What does Daniel 9:5 mean?

Daniel is praying (Daniel 9:1–4) in hopes that Israel's captivity and exile will soon be over. When Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian empire, Daniel consulted books such as Jeremiah. There, he read that the exile would last seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10–11). At the time described in this passage, Daniel had been a captive for well over sixty years. He prays in deep humility, including the traditional signs of mourning such as rough clothing and fasting.

Here, Daniel prays about the sins and failures of Israel. Rather than talking about "them" or saying that "they" are guilty, Daniel identifies with his people, saying "we" are responsible for sin. The Bible makes no accusation against Daniel, but he doesn't try to separate himself from the rest of his nation. Nor does he claim to be sinless (Daniel 9:20). It was because of sin that God sent the Jewish people into exile (Deuteronomy 28:25, 48–50; Jeremiah 25:7–11). Their restoration was partly tied to willingness to come to God in repentance and confession (Deuteronomy 30:1–3; Jeremiah 29:12–14).

This prayer represents Daniel's efforts on behalf of Israel's return from captivity. He describes their error using broad language, covering all possible forms of sin and disobedience. Rather than following the Lord's will, Israel had fallen into idolatry and evil, and so they were punished exactly as had been promised (Daniel 9:6).