and communication. It distinguishes him as a definite, identifiable personality rather than a vague spiritual entity.
  • גַּבְרִיאֵל (Gabriel): "God is my strength" or "man of God." One of the few angels explicitly named in Scripture (Dan 8:16, Lk 1:19, 26), always functioning as a divine messenger, particularly for conveying crucial prophecies. His name itself points to the power and message coming from God.
• "whom I had seen in the vision at the first" (אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי בֶחָזוֹן בַּתְּחִלָּה - asher ra'iti vehazon battechillah):
  • Recalls the earlier encounter in Daniel 8:15-16, where Gabriel was instructed to make Daniel understand the vision of the ram and goat. This establishes continuity and reinforces Gabriel's identity and established role as Daniel's primary angelic interpreter of divine visions. It assures Daniel, and the reader, of the message's authenticity and divine authority.
• "came to me" (וּמֻגָּע אֵלַי - umuqqa' elay):
  • Literally, "and he caused himself to touch me" or "he reached me." Implies a direct and personal approach, ensuring the message was conveyed intimately to Daniel. The verb form implies he was caused or enabled to come.
• "in swift flight" (בִּיעָף בִּיעָף - biyaf biaf):
  • בִּיעָף (biy`af): "With swiftness," "flying swiftly." The Hebrew doubling of the root יעף (ya'af) to biyaf biaf intensifies the meaning, indicating extreme or accelerated speed. This emphasizes the immediacy of God's response to Daniel's prayer and the swiftness with which His divine messengers execute His will. It depicts the angel arriving with urgency and immense velocity, transcending human limitations of movement.
• "at the time of the evening sacrifice" (כְּעֵת מִנְחַת הָעָרֶב - kĕet minḥat haerev):
  • כְּעֵת (kĕ`et): "At the time of," "like the time of."
  • מִנְחַת הָעָרֶב (minḥat ha`erev): "The evening offering" or "evening sacrifice." This referred to the daily burnt offering made in the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex 29:38-42), typically around 3 PM (the ninth hour). Despite the Temple's destruction and the cessation of physical sacrifices during the exile, Daniel's prayer aligned with this sacred, traditional time of communal worship. It shows his enduring piety and spiritual connection to Jerusalem's religious life. This timing often symbolizes atonement, supplication, and is typologically linked by some to Christ's death (which occurred around the ninth hour).

Daniel 9 21 Bonus section

• The immediacy of God's response (while I was speaking) is a frequent theme in Scripture, emphasizing His ever-attentive nature to His praying children, especially when their prayers align with His will and glory. It's a reminder that prayer is not just monologue but a powerful engagement that elicits a divine response.
• Gabriel's repeated role in communicating pivotal prophetic messages (to Daniel, Zechariah, Mary) distinguishes him as a significant divine messenger in God's redemptive plan. His name, "God is my strength," resonates with the strength required for such significant revelations and their eventual fulfillment.
• The "evening sacrifice" transformed from a ritual to a powerful symbol of prayer and spiritual communion in the absence of a physical temple. This prefigures the New Covenant understanding that believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and our prayers, offered in faith, are as fragrant incense before God, anytime, anywhere.

Daniel 9 21 Commentary

Daniel 9:21 stands as a powerful testament to the efficacy and immediacy of fervent, intercessory prayer. Daniel's prayer, deeply rooted in Jeremiah's prophecy and offered with sincere repentance and self-abasement, moved the heart of God. God's response was not delayed; Gabriel was dispatched while Daniel was still speaking, illustrating God's readiness to hear and His swift action on behalf of His covenant people. The appearance of "the man Gabriel," identified through a prior encounter, lends authority and continuity to the divine revelation Daniel receives. Gabriel's "swift flight" dramatically emphasizes the urgency and importance of the message, highlighting the transcendent power of heavenly beings to carry out God's decrees without hindrance. Furthermore, the timing of the encounter "at the time of the evening sacrifice" is deeply significant. Even in exile, cut off from the Temple rituals, Daniel maintained spiritual fidelity to these sacred observances. This underscores that true worship transcends physical location and ritual, finding its essence in a repentant heart turned toward God. This specific timing also draws a profound connection to later biblical events, most notably the time of Christ's death, implying a broader theological fulfillment where the ultimate sacrifice was offered, giving full meaning to all preceding types and shadows.