Daniel 9:2-3

9:2 in the first year of his reign 1  I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books 2  that, according to the word of the LORD 3  disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem 4  were seventy in number. 9:3 So I turned my attention 5  to the Lord God 6  to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 7 

1 tc This phrase, repeated from v. 1, is absent in Theodotion.

2 tn The Hebrew text has “books”; the word “sacred” has been added in the translation to clarify that it is Scriptures that are referred to.

3 sn The tetragrammaton (the four Hebrew letters which constitute the divine Name, YHWH) appears eight times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the book of Daniel.

4 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

5 tn Heb “face.”

6 tn The Hebrew phrase translated “Lord God” here is אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים (’adonay ha’elohim).

7 sn When lamenting, ancient Israelites would fast, wear sackcloth, and put ashes on their heads to show their sorrow and contrition.