The Meaning of Daniel 9:12 Explained

Daniel 9:12

KJV: And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

YLT: 'And He confirmeth His words that He hath spoken against us, and against our judges who have judged us, to bring in upon us great evil, in that it hath not been done under the whole heavens as it hath been done in Jerusalem,

Darby: And he hath performed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil; so that there hath not been done under the whole heaven as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

ASV: And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil; for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he hath confirmed  his words,  which he spake  against us, and against our judges  that judged  us, by bringing  upon us a great  evil:  for under the whole heaven  hath not been done  as hath been done  upon Jerusalem. 

What does Daniel 9:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 9:1-15 - Intercession For A Beloved People
What a prayer is this! In many respects it is a model for us all. It was based on the divine Word. The fact that God had promised to restore the desolations of Jerusalem after seventy years, did not restrain, but prompted and inspired Daniel's prayers. God's promises are not independent of our faith, but await our appropriation. The blank checks are drawn and signed in our favor, but they must be presented at the bank for payment. It was very humble. Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, were the outward habiliments, but notice the tone. We have sinned"¦ and have rebelled"¦; unto us [1] confusion of face. He confessed his sin and the sin of his people. There is such a thing as vicarious confession, in which some holy soul takes to himself the task of bearing the sins of his people, and pouring out the story before God, as though the sins were his own. But we hardly need go to our country or people for sins to confess, for we have plenty of our own, and the nearer we come to God's infinite light and holiness, the more we abhor ourselves and repent in dust and ashes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 9

1  Daniel, considering the time of the captivity,
3  makes confession of sins,
16  and prays for the restoration of Jerusalem
20  Gabriel informs him of the seventy weeks

What do the individual words in Daniel 9:12 mean?

And He has confirmed - - His words which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us by bringing upon us disaster a great for never has been done under whole the heaven such as what has been done to Jerusalem
וַיָּ֜קֶם אֶת־ [דבריו] (דְּבָר֣וֹ ׀) אֲשֶׁר־ דִּבֶּ֣ר עָלֵ֗ינוּ וְעַ֤ל שֹֽׁפְטֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁפָט֔וּנוּ לְהָבִ֥יא עָלֵ֖ינוּ רָעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־ נֶעֶשְׂתָ֗ה תַּ֚חַת כָּל־ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם

וַיָּ֜קֶם  And  He  has  confirmed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
[דבריו]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
(דְּבָר֣וֹ ׀)  His  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
דִּבֶּ֣ר  He  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עָלֵ֗ינוּ  against  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְעַ֤ל  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שֹֽׁפְטֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  judges 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
שְׁפָט֔וּנוּ  judged  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common plural
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
לְהָבִ֥יא  by  bringing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עָלֵ֖ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רָעָ֣ה  disaster 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גְדֹלָ֑ה  a  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
לֹֽא־  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נֶעֶשְׂתָ֗ה  has  been  done 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
תַּ֚חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כָּל־  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  the  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר  such  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה  what  has  been  done 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.