Daniel 9:20 (GNV)

Passage

And whiles I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sinne, and the sinne of my people Israel, and did present my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy Mountaine of my God,

Nearby Context

Daniel 9:18 O my God, encline thine eare and heare: open thine eyes, and beholde our desolations, and the citie whereupon thy Name is called: for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnes, but for thy great tender mercies.

Daniel 9:19 O Lord, heare, O Lord forgiue, O Lord consider, and doe it: deferre not, for thine owne sake, O my God: for thy Name is called vpon thy citie, and vpon thy people.

Daniel 9:20 And whiles I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sinne, and the sinne of my people Israel, and did present my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy Mountaine of my God,

Daniel 9:21 Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, euen the man Gabriel, whome I had seene before in the vision, came flying, and touched mee about the time of the euening oblation.

Daniel 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and sayd, O Daniel, I am now come forth to giue thee knowledge and vnderstanding.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whiles", "speaking", "praying", "confessing", "sinne", "people", and "israel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whiles" and "speaking", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O..." into verse 21's "Yea while I was speaking in prayer...", so "whiles" and "speaking" 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 "whiles" and "speaking" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.