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Grammar Analysis: Daniel 9:22-23

Text

Hebrew (v.22): וַיָּ֖בֶן וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמִּ֑י וַיֹּאמַ֕ר דָּנִיֵּ֕אל עַתָּ֥ה יָצָ֖אתִי לְהַשְׂכִּילְךָ֥ בִינָֽה׃

Hebrew (v.23): בִּתְחִלַּ֨ת תַּחֲנוּנֶ֜יךָ יָצָ֣א דָבָ֗ר וַאֲנִי֙ בָּ֣אתִי לְהַגִּ֔יד כִּ֥י חֲמוּדֹ֖ות אָ֑תָּה וּבִין֙ בַּדָּבָ֔ר וְהָבֵ֖ן בַּמַּרְאֶֽה׃

KJV (v.22): And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

KJV (v.23): At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew [thee]; for thou [art] greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Word-by-Word Parsing

Verse 22

# Word Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 וַ ו Conj and
2 יָּ֖בֶן בין Verb.Hiphil.Wayq.3ms cause to understand
3 וַ ו Conj and
4 יְדַבֵּ֣ר דבר Verb.Piel.Wayq.3ms speak
5 עִמִּ֑י עם Prep.+1cs with me
6 וַ ו Conj and
7 יֹּאמַ֕ר אמר Verb.Qal.Wayq.3ms say
8 דָּנִיֵּ֕אל דניאל PropN.ms.Abs Daniel
9 עַתָּ֥ה עתה Adv now
10 יָצָ֖אתִי יצא Verb.Qal.Perf.1cs I have come forth
11 לְ ל Prep to
12 הַשְׂכִּילְךָ֥ שׂכל Verb.Hiphil.InfCon.+2ms give you insight
13 בִינָֽה בינה Noun.fs.Abs understanding

Verse 23

# Word Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 בִּ ב Prep in/at
2 תְחִלַּ֨ת תחלה Noun.fs.Cst beginning of
3 תַּחֲנוּנֶ֜יךָ תחנון Noun.mp.Abs.+2ms your supplications
4 יָצָ֣א יצא Verb.Qal.Perf.3ms came forth
5 דָבָ֗ר דבר Noun.ms.Abs a word/commandment
6 וַ ו Conj and
7 אֲנִי֙ אני PersPron.1cs I
8 בָּ֣אתִי בוא Verb.Qal.Perf.1cs have come
9 לְ ל Prep to
10 הַגִּ֔יד נגד Verb.Hiphil.InfCon declare/show
11 כִּ֥י כי Conj because/for
12 חֲמוּדֹ֖ות חמדות Noun.fp.Abs desirable things / greatly beloved
13 אָ֑תָּה אתה PersPron.2ms you
14 וּ ו Conj and/so
15 בִין֙ בין Verb.Qal.Impv.2ms understand!
16 בַּ ב + ה Prep + Art in the
17 דָּבָ֔ר דבר Noun.ms.Abs word/matter
18 וְ ו Conj and
19 הָבֵ֖ן בין Verb.Hiphil.Impv.2ms gain insight!
20 בַּ ב + ה Prep + Art in the
21 מַּרְאֶֽה מראה Noun.ms.Abs vision

Key Grammatical Features

1. wayyaben -- Hiphil Wayyiqtol 3ms of biyn (H995)

  • Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular of biyn. The Hiphil stem is causative: "he caused [me] to understand" / "he gave understanding." The wayyiqtol places it in narrative sequence -- this is what Gabriel did upon arriving.
  • Significance: This is the opening verb of the entire passage and it is a biyn verb in the Hiphil. Gabriel's first action upon reaching Daniel is to cause understanding. The KJV renders this "he informed [me]" -- the bracketed pronoun is supplied because the Hiphil of biyn here is used transitively with an implied direct object. This is the same root (H995) that saturates the Dan 8-12 understanding chain (Dan 8:5, 8:15, 8:16, 8:17, 8:27, 9:2, 9:22, 9:23, 10:1, 10:11, 10:12, 10:14, 11:33, 12:8, 12:10).
  • Grammar reference: stem-hiphil
  • Word study: H995-biyn, H998-biynah

2. lehaskilkha binah -- Hiphil Infinitive Construct of sakal (H7919) + Object binah (H998)

  • Form: Preposition le + Hiphil infinitive construct of sakal with 2ms pronominal suffix. The Hiphil of sakal means "to cause to be prudent/skillful," "to give insight." The suffix is the indirect object -- "to cause you to have insight." The direct object of this causing is the noun binah (H998), "understanding."
  • Significance: This is a purpose clause -- Gabriel has "come forth" (yatsati, Qal perfect 1cs of yatsa) in order to give Daniel sakal-type insight, and the content of that insight is binah-type understanding. The two understanding-words from distinct roots (sakal and biyn) are yoked together: Gabriel uses sakal (prudential/practical insight) to deliver binah (discerning comprehension). The Hiphil infinitive construct with pronominal suffix and a following noun object is a compact construction expressing Gabriel's entire mission in three words.
  • Grammar reference: stem-hiphil
  • Word study: H7919-sakal, H998-biynah

3. chamudoth attah -- Predicate Nominal Clause with Passive Participle

  • Form: chamudoth is the feminine plural absolute of a passive participle/adjective from the root chamad (H2530, "to desire/delight in"). It functions as a predicate adjective in a verbless nominal clause: chamudoth (predicate) + attah (subject, 2ms pronoun). Clause type: NmCl (nominal clause).
  • Significance: The clause means "you [are] desirable things" -- rendered by KJV as "greatly beloved." The plural form intensifies: Daniel is not merely desired but is "desirabilities" in the abstract-plural sense. The passive orientation of the root (chamad) indicates Daniel is desired/delighted-in -- the agent (God) is implied. This same term recurs at Dan 10:11 (ish chamudoth "man of desirabilities") and Dan 10:19 (ish chamudoth), forming a bracket around Gabriel's interactions with Daniel. The ki introducing this clause makes it causal: Gabriel has come to declare because Daniel is chamudoth -- his status as divinely desired is the ground for receiving the revelation.
  • Word study: No canonical entry yet for H2530/chamudoth -- gap flagged.

4. ubin ... wehaben -- Paired Imperatives: Qal and Hiphil of biyn (H995)

  • Form: Two consecutive imperatives of the same root biyn, in different stems:
  • ubin -- Qal imperative 2ms: "understand!" (basic stem -- direct, unmediated comprehension)
  • wehaben -- Hiphil imperative 2ms: "gain/cause-yourself insight!" (causative stem -- actively produce understanding)
  • Significance: This is the climactic biyn concentration. Gabriel issues back-to-back commands using the same root in two different stems, each with a distinct prepositional object:
  • Qal biyn + baddabar ("understand the word/matter") -- direct comprehension of what is said
  • Hiphil haben + bammareh ("gain insight into the vision") -- active, causative processing of what was seen

The stem shift from Qal to Hiphil within a single breath is significant. The Qal is receptive: take in the word. The Hiphil is productive: work the vision until you have extracted understanding from it. The two objects correspond to two modes of revelation: dabar (verbal/propositional content -- what Gabriel is about to say in 9:24-27) and mareh (visual revelation -- the vision of Dan 8 that was left uninterpreted at 8:27). Gabriel is explicitly reconnecting to the unfinished business of chapter 8. - Grammar reference: stem-hiphil, imperative-mood - Word study: H995-biyn

5. yatsa dabar -- Qal Perfect 3ms of yatsa with Subject dabar

  • Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular of yatsa ("go out / come forth") with the subject dabar ("word" / "commandment"). The clause type is xQtX (non-verb-initial qatal clause) because the temporal adjunct is fronted.
  • Significance: A dabar "came forth" at the very beginning of Daniel's supplications. The fronted temporal phrase emphasizes the immediacy of the divine response -- the word was issued before Daniel finished praying. The verb yatsa is the same root used of Gabriel himself in v.22 (yatsati, "I have come forth"), creating a verbal parallel: the word came forth and Gabriel came forth, both triggered by Daniel's prayer. The nature of this dabar (whether it is the decree of Dan 9:24-27 or a divine command dispatching Gabriel) is left grammatically open -- the noun itself means simply "word/matter/thing."

