I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel immediately grounds his prayer by remembering God's enduring faithfulness, not just His power. He's not just acknowledging God's greatness, but emphasizing that this awesome God keeps His promises to those who love Him. This highlights that Daniel's plea is built on God's character and past actions, not just the people's current desperation.
I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel is reading Jeremiah's prophecy about the seventy years of exile and realizes the time is drawing near for God's people to return to Jerusalem. He immediately falls to his knees in prayer and confession on behalf of himself and the nation, acknowledging God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.
Daniel's prayer isn't just about listing sins. It's a profound statement about who God is, even in suffering.
When Daniel begins his prayer, he doesn't just say 'I messed up.' He starts with a confession that declares God's greatness and justice. This isn't just about admitting guilt; it's about acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty and rightness, especially when His people are in trouble. By confessing, Daniel is saying, 'God, Your dealings with us are just, even when they are painful. You are great, You are awesome, and Your ways are perfect.' This sets the stage for his plea, showing that he's not questioning God's character, but submitting to it.
Daniel reminds God of His promises. Why? Because God's faithfulness is the bedrock of our hope.
The phrase 'keeping covenant and steadfast love' is key here. Daniel is appealing to God's unchanging nature and His promises made to His people. This isn't a plea based on Israel's perfect obedience (they clearly hadn't been obedient). Instead, it's an appeal to God's own character – His faithfulness to the covenant He established. God's 'steadfast love' (often translated as mercy or lovingkindness) is rooted in His covenant promises. Even when His people falter, God's commitment to them, demonstrated through covenant, remains. This teaches us that our access to God and His grace isn't earned by our performance, but by His unwavering commitment demonstrated through His covenant.
Understand the original words
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vidduy · Hebrew Noun
An act of acknowledging or admitting sin before God; it is the verbal expression of repentance that aligns the heart with God’s judgment of one's actions.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A formal, binding agreement between God and His people, characterized by divine obligation and promises that God faithfully maintains.
chesed · Hebrew Noun
God’s loyal, enduring, and faithful love; it is a profound term describing God’s unfailing commitment and kindness toward His people within the covenant relationship.
Daniel's prayer, recorded in chapter 9, is deeply rooted in the historical reality of Israel's exile and the prophetic word concerning its end. By confessing national sin and reminding God of His covenant promises, Daniel appeals to God's faithfulness in light of His historical actions and the prophecies given, particularly the seventy-year prophecy of Jeremiah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event marked a significant decline in the nation's history and a warning of God's judgment.
587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, conquered the southern Kingdom of Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiled a large portion of the population to Babylon. This was the climax of God's judgment for disobedience.
c. 539 BC
Conquest of Babylon by Persia
Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonian Empire, ushering in the Persian period. This political shift would soon lead to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
c. 538 BC
Decree of Cyrus Allowing Return
Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marked the beginning of the end of the Babylonian exile.
c. 458 BC— this verse
Ezra's Reforms and Prayer
Ezra, a scribe and priest, led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem and initiated significant religious and social reforms. His prayer in Daniel 9 is framed by this context of returning from exile and seeking God's favor for the community and the Temple.
This passage is a direct echo of the language Daniel uses, establishing the foundational truth that God is faithful to His covenant and steadfast love for those who love Him.
Nehemiah 1:5Nehemiah's prayer before rebuilding Jerusalem uses almost identical phrasing to Daniel's, highlighting the theme of confessing sin and appealing to God's covenant faithfulness in a time of national crisis.
Exodus 20:6This verse from the Ten Commandments declaration lays the groundwork for God's promise of steadfast love to those who love Him and keep His commands, a core concept Daniel invokes.
Psalm 89:1-2This psalm exalts God's everlasting love and faithfulness, directly paralleling Daniel's acknowledgment of God's covenant-keeping nature in his prayer.
1 John 1:9While Daniel focuses on national sin and God's covenant, this New Testament verse provides the individual application: confession leads to forgiveness and cleansing, reflecting the repentant heart Daniel models.
ellicottDaniel 9:4: "And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;"
(4) The covenant.— See Exodus 19:5 .
barnesDaniel 9:4: "And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;"
And I prayed unto the Lord my God - Evidently a set and formal prayer. It would seem probable that; he offered this prayer, and then re corded the substance of it afterward. We have no reason to suppose that we have the whole of it, but we have doubtless its principal topics. And made…
Daniel immediately grounds his prayer by remembering God's enduring faithfulness, not just His power. He's not just acknowledging God's greatness, but emphasizing that this awesome God keeps His promises to those who love Him. This highlights that Daniel's plea is built on God's character and past actions, not just the people's current desperation.
Daniel is reading Jeremiah's prophecy about the seventy years of exile and realizes the time is drawing near for God's people to return to Jerusalem. He immediately falls to his knees in prayer and confession on behalf of himself and the nation, acknowledging God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.
Daniel is reading Jeremiah's prophecy about the seventy years of exile and realizes the time is drawing near for God's people to return to Jerusalem. He immediately falls to his knees in prayer and confession on behalf of himself and the nation, acknowledging God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.
"I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments," — Daniel immediately grounds his prayer by remembering God's enduring faithfulness, not just His power. He's not just acknowledging God's greatness, but emphasizing that this awesome God *keeps His pro…
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Last reviewed October 2026