Daniel 9
Chapter 9
9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of a Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the b realm of the Chaldeans;
(a) Who was also called Astyages.9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by c 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.
(b) For Cyrus led with ambition, and went about wars in other countries, and therefore Darius had the title of the kingdom, even though Cyrus was king in effect.
(c) For even though he was an excellent Prophet, yet he daily increased in knowledge by the reading of the scriptures.9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to d seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
(d) He does not speak of that ordinary prayer, which he used in his house three times a day, but of a rare and vehement prayer, lest their sins should cause God to delay the time of their deliverance prophesied by Jeremiah.9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the e great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
(e) That is, has all power in yourself to execute your terrible judgments against obstinate sinners, as you are rich in mercy to comfort those who obey your word and love you.9:7 O Lord, f righteousness [belongeth] unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, [that are] near, and [that are] far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
(f) He shows that whenever God punishes, he does it for just cause: and thus the godly never accuse him of rigour as the wicked do, but acknowledge that in themselves there is just cause why he should so treat them.9:8 O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our g kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
(g) He does not excuse the kings because of their authority, but prays chiefly for them as the chief occasions of these great plagues.9:10 Neither have we obeyed the h voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
(h) He shows that they rebel against God, who do not serve him according to his commandment and word.9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the i curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
9:16 O Lord, according to all thy k righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to all [that are] about us.
(i) As in ( Deuteronomy 27:15 ), or the curse confirmed by an oath.
(k) That is, according to all your merciful promises and the performance of them.9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to l shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the m Lords sake.
(l) Show yourself favourable.9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our n righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
(m) That is, for your Christs sake, in whom you will accept all of our prayers.
(n) Declaring that the godly flee only to Gods mercies, and renounce their own works, when they seek for remission of their sins.9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, o hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
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