Daniel 9:17Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
The setting
Babylon, ~538 BC. Daniel, now in his 80s, kneels in his upper room reading Jeremiah's prophecy that the 70-year exile is ending. The temple in Jerusalem lies in ruins...
The emotion here: desperate longing mixed with reverent awe
The original word
paniym (פָּנִים) — face/presence, literally 'the turning of attention toward'
Why it matters
Daniel had been in exile for nearly 70 years, arriving as a teenager and now an old man
Read with care
What most readers miss in Daniel 9:17
Daniel isn't just praying — he's fasting in sackcloth and ashes while reading Jeremiah
Common misconceptionPeople think Daniel is praying for personal blessing, but he's interceding for God's reputation — 'for the Lord's sake' not 'for our sake.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Daniel 9:17
Bible Genome reading
Daniel 9:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Daniel 9:17 comes from the book of Daniel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Daniel. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include intercession, desolation, restoration. Notable phrases: cause your face to shine; sanctuary that is desolate. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Daniel 9:17 mean to you, today?
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