Daniel 9:23

23 From the beginning of thy prayers a word went out. Forsooth I came to show to thee, for thou art a man of desires (And I came to show thee, because thou art a man much beloved); therefore perceive thou the word, and understand thou the vision.

Daniel 9:23 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 9:23

At the beginning of thy supplications
As soon as ever he began to pray. This circumstance shows how ready the Lord is to hear the prayers of his people; and yet it was not owing to the prayers of the prophet, and to any intrinsic virtue or merit in them that the Lord did what he afterwards declares should be done; and, besides, more is revealed and promised than Daniel asked for: the commandment came forth;
either the order from the Lord to the angel, dispatching him on this errand to the prophet, to acquaint him with his mind and will; or the proclamation of Cyrus, to let the people of the Jews go free, and go up to Jerusalem to build their city and temple, published that morning, just about the time Daniel began to pray, the seventy years' captivity being completely finished; see ( Daniel 9:25 ) : and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved;
or, "art desires" ^F16; all desire, exceedingly desired; very lovely, amiable, and delightful, in the sight of God, and all good men: or, "that thou art greatly beloved" ^F17; thus the angel came from God, out of heaven, to show it to him, to make it appear that he was highly in the favour of God, in that he made known his secrets to him: therefore understand the matter;
or "word" ^F18; attend to the word; advert to the form of speaking used, and labour to get the knowledge of it: and consider the vision;
this vision, as Japhet; the following vision or prophecy of the seventy weeks; think of it well, as being a matter of great importance and consequence.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (twdwmx) "desideria", Michaelis; "vir desideriorum", Pagninus, Munster, Piscator; so Ben Melech.
F17 (yk) "quod dilectus tu sis", Cocceius; "quod desideria tu sis", Michaelis.
F18 (rbdb) "in verbo", Montanus; "verbum", Pagninus; "ipsum verbum", Junius & Tremellius; "sermonem", Cocceius.

Daniel 9:23 In-Context

21 the while I spake yet in my prayer, lo! the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the beginning, flew soon, and touched me in the time of eventide sacrifice; (and yet while I spoke my prayer, lo! the angel Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, or at the beginning, flew swiftly, and touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice;)

22 and he taught me, and he spake to me, and said, Daniel, now I went out, that I should teach thee, and thou shouldest understand. (and he taught me, and he spoke to me, and said, Daniel, I have come now to teach thee, so that thou wouldest understand.)

23 From the beginning of thy prayers a word went out. Forsooth I came to show to thee, for thou art a man of desires (And I came to show thee, because thou art a man much beloved); therefore perceive thou the word, and understand thou the vision.

24 Seventy weeks of years be abridged on thy people, and on thine holy city, that trespassing be ended, and sin take an end (and sin is brought to an end), and that wickedness be done away, and everlasting rightfulness be brought, and that the vision and prophecy be [ful]filled, and the Holy (Place) of (the) saints be anointed.

25 Therefore know thou, and perceive; from the going out of the word that Jerusalem be builded again, till to Christ, the duke, shall be seven weeks of years and two and sixty weeks of years; and again the street shall be builded, and walls, in the anguish of times. (And so know thou, and understand; from the going out of the word that Jerusalem be rebuilt, until the Anointed One, yea, the Prince, or the Ruler, shall be seven weeks of years and sixty-two weeks of years; and the streets and the walls shall be rebuilt, in the time of anguish.)