Daniel 9:22

And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

And he informed {H995} me, and talked {H1696} with me, and said {H559}, O Daniel {H1840}, I am now come forth {H3318} to give thee skill {H7919} and understanding {H998}.

and explained things to me. He said, "I have come now, Dani'el, to enable you to understand this vision clearly.

He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.

And he instructed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding.

Daniel 9:22 marks a pivotal moment in the prophet Daniel's encounter with the divine. Following his fervent prayer of confession and intercession for Israel, the angel Gabriel swiftly arrives to provide Daniel with crucial insight and understanding into God's unfolding prophetic plan, specifically the detailed timeline concerning Jerusalem and the Messiah.

Context

This verse immediately follows Daniel's heartfelt prayer (Daniel 9:3-19), which was prompted by his contemplation of Jeremiah's prophecy regarding the seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem. As Daniel is still speaking in prayer, the angel Gabriel, whom Daniel had previously encountered (Daniel 8:16), is dispatched by God. Gabriel's arrival, described as "flying swiftly," signifies the urgency and importance of the message he is about to deliver to Daniel, a message intended to illuminate God's future actions concerning His people.

Key Themes

  • Divine Responsiveness to Prayer: God actively listens to and swiftly responds to the earnest prayers of His servants, particularly those offered with humility and intercession for His people and purposes.
  • Angelic Mediation: Angels serve as God's direct messengers, bringing divine revelation, comfort, and understanding to humanity, as Gabriel does for Daniel.
  • Supernatural Understanding: The "skill and understanding" imparted to Daniel is not human ingenuity but a divinely granted capacity to comprehend complex spiritual and prophetic truths that would otherwise be beyond human grasp.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "skill and understanding" translates two significant Hebrew words. "Skill" comes from biynah (בִּינָה), which denotes discernment, insight, and the ability to distinguish and comprehend. "Understanding" is from sakal (שָׂכַל), implying wisdom, prudence, and success that results from intelligent insight. Together, these terms emphasize a comprehensive, divinely-given comprehension of God's intricate plans, particularly as they relate to future events.

Prophetic Significance

Daniel 9:22 serves as the direct introduction to the groundbreaking prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). Gabriel's explicit statement that he has come to give Daniel "skill and understanding" underscores the necessity of divine revelation to grasp this highly complex chronological prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the ultimate consummation of God's redemptive plan. This divine aid ensures the accurate transmission and interpretation of such a critical prophetic timeline.

Practical Application

This verse offers encouragement to believers today, affirming that God desires to communicate with us and provide wisdom when we seek Him. Just as Daniel received divine understanding in response to his prayer, we are invited to pray for spiritual insight and discernment, especially when seeking to comprehend God's Word or navigate challenging life circumstances (James 1:5). It highlights the profound connection between humble prayer and the reception of divine wisdom and clarity.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Daniel 9:24

    Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

  • Daniel 9:27

    And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

  • Daniel 10:21

    But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and [there is] none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

  • Daniel 8:16

    And I heard a man's voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.

  • Zechariah 1:9

    Then said I, O my lord, what [are] these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these [be].

  • Zechariah 6:4

    Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What [are] these, my lord?

  • Zechariah 6:5

    And the angel answered and said unto me, These [are] the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

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