Daniel 9:2

ESV in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

NIV in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

NASB in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

CSB in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy.

NLT During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.

KJV In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

NKJV in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

What does Daniel 9:2 mean?

The fall of the Babylonian empire suggested to Daniel that the Jewish captivity would end soon and the exiles would be allowed to return home. Therefore, he studied the Old Testament books available at the time. Daniel recognized that what Jeremiah wrote about the end of Jerusalem's desolations was the word of the Lord. Second Peter declares that holy men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), and 2 Timothy 3:16 says. "All Scripture is breathed out by God."

Jeremiah 25:9–14 predicted that Nebuchadnezzar would take Jewish captives to Babylon, where they would remain for seventy years. At the conclusion of seventy years, according to Jeremiah 29:10, the exiles would return to their homeland. Daniel's study of this passage, along with Isaiah 44:26–28, must have convinced him that the exile was nearing its end.

Daniel's response to this realization is to pray for God's merciful restoration of Israel (Daniel 9:3). Afterwards, the angel Gabriel will arrive to clarify what the future holds (Daniel 9:21).

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Context Summary
Daniel 9:1–19 records a prayer of confession on behalf of God's rebellious people; Daniel includes himself by using terms such as "us" and "we." After the fall of Babylon, Daniel sees evidence in the writings of Jeremiah that Israel's exile may be nearing an end. He prays for forgiveness and restoration, referring to God as righteous, merciful, and forgiving. This prayer leads to an appearance from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel will deliver a prophetic message about Israel's future.

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Chapter Summary
Darius became king when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia. Daniel compared this to writings from Jeremiah, and realized the exile of Israel was almost over. As he prayed for God's intervention, the angel Gabriel arrived to provide further explanation. Gabriel's prophecy ties the arrival of an "anointed one," or "Messiah," or "Christ," to a moment in history followed by a set interval of time. This prediction includes dire moments for Israel and Jerusalem.

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