Daniel 9:5
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Original Language Analysis
חָטָ֥אנוּ
We have sinned
H2398
חָטָ֥אנוּ
We have sinned
Strong's:
H2398
Word #:
1 of 7
properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn
וְעָוִ֖ינוּ
and have committed iniquity
H5753
וְעָוִ֖ינוּ
and have committed iniquity
Strong's:
H5753
Word #:
2 of 7
to crook, literally or figuratively
והִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ
and have done wickedly
H7561
והִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ
and have done wickedly
Strong's:
H7561
Word #:
3 of 7
to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate
Cross References
Daniel 9:11Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.Malachi 3:7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?Daniel 9:15And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.Psalms 106:6We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.Hebrews 3:12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.Psalms 18:21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.Jeremiah 14:7O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.Ezekiel 6:9And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.Hosea 1:2The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.Lamentations 1:20Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
Historical Context
Israel's exile resulted from centuries of covenant violation: idolatry, social injustice, ignoring prophetic warnings, and breaking Sabbath years (2 Chronicles 36:15-21). Despite knowing God's law through Moses and the prophets, they persistently rebelled. Daniel's comprehensive confession acknowledges this history, recognizing that exile wasn't divine caprice but just punishment for knowing, willful sin.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the piling up of sin-terms (sinned, iniquity, wickedly, rebelled) illustrate the comprehensive nature of human guilt before God?
- What does Daniel's corporate confession despite personal innocence teach about covenant solidarity and intercessory prayer?
- How does acknowledging that sin involves deliberate rejection of known truth (not mere ignorance) affect understanding of human guilt?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Daniel's confession continues: "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments." The piling up of terms—"sinned...iniquity...wickedly...rebelled"—emphasizes comprehensive guilt from multiple angles. "Sinned" (chata, חָטָא) means missing the mark; "iniquity" (avah, עָוָה) denotes moral perversity; "wickedly" (rasha, רָשַׁע) indicates deliberate evil; "rebelled" (marad, מָרַד) describes willful defiance against authority.
The phrase "even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments" specifies the rebellion—not abstract wrongdoing but deliberate rejection of God's revealed law. "Precepts" (mitzvot, מִצְוֹת) refers to commandments; "judgments" (mishpatim, מִשְׁפָּטִים) denotes case laws and judicial decisions. Israel knew God's requirements yet deliberately chose disobedience, aggravating their guilt. This echoes Paul's teaching that the law increases accountability (Romans 2:12-13).
Daniel's corporate confession ("we") includes himself despite his personal faithfulness (Daniel 1:8, 6:10). This demonstrates covenant solidarity—identifying with the nation's sin even when personally innocent. This models intercessory prayer where believers identify with their community's guilt, confessing corporately while seeking mercy. Christ perfectly fulfilled this pattern, becoming sin for us though personally sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21), and believers share in His intercessory ministry (1 Peter 2:9).