Daniel 9:4-19

4 I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness with those who love him and keep his mitzvot,

5 we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances;

6 neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Yehudah, and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and to all Yisra'el, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.

8 Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness; for we have rebelled against him;

10 neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yes, all Yisra'el have transgressed your law, even turning aside, that they should not obey your voice: therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moshe the servant of God; for we have sinned against him.

12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky has not been done as has been done on Yerushalayim.

13 As it is written in the law of Moshe, all this evil is come on us: yet have we not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

14 Therefore has the LORD watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.

15 Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Mitzrayim with a mighty hand, and have gotten you renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Yerushalayim, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Yerushalayim and your people are become a reproach to all who are round about us.

17 Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18 My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies' sake.

19 Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen and do; don't defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.

Daniel 9:4-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 9

This chapter contains a prayer of Daniel, and the answer to it. The time, occasion, and manner of his prayer, or circumstances of it, are observed, Da 9:1-3, the parts of it, an address unto God, under various suitable epithets and characters, Da 9:4 confession of sin, of his own, of the inhabitants of the land, kings, princes, and people, which are largely dwelt upon and exaggerated, Da 9:5-15 and petitions for mercy, Da 9:16-19, then the answer follows; the time when it was ordered and given, and the person by whom it was sent, are expressed, Da 9:20-23 who delivered to him the vision of the seventy weeks to be considered by him; in which both the work of the Messiah, and the time of his coming, are clearly pointed out, Da 9:24-27.