9:5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, 6 with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God.
9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust. 9:2 Those truly of Israelite descent 7 separated from all the foreigners, 8 standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. 9 9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins 10 and worshiping the LORD their God.
9:20 While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my request before the LORD my God concerning his holy mountain 11 – 9:21 yes, while I was still praying, 12 the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously 13 in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, 14 around the time of the evening offering.
1 tn Grk “at about the ninth hour of the day.” This would be the time for afternoon prayer.
2 tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
3 tn The participles εἰσελθόντα (eiselqonta) and εἰπόντα (eiponta) are accusative, and thus best taken as adjectival participles modifying ἄγγελον (angelon): “an angel who came in and said.”
4 tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”
5 tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
6 tn The Hebrew word used here is a hapax legomenon. It refers to the self-abasement that accompanies religious sorrow and fasting.
7 tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”
8 tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”
9 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 16, 23, 32, 34, 36).
10 tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2.
11 tn Heb “the holy mountain of my God.”
12 tn Heb “speaking in prayer.”
13 tn Heb “in the beginning.”
14 tn The Hebrew expression בִּיעָף מֻעָף (mu’af bi’af) is very difficult. The issue is whether the verb derives from עוּף (’uf, “to fly”) or from יָעַף (ya’af, “to be weary”). Many ancient versions and modern commentators take the first of these possibilities and understand the reference to be to the swift flight of the angel Gabriel in his coming to Daniel. The words more likely refer to the extreme weariness, not of the angel, but of Daniel. Cf. 7:28; 8:27; 10:8-9, 16-17; also NASB.