In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.
Parallel translations
- WEB In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.
- KJV In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
- NKJV In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
- NASB In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks.
- NLT When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At this time Daniel mourns and fasts for three full weeks. Earnest grief and self-denial prepare him to receive God's revelation.
Overview
Daniel describes a period of three weeks of mourning, likely over the troubles facing the returned exiles, expressed through fasting as the next verses detail. His sustained spiritual earnestness sets the stage for the heavenly vision that follows. This shows that profound encounters with God often come to hearts prepared by humility, prayer, and longing for His purposes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Neh 1:4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- Dan 9:24–27Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
- Ezra 9:4–5Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
- Rev 11:5If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
- Jer 9:1Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.
- Ps 42:9I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?”
- Ps 43:2For You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?
- Isa 66:10Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her,
- Matt 9:15Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
- Ps 137:1–5By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
- Rom 9:2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
- Jas 4:9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 10:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.