The Meaning of Daniel 9:21 Explained

Daniel 9:21

KJV: Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

YLT: yea, while I am speaking in prayer, then that one Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the commencement, being caused to fly swiftly, is coming unto me at the time of the evening present.

Darby: whilst I was yet speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

ASV: yea, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, whiles I [was] speaking  in prayer,  even the man  Gabriel,  whom I had seen  in the vision  at the beginning,  being caused to fly  swiftly,  touched  me about the time  of the evening  oblation. 

What does Daniel 9:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 9:16-27 - Renewed Favor In God's Own Time
Daniel 9:17-19 have in them a tone of anguish which reminds us of our Lord's words as to the violence which takes the kingdom of heaven by force. God loves to see us in dead earnest. It is not long but strong prayers that prevail with Him. He sometimes seems to deny us, that He may draw us out in supplication. Notice the response to such prayer. Before it was spoken, it was granted, Daniel 9:23. Before Daniel called, he was answered, and while he was yet speaking, he was heard. Pray on! God is more eager to hear and to bless us than we are to pray. Even now the divine answer is hastening towards thee, swifter than the speed of the morning beams across the vault of space. While we are speaking in prayer, nay, before the beginning of our supplication, the angel is sent out, and he is made to fly very swiftly. Six purposes were to be effected within 490 years from a specified date. Some refer these to final Jewish restoration, but for this the last week of the seventy has to be separated from the rest and postponed till "the end of the age." It is more natural to understand the passage as describing here Christ's finished work, and thus we avoid impairing the definiteness of the prophecy by indefinitely prolonging it. "The prince that shall come" seems to refer to the Roman emperor, Vespasian, whose people destroyed Jerusalem. But many think that Daniel 9:27 refers to a future compact between Antichrist and the Jews, previous to their conversion. [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 9:21 mean?

and yes while I [was] speaking in prayer and the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly reached me about the time of the offering evening
וְע֛וֹד אֲנִ֥י מְדַבֵּ֖ר בַּתְּפִלָּ֑ה וְהָאִ֣ישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ רָאִ֨יתִי בֶחָז֤וֹן בַּתְּחִלָּה֙ מֻעָ֣ף בִּיעָ֔ף נֹגֵ֣עַ אֵלַ֔י כְּעֵ֖ת מִנְחַת־ עָֽרֶב

וְע֛וֹד  and  yes  while 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מְדַבֵּ֖ר  [was]  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בַּתְּפִלָּ֑ה  in  prayer 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
וְהָאִ֣ישׁ  and  the  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
גַּבְרִיאֵ֡ל  Gabriel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּבְרִיאֵל  
Sense: an archangel; the angel God used to send messages of great importance to man; sent to Daniel, to Zacharias, and to Mary.
אֲשֶׁר֩  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
רָאִ֨יתִי  I  had  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בֶחָז֤וֹן  in  the  vision 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָזׄון  
Sense: vision.
בַּתְּחִלָּה֙  at  the  beginning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּחִלָּה  
Sense: beginning, first.
מֻעָ֣ף  being  caused  to  fly 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָעֵף  
Sense: to be or grow weary, be fatigued, be faint.
בִּיעָ֔ף  swiftly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָעֵף 
Sense: weariness, fatigue, faintness.
נֹגֵ֣עַ  reached 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
אֵלַ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כְּעֵ֖ת  about  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
מִנְחַת־  of  the  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
עָֽרֶב  evening 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.