At the beginning of thy supplications
As soon as ever he began to pray. This circumstance shows how
ready the Lord is to hear the prayers of his people; and yet it
was not owing to the prayers of the prophet, and to any intrinsic
virtue or merit in them that the Lord did what he afterwards
declares should be done; and, besides, more is revealed and
promised than Daniel asked for: the commandment came
forth;
either the order from the Lord to the angel, dispatching him on
this errand to the prophet, to acquaint him with his mind and
will; or the proclamation of Cyrus, to let the people of the Jews
go free, and go up to Jerusalem to build their city and temple,
published that morning, just about the time Daniel began to pray,
the seventy years' captivity being completely finished; see (
Daniel 9:25 )
: and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly
beloved;
or, "art desires" F16; all desire, exceedingly desired;
very lovely, amiable, and delightful, in the sight of God, and
all good men: or, "that thou art greatly beloved" F17; thus
the angel came from God, out of heaven, to show it to him, to
make it appear that he was highly in the favour of God, in that
he made known his secrets to him: therefore understand the
matter;
or "word" F18; attend to the word; advert to the
form of speaking used, and labour to get the knowledge of it:
and consider the vision;
this vision, as Japhet; the following vision or prophecy of the
seventy weeks; think of it well, as being a matter of great
importance and consequence.