In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

DANIEL 10:2KJV
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Daniel 10:2 (KJV)

What does Daniel 10:2 mean?

Daniel 10:2 describes Daniel, the main figure in the book, going through a period of deep mourning that lasted three full weeks. During this time, Daniel was grieving or fasting, setting aside normal comforts as a sign of distress or seeking understanding.

Daniel himself is speaking in the first person, giving a personal account of his emotional and spiritual state. This verse sets the stage for the vision and message he is about to receive, showing that his mourning was significant and purposeful. The mention of "three full weeks" emphasizes the seriousness and length of his devotion during this time.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 10:2

  • "mourning" (אָבַל, ’āval): This word means to mourn or grieve deeply, often used for expressions of sorrow over loss or distress. Daniel’s use of this word shows his emotional intensity and the seriousness of his concern.
  • "weeks" (שָׁבוּעַ, shāvuʻa): This word refers to a period of seven days, so "three full weeks" means a total of twenty-one days. The specific time frame highlights Daniel’s sustained commitment and the deliberate nature of his mourning.
  • "full" (יֹם, yom): Here, "full" is tied to the word for "days," stressing that Daniel completed the entire period without interruption. This detail underscores the completeness of his period of mourning.

Why Daniel 10:2 matters

  • Daniel 10:2 clarifies that Daniel’s mourning was not a brief or casual event, but a focused and extended period of seeking, which prepares the reader for the significant vision that follows.
  • The verse helps explain why Daniel receives a divine message in the following verses—his mourning and seeking set the context for God’s response.
  • Understanding the length and seriousness of Daniel’s mourning helps readers appreciate the depth of his concern for his people and the events unfolding in the book.

Where else these words appear

“weeks” Hebrew H7620 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
  • Deuteronomy 16:9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
  • Ezekiel 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.

“Daniel” Hebrew H1840 · used in 28 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 3:1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
  • Daniel 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
  • Daniel 9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

“mourning” Hebrew H56 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
  • Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
  • Jeremiah 14:2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.