Daniel 9:3
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Daniel doesn't just decide to pray; he sets his face, an intense, determined posture. This isn't a casual request, but an act of serious, resolute seeking for God's mercy through profound humility expressed by fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Daniel has just understood from Jeremiah's prophecy that the Jewish exile in Babylon is nearing its 70-year end. Realizing this momentous time has arrived, he doesn't just passively await deliverance but takes immediate, intense action. He turns his full attention to God, engaging in deep prayer, marked by fervent pleas for mercy, fasting, and the outward signs of profound humility and sorrow like sackcloth and ashes.
What does it mean to 'set your face' towards God? It’s more than just a casual glance; it's a deliberate posture of the heart.
Daniel's action of 'setting his face' signifies a deep, intentional turning towards God. It's not just about physically looking in a direction (though some scholars suggest he may have faced Jerusalem), but about an unwavering mental and spiritual focus. This involved:
Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes—these aren't common practices today. What do they reveal about how Daniel approached God in a time of crisis?
Daniel didn't approach God with casual requests. He engaged in profound acts of self-humiliation to express the gravity of the situation and his nation's sin:
These practices underscore that genuine seeking of God often involves recognizing our utter dependence on Him and grieving over sin, both personal and corporate.
Understand the original words
tephillah · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, reverent address to God, often involving petition, intercession, confession, and the acknowledgment of His sovereignty.
tachanun · Hebrew Noun
An urgent, humble request for grace and compassion from God, typically when one acknowledges they have no claim on God’s favor due to their sin.
saq va'epher · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A form of mourning or deep repentance, often using sackcloth (rough goat hair) and ashes to symbolize humility, grief, and the abandonment of self-dignity before God.
Daniel's prayer wasn't just a personal plea; it was a public act of repentance deeply tied to the historical reality of exile and the divine timetable revealed by Jeremiah, all occurring during a pivotal political transition.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiakim of Judah is taken captive to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile. Daniel is among the exiles.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, completing the Babylonian conquest and exiling more Judeans. This event seals the desolation mentioned by Jeremiah.
c. 539 BC
Medes and Persians Conquer Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia, ruling with Darius the Mede, overthrows the Babylonian Empire. This marks a significant political shift.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Daniel Studies Jeremiah's Prophecy
Upon the fall of Babylon and the rise of the Medo-Persian Empire, Daniel diligently studies the prophet Jeremiah's writings concerning the seventy-year exile.
Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication beautifully mirrors Daniel's posture, seeking God's mercy and forgiveness even in exile, highlighting the enduring need for humble petition.
Nehemiah 1:4-6Nehemiah's profound sorrow and earnest prayer for Jerusalem, marked by fasting and confession, directly parallels Daniel's grief and his plea for God's intervention during a time of national crisis.
Ezra 9:5-6Ezra's confession and humble posture before God, including fasting and offering, when confronting the people's sin, resonates with Daniel's deep awareness of national sin and his self-humbling before God.
Joel 2:12-13This prophetic call for repentance, urging a return to God with all their heart through fasting, weeping, and mourning, echoes the very spirit and outward expressions of Daniel's earnest prayer.
Luke 18:9-14Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector contrasts arrogant self-righteousness with genuine humility, underscoring the importance of the heart's posture in prayer, just as Daniel demonstrated through his fasting and sackcloth.
ellicottDaniel 9:3: "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
(3) I set my face. —Comp. Daniel 6:11 . Probably he prayed, as on that occasion, with his face towards Jerusalem. The prayer of Daniel bears some resemblance to those offered by Ezra and Nehemiah, while that of Baruch resembles it much more closely. (On this see Excursus F. )
barnesDaniel 9:3: "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
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 at Daniel 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 "sett…
Daniel doesn't just decide to pray; he sets his face, an intense, determined posture. This isn't a casual request, but an act of serious, resolute seeking for God's mercy through profound humility expressed by fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Daniel has just understood from Jeremiah's prophecy that the Jewish exile in Babylon is nearing its 70-year end. Realizing this momentous time has arrived, he doesn't just passively await deliverance but takes immediate, intense action. He turns his full attention to God, engaging in deep prayer, marked by fervent pleas for mercy, fasting, and the outward signs of profound humility and sorrow like sackcloth and ashes.
Daniel has just understood from Jeremiah's prophecy that the Jewish exile in Babylon is nearing its 70-year end. Realizing this momentous time has arrived, he doesn't just passively await deliverance but takes immediate, intense action. He turns his full attention to God, engaging in deep prayer, marked by fervent pleas for mercy, fasting, and the outward signs of profound humility and sorrow like sackcloth and ashes.
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Did Daniel pray because God promised something, or despite the circumstances? Discover the surprising link.
Daniel's deep prayer wasn't a shot in the dark. He was motivated by the prophetic word he had studied, specifically Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years of exile (Jeremiah 29:10-14). This illustrates a crucial principle:
c. 539 BC
Daniel's Prayer and Confession
Recognizing that the seventy years foretold by Jeremiah are nearing completion, Daniel offers a profound prayer of confession and intercession for his people.
c. 539 BC
Angel Gabriel's Revelation
In response to Daniel's prayer, the angel Gabriel appears to provide a detailed prophecy about future kingdoms and the timing of the Messiah.
"Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes." — Daniel doesn't just decide to pray; he sets his face, an intense, determined posture. This isn't a casual request, but an act of serious, resolute seeking for God's mercy through profound humilit…
