Daniel 9:5 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
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:
Daniel 9:5 nkjv
we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
Daniel 9:5 niv
we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
Daniel 9:5 esv
we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
Daniel 9:5 nlt
But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.
Daniel 9 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Neh 9:33-35 | "You are just in all that has come upon us...we have acted wickedly." | Corporate confession of sin and God's justice. |
| Ps 51:1-4 | "Have mercy upon me, O God...against You, You only, have I sinned..." | Personal confession of various forms of sin. |
| Jer 14:7 | "Though our iniquities testify against us, O LORD...we have sinned against You." | Acknowledging guilt despite pleading for mercy. |
| Isa 59:12-13 | "For our transgressions are multiplied before You...rebelling..." | Acknowledgment of extensive national sin. |
| Ezr 9:6 | "O my God, I am ashamed...our iniquities are piled up..." | Ezra's confession of national guilt. |
| 1 Jn 1:8 | "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves..." | Universal truth of sinfulness. |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us..." | Call to confession and promise of forgiveness. |
| Rom 3:23 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." | Universal human sinfulness. |
| Lev 26:14-17 | "But if you do not obey Me...then I will appoint terror over you..." | Covenant curses for disobedience. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey...all these curses..." | Covenant curses detailed, leading to exile. |
| Psa 106:6 | "We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity..." | Intergenerational and corporate sin. |
| Isa 1:4 | "Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity..." | Prophetic condemnation of Israel's pervasive sin. |
| Ez 20:13 | "Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness..." | Historical record of Israel's rebellion. |
| Neh 1:6 | "We have acted corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments." | Nehemiah's confession echoing Daniel. |
| 2 Chr 6:37-38 | "If they return to You with all their heart...and pray toward this land." | Prayer of repentance for sin during exile. |
| Hos 8:1 | "Because they transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law." | Explicit connection between rebellion and covenant. |
| Mal 3:7 | "You have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them." | Later prophetic accusation of deviation. |
| Isa 64:5-7 | "You meet him who joyfully works righteousness...but we are all unclean." | Corporate acknowledgement of widespread sin. |
| Zeph 3:2 | "She has not obeyed the voice...She has not drawn near to her God." | Rejection of divine instruction. |
| Jer 3:25 | "We lie down in our shame, and our disgrace covers us, for we have sinned." | Acknowledgement of the just outcome of sin. |
| Num 14:9 | "Only do not rebel against the LORD..." | Early warning against rebellion. |
| 2 Chr 28:19 | "For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged immorality..." | Leaders' sin affecting the nation. |
| Psa 119:102 | "I have not turned aside from Your judgments..." | Counter-example of one committed to God's laws. |
| Titus 1:16 | "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient." | Practical denial of God through disobedience. |
Daniel 9 verses
Daniel 9 5 meaning
Daniel 9:5 is a profound and comprehensive corporate confession of sin by Daniel on behalf of his people, Israel. It articulates various forms of transgression – general sin, moral perversion, active wickedness, and open rebellion against God. The verse highlights that this extensive sinfulness involved a conscious and deliberate turning away from God's specific commands and moral decrees, acknowledging that the exile and suffering are a just consequence of their collective disobedience.
Daniel 9 5 Context
Daniel 9:5 is part of Daniel's extensive prayer found in Daniel 9:3-19. This prayer occurs around the year 538 BC, following the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon. Daniel, deeply studying the prophet Jeremiah's prophecy regarding the seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem (Jer 25:11-12, 29:10), understands that this period is nearing its end. His prayer is an earnest appeal for God to fulfill His promise of restoring Israel, but it is remarkably prefaced by a profound and lengthy confession of national sin. This confession is not just for past generations but also identifies Daniel with the current generation, acknowledging their corporate culpability for the covenant violations that led to the seventy-year exile. It sets the stage for Daniel to petition God for mercy based not on Israel's merit, but on God's righteousness and great mercy.
Daniel 9 5 Word analysis
- We: The first-person plural pronoun (אֲנַ֫חְנוּ - anachnu) signifies Daniel's identification with his people's corporate sinfulness, embracing the communal guilt rather than distancing himself from it. This intercessory solidarity is key to his prayer.
- have sinned: The Hebrew verb חָטָא (khata') means "to miss the mark," "to go astray," or "to fail." It's a general term for offense, highlighting a deviation from God's intended path, often used for unintentional or general transgression.
- committed iniquity: The verb עָוָה ('awah) signifies "to bend," "to twist," "to make crooked," implying moral perversion or distortion of what is right. It speaks to intentional, premeditated sin and the act of wrongdoing, perverting justice or truth.
- dealt wickedly: From the Hebrew רָשַׁע (rasha') meaning "to act as a wicked person," "to condemn," "to be guilty." This is a strong term for unrighteousness, denoting a hostile disposition toward God, acting in a way that is legally culpable and actively opposing God's standards.
- and have rebelled: The verb מָרַד (marad) means "to be rebellious," "to revolt," "to defy." It describes an open and deliberate act of insubordination against an authority, especially a king or ruler, and here, against God, signifying a break from the covenant relationship.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- We have sinned, committed iniquity, dealt wickedly, and rebelled: This cascading series of verbs demonstrates an escalating scale and comprehensive nature of Israel's sin. From "missing the mark" (khata') to outright "rebellion" (marad), Daniel paints a full picture of their profound spiritual defection, covering acts, intentions, and outright defiance against God's rule. This thoroughness leaves no room for minimizing guilt.
- Even by departing from Your precepts and from Your judgments: This phrase specifies the nature of their rebellion. They did not just sin generally, but deliberately departed (סוּר - sur, to turn aside, remove) from God's revealed will.
- precepts: הַפִּקּוּדִים (happaquddim) refers to God's detailed instructions, regulations, and moral guidance. They are often commands or specific duties given to the people, calling for specific observance.
- judgments: וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (umimmishpatecha) refers to God's righteous ordinances, laws, and legal decisions, embodying His just and moral character. They are the expressions of divine justice and equity. Their deliberate departure from both indicates a comprehensive rejection of God's entire covenant law, both specific duties and general moral principles.
Daniel 9 5 Bonus section
The extensive list of sin terms in Daniel 9:5 reflects the richness of Hebrew vocabulary for moral transgression and emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Israel's covenant breaking. Scholars often note that such a full and layered confession acknowledges both acts of omission and commission, sins of ignorance and high-handed defiance. Daniel's confession resonates with the themes of the Sinai Covenant, particularly the blessings and curses detailed in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, indicating a full grasp that the exile was the outworking of these curses due to their unfaithfulness. The corporate "we" is crucial, reflecting the biblical understanding of community responsibility before God, where individuals are bound together in the fate and actions of the collective, especially a covenant people.
Daniel 9 5 Commentary
Daniel 9:5 is not merely a list of transgressions; it is a profound theological statement acknowledging Israel's total responsibility for its historical failures. The ascending order of sins, from missing the mark to outright rebellion, conveys a depth of guilt and underscores that their suffering (exile) is a righteous consequence, not an arbitrary act of God. Daniel, acting as a true intercessor, identifies completely with this corporate guilt, paving the way for a petition rooted in God's faithfulness and mercy, not Israel's deserts. This comprehensive confession forms the necessary bedrock for genuine repentance and highlights that covenant faithfulness demands adherence to both detailed commands (precepts) and fundamental moral laws (judgments). It is a template for deep communal or personal repentance that recognizes the specific ways we fall short of God's perfect standard.