Daniel 9 6

Daniel 9:6 kjv

Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel 9:6 nkjv

Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.

Daniel 9:6 niv

We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel 9:6 esv

We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel 9:6 nlt

We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

Daniel 9 verses

Daniel 9 6 meaning

Daniel 9:6 is a deep confession by Daniel, spoken on behalf of his people, Israel. It articulates a profound national failure to obey God's messengers. The verse specifically details how the Israelites, across all societal levels – from their highest authorities to the common person, and throughout generations – stubbornly ignored the divine warnings and instructions delivered through the prophets. This deliberate disregard of God's Word, spoken authoritatively in His name, is presented as a fundamental reason for the nation's current state of exile and judgment. It highlights the pervasive and persistent rebellion against divine guidance that characterized much of Israel's history.

Daniel 9 6 Context

Daniel 9:6 is situated within Daniel's profound prayer of confession and petition (Dan 9:4-19), offered during the seventy-year Babylonian exile. Daniel has been studying the prophecy of Jeremiah (Dan 9:2), realizing that the prophesied period of desolation for Jerusalem is nearing its end. This realization moves him to earnestly seek God. The historical context is critical: Jerusalem is desolate, the temple destroyed, and the people scattered – a direct fulfillment of prophetic warnings for disobedience (Deut 28; Lev 26).

Daniel's prayer does not blame God for their suffering; instead, he completely acknowledges the nation's sin as the just cause of God's judgment. He identifies with his people's transgression, repeatedly using "we" and "our." Verses 5 and 6 particularize the sins, listing a general rebellion against God's laws (v. 5) and specifically, the refusal to listen to God's prophets (v. 6). This confession sets the stage for God's merciful response and the subsequent revelation of the "seventy weeks" prophecy (Dan 9:20-27). Daniel is effectively acknowledging that God consistently and clearly communicated His will, yet Israel collectively chose defiance, leading directly to their current predicament.

Daniel 9 6 Word analysis

• Nor have we heeded: (Hebrew: wĕlo' shāma'nu, וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ). The root shāma' (שָׁמַע) means "to hear," but crucially in Hebrew biblical context, it almost always implies "to hear and obey," or "to listen attentively and act upon." Therefore, "we have not heeded" conveys a willful refusal to listen and comply, a deep-seated rebellion rather than mere ignorance. This concept is fundamental to the covenant relationship, where shema Israel ("Hear, O Israel") is both a call to listen and an imperative to obey (Deut 6:4). Daniel here admits Israel's persistent failure in this core aspect.

• Your servants: (Hebrew: 'avādekā, עֲבָדֶיךָ). Refers to the prophets. The term 'eved (עֶבֶד, servant/slave) emphasizes their complete submission and dedication to God. They were not delivering their own messages but were merely instruments, spokespersons entirely subservient to the divine will. This elevates the nature of the message itself; rejecting them was rejecting God's direct messengers.

• the prophets: (Hebrew: ha-nevi'im, הַנְּבִיאִים). God's appointed spokespersons. Prophets were unique in Israel's history as those who directly conveyed God's will, warnings, and promises to the people. Their message often included calls to repentance, exposition of the covenant, and predictions of future judgment or restoration. The continuous sending of prophets throughout Israel's history demonstrates God's persistent grace and patience in calling His people back.

• who spoke in Your name: This phrase emphasizes the divine authority behind the prophetic message. Prophets were not speaking their own ideas, but by the power and authorization of God Himself. "In Your name" means by Your character, by Your authority, representing You. It made their messages utterly binding upon the recipients. To disregard them was a direct affront to God's authority.

• to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land: This comprehensive list highlights the pervasiveness of the disobedience across all social strata and through multiple generations.

  • our kings: The highest political and sometimes religious authorities. Kings were meant to lead in righteousness (Deut 17:18-20). Many often led Israel astray or tolerated idolatry.
  • our princes: High-ranking officials, royal advisors, or nobility. They held significant influence.
  • our fathers: Represents past generations and ancestors, indicating a historical pattern of disobedience. It implies corporate guilt passed down and participated in, affecting the present condition of exile.
  • and all the people of the land: The general populace. This shows that the failure was not limited to leadership but permeated every segment of society. This phrase underscores the universal nature of the nation's guilt, leaving no one exempt.

Daniel 9 6 Bonus section

The concept of shāma' ("to hear and obey") in this verse is pivotal. It encapsulates the core requirement of the Sinai Covenant, which wasn't just intellectual assent but active, transformative obedience. When Daniel states, "Nor have we heeded," he is not just speaking historically but embodying corporate solidarity and confession for sins committed generations before him, yet whose consequences still weigh upon his present. This illustrates the biblical concept of corporate guilt and responsibility, where the sins of forefathers (the "fathers") contribute to the nation's present state, and contemporary generations confessing those sins participate in the restoration process.

Furthermore, this verse also implicitly presents a polemic against the idea of God's silence or injustice. Daniel clarifies that God was far from silent; He was incredibly active and clear in His communication through numerous prophets. The fault lay entirely with the human recipients who chose to "not heed." This sets up the later revelation of the 70 weeks (Dan 9:24-27), demonstrating that despite human rebellion, God's redemptive plan moves forward, often initiated after genuine confession and repentance like Daniel's.

Daniel 9 6 Commentary

Daniel 9:6 stands as a powerful testament to Israel's chronic and pervasive rebellion against divine communication. It details a persistent historical pattern where God, in His enduring mercy, continuously sent His chosen messengers—the prophets—to instruct, warn, and call His people to repentance. These prophets spoke "in God's name," thereby lending His full authority to their words. However, the consistent response from every level of Israelite society, from the kings and princes who ought to have set the example of obedience, to the general populace, was an unyielding refusal to "heed," which encompasses both hearing and obeying.

This deliberate and universal rejection of God's revealed will, communicated so clearly and consistently, served as a fundamental breach of their covenant relationship. It led inexorably to the very judgments foretold by those ignored prophets, culminating in the exile that Daniel now experiences. Daniel's confession here is not merely an admission of guilt but a profound theological insight: God is just in His judgments, and the suffering of Israel is a direct consequence of their own unyielding disobedience, not of God's caprice. It underscores the profound responsibility that comes with receiving God's word, highlighting that persistent neglect has severe repercussions.

• Example 1 (Personal Responsibility): If a child continually ignores parents' warnings about touching a hot stove, and then burns their hand, their suffering is a direct result of ignoring the repeated warnings.
• Example 2 (Corporate Responsibility): A nation consistently ignoring scientific warnings about climate change, leading to environmental disasters, shares collective blame for the consequences.