Daniel 9:3

"in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years."

Key Reflection

In the first year of King Cyrus's reign, Daniel understood through the study of ancient texts that seventy years had been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah for the completion of Jerusalem’s desolation. This insight was profound, as it not only provided a timeline for when the city would be rebuilt but also offered comfort and hope to the exiled Jews during their long period of exile in Babylon. The cultural context here highlights how Daniel, as a devout reader of Scripture, relied on the prophecies of earlier prophets like Jeremiah to find meaning and assurance amidst his own suffering.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

And I set my face unto the Lord God -Probably the meaning is, that he turned his face toward Jerusalem, the place where God had dwelt; the place of his holy abode on earth. See the notes atDaniel 6:10. The language, however, would not be inappropriate to denote prayer without such a supposition. We turn to one whom we address, and so prayer may be described by “setting the face toward God.” The essential idea here is, that he engaged in a set and formal prayer; he engaged in earnest devotion. He evidently set apart a time for this, for he prepared himself by fasting, and by putting on sackcloth and ashes.

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