Daniel 9:4 records the opening of Daniel’s prayer of confession. Daniel begins by addressing the LORD as great, awe-inspiring, and faithful to his covenant, and then he prepares to confess the sins of his people. The verse is spoken by Daniel, a Jewish exile living in Babylon, and it is addressed to God on behalf of the nation of Israel.
I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments…
Daniel 9:4 (WEB)
What Daniel 9:4 Means
The verse begins with Daniel saying he prayed to “the LORD my God” and made confession. The word confession here means open admission of wrongdoing. Daniel is not praying from a position of innocence. He is standing among his people and owning the failure that has brought them into exile, which is a posture of humility rather than self-defense.
Daniel then describes God as “the great and dreadful God.” The word dreadful does not mean frightening in the modern sense. It points to God’s majesty and holiness, the kind of greatness that makes a person stop and take seriously who they are speaking to. Daniel’s address sets the tone for everything that follows: he is about to confess sin before a God who is both powerful and utterly reliable.
The final clause describes God as the one “who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments.” This is a statement of God’s character. The verse does not promise Daniel that God will rescue him or reverse the exile. It reminds the reader that God is faithful to the relationship he has established, and that faithfulness is the foundation for the prayer Daniel is about to offer.
The Context of Daniel 9:4
The book of Daniel is traditionally attributed to Daniel himself, a young man taken from Jerusalem to Babylon during the early sixth century BC. The book was written for a community living under foreign rule, and its stories and visions speak to exiles who wondered whether God still remembered them. Chapter 9 is set in the first year of Darius the Mede, around 539 BC, when Daniel studies the writings of the prophet Jeremiah and realizes that the seventy years of desolation Jeremiah foretold are nearing their end.
Just before verse 4, Daniel sets his face toward God with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Just after, he confesses the people’s sin in detail: they have sinned, dealt wickedly, rebelled, and ignored the prophets. Read in this setting, verse 4 is not an isolated preface. It is the doorway into a prayer that grows out of careful study of Scripture and a deep sense of responsibility for the nation.
Key Phrases in Daniel 9:4
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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This verse echoes the heart of Daniel’s confession. It promises that God is faithful and just to forgive when we confess our sins, linking the same themes of honest admission and God’s dependable character that Daniel brings before the Lord.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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Written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem, these verses speak of God’s steadfast love and great faithfulness. They give voice to the same hope Daniel holds onto as he confesses the sins that brought the nation to ruin.
A Short Prayer From Daniel 9:4
Lord, you are great and awe-inspiring, and you keep faith with those who love you. I come before you today without excuses, aware of the ways I have turned away from your commands and held onto my own way. Help me name what is wrong plainly, without hiding it or blaming others. Thank you that your loving kindness does not depend on my perfection, but on your faithful character. Lead me into honest repentance and into the freedom that comes from being forgiven by you. Amen.