Clause Structure

Verse 22 -- Six Clauses

# Type Domain Function Text
1 Way0 N (narrative) Main wayyaben -- "and he caused [me] to understand"
2 Way0 N Coordinate wayedabber immi -- "and he spoke with me"
3 Way0 N Coordinate wayyomar -- "and he said"
4 Voct Q (speech) Vocative daniyyel -- "O Daniel"
5 xQt0 Q Main speech attah yatsati -- "now I have come forth"
6 InfC Q Purpose lehaskilkha binah -- "to give you understanding"

Note: The three wayyiqtol clauses (Way0) form a rapid narrative chain: Gabriel understood, spoke, said. The shift from narrative domain (N) to speech domain (Q) occurs at the vocative. Within speech, Gabriel states his completed action (yatsati, perfect -- "I have come forth," fait accompli) and then its purpose (infinitive construct clause).

Verse 23 -- Six Clauses

# Type Domain Function Text
1 xQtX Q Main bitchillat tachanunekha yatsa dabar -- "at the beginning of your supplications a word came forth"
2 WXQt Q Coordinate waani bati -- "and I have come"
3 InfC Q Purpose lehaggiyd -- "to declare"
4 NmCl Q Causal ki chamudoth attah -- "for you are greatly beloved"
5 WIm0 Q Command ubin baddabar -- "so understand the word"
6 WIm0 Q Command wehaben bammareh -- "and gain insight into the vision"

Note: The clause-type sequence tells the story: xQtX (fronted temporal -- what happened when Daniel prayed) to WXQt (fronted subject ani emphasizing Gabriel's personal coming) to InfC (purpose of his coming) to NmCl (ground for receiving revelation) to WIm0 + WIm0 (double imperative -- the actual commands). The two WIm0 imperative clauses are the rhetorical climax.

Construct Chain

v.23: techillat tachanunekha -- "beginning-of your-supplications" - techillat (fs.Cst of techillah, "beginning") + tachanunekha (mp.Abs of tachanun, "supplication" + 2ms suffix) - Standard construct chain with pronominal suffix on the absolute noun

The Biyn Chain: Dan 8-12 Reconnection Point

Daniel 9:22-23 contains the highest concentration of biyn (H995) language in the entire book, with four instances of the root in just two verses:

  1. wayyaben (v.22) -- Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms: Gabriel "caused understanding" (narrative action)
  2. binah (v.22) -- Noun fs: "understanding" as the object Gabriel delivers
  3. ubin (v.23) -- Qal imperative 2ms: "understand!" (direct command)
  4. wehaben (v.23) -- Hiphil imperative 2ms: "gain insight!" (causative command)

This reconnects directly to Dan 8:15-17 where Daniel "sought understanding" (binah, 8:15), Gabriel was commanded to "make this one understand" (haben, Hiphil imperative, 8:16), and Gabriel addressed Daniel with "understand" (biyn, Qal imperative, 8:17). The chapter 8 understanding sequence ended in failure -- Daniel "did not understand" (eyn mebiyn, 8:27 participle). Chapter 9:22-23 is Gabriel's return to complete that unfinished mission, announced with the same verb forms (Hiphil wayyiqtol, Qal imperative, Hiphil imperative) deployed in the original commissioning.

Cross-References

Grammar Library

Word Studies

  • H995-biyn -- the root that dominates this passage (4 instances)
  • H998-biynah -- the noun "understanding" as the delivered content
  • H7919-sakal -- Hiphil infinitive construct "to give insight"
  • TR-biyn-syniemi -- Hebrew-Greek bridge for the understanding vocabulary

Gaps Flagged

  • H2530 chamad / chamudoth -- no canonical word study yet for this root and its Danielic deployment as a title for the prophet (Dan 9:23, 10:11, 10:19)