Daniel 9:4

And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Daniel, in exile, addresses Yahweh mid-confession, having already donned sackcloth and ashes (v. 3). He opens his plea with a formal title: "the great and awesome God."

The words — אָנָה (ʾānāh, H577), literally "I am weary, distressed," opens the direct address — not a polite request but a cry of exhaustion. The BSB's "I beg you" softens what is a statement of being worn down.

The thread — "Who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments" is the covenant formula of Exodus 20:6 and Deuteronomy 5:10. Daniel grounds his confession in the same language God spoke at Sinai.

Why it lands — Daniel does not ask God to be faithful; he reminds God of it. The reader is placed in the position of a supplicant who must first name what God already is before daring to name what Israel has done.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָֽאֶתְפַּֽלְלָ֛הva./'et.pa.La/hand/ I prayed/ !לַיהוָ֥הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אֱלֹהַ֖י'e.lo.Ha/iGod/ my וָאֶתְוַדֶּ֑הva./'et.va.Dehand/ I confessed וָאֹֽמְרָ֗הva./'o.me.Ra/hand/ I said/ !אָנָּ֤א'a.Na'I beg you אֲדֹנָי֙'a.do.NaiO Lord הָאֵ֤לha./'El<the>/ God הַגָּדוֹל֙ha./ga.dOl<the>/ great וְהַנּוֹרָ֔אve./ha./no.Ra'and/ <the>/ awesome שֹׁמֵ֤רsho.Mer[who] keeps הַבְּרִית֙ha./be.Ritthe/ covenant וְֽהַחֶ֔סֶדve./ha./Che.sedand/ <the>/ covenant loyalty לְאֹהֲבָ֖יוle./'o.ha.Va/vto/ [those who] love/ him וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥יu./le./sho.me.Reiand/ to/ [those who] keep מִצְוֹתָֽיו׃mitz.vo.Ta/v<of> commandments/ his

King James Version

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;

Cross-references

Romans 8:28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
Exodus 20:6 but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:10 but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
Daniel 9:5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.
Jeremiah 32:17 “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
2 Chronicles 7:14 and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Nehemiah 9:32 So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
1 Kings 8:23 and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.