Daniel 9:25 is a prophecy given to Daniel through the angel Gabriel. It tells him that a period of time will pass from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until a figure called the Anointed One, or “the prince,” appears, and that Jerusalem will be rebuilt even during a hard time. The verse is spoken by the angel to Daniel, the prophet exiled in Babylon, as part of a longer answer to his prayer for his people and their city.
“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.
Daniel 9:25 (WEB)
What Daniel 9:25 Means
The verse opens with a command to “know therefore and discern.” The angel wants Daniel to pay close attention, because what follows is a timeline that requires careful understanding. The starting point is “the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,” meaning the official order that allowed the city to be rebuilt after its destruction. From that moment, the verse counts “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks,” which is sixty-nine periods in total. Most readers understand these as weeks of years, so the timeline covers a span of many years rather than days.
The verse then says that Jerusalem “will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.” This is a promise that the work will be finished, and that the city will have streets and defenses. The final phrase admits that the rebuilding will happen under pressure, so the verse does not promise an easy or peaceful process. It promises that God’s plan for the city will move forward despite the difficulties.
The Context of Daniel 9:25
The book of Daniel is set in Babylon during the exile, when many Judeans had been taken from Jerusalem. Daniel, traditionally identified as its author, was a young man of that community who rose to a position of influence in the Babylonian court. Chapter 9 records his prayer, in which he confesses the sins of Israel and asks God to act for the sake of the desolate city. The audience of the prophecy is Daniel himself, but its meaning reaches out to the whole people who longed to see Jerusalem restored.
The verses just before this one describe the angel arriving with understanding and calling Daniel “greatly beloved.” The verses that follow in Daniel 9:26 and 27 speak of the Anointed One being cut off and of a time of desolation. Because verse 25 sits between a reassuring opening and a sobering close, it reads as a promise of restoration that still leaves room for hardship and loss. This setting helps explain why the verse holds both encouragement and warning together.
Key Phrases in Daniel 9:25
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
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This verse speaks of God’s plans for his people during exile, offering hope and a future. Like Daniel 9:25, it shows that God’s purposes for Israel stretch beyond the present suffering and toward restoration.
Ezra 1:1
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying…
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Ezra opens with a decree from the Persian king that allowed the exiles to return and rebuild the temple. This historical event is the kind of “going out of the commandment” that Daniel 9:25 anticipates, so the two passages illuminate each other.
A Short Prayer From Daniel 9:25
Lord, you measure the seasons of our lives with a wisdom we cannot see. When we are waiting for something to be rebuilt, whether in our homes, our hearts, or our communities, help us trust your timing. Give us patience in the slow work and courage when the work is hard. Keep us faithful in troubled times, knowing that you are still building what is good. Amen.
