Daniel 9:14

14 And Jehovah doth watch for the evil, and bringeth it upon us, for righteous [is] Jehovah our God concerning all His works that He hath done, and we have not hearkened to His voice.

Daniel 9:14 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 9:14

Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it
upon us
The evil of punishment; he watched the fit and proper time to bring it upon them; indeed, he watches over the evil of sin, to bring upon men the evil of chastisement or punishment, ( Job 14:16 ) , but the latter is here meant; see ( Jeremiah 31:28