Daniel 9:2 (GNV)

Passage

Euen in the first yeere of his reigne, I Daniel vnderstood by bookes the nomber of the yeeres, whereof the Lord had spoken vnto Ieremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish seuentie yeeres in the desolation of Ierusalem.

Nearby Context

Daniel 9:1 In the first yeere of Darius the sonne of Ahashuerosh, of the seede of the Medes, which was made King ouer the realme of the Caldeans,

Daniel 9:2 Euen in the first yeere of his reigne, I Daniel vnderstood by bookes the nomber of the yeeres, whereof the Lord had spoken vnto Ieremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish seuentie yeeres in the desolation of Ierusalem.

Daniel 9:3 And I turned my face vnto the Lord God, and sought by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:4 And I prayed vnto the Lord my God, and made my confession, saying, Oh Lord God, which art great and fearefull, and keepest couenant and mercy toward them which loue thee, and toward them that keepe thy commandements,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "euen", "first", "yeere", "reigne", "daniel", "vnderstood", "bookes", and "nomber". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "euen" and "first", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "In the first yeere of Darius the..." into verse 3's "And I turned my face vnto the...", so "euen" and "first" belong inside that flow. In Daniel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "euen" and "first" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.