Discovery BoxDaniel 9:2-3 
Context9:2 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.
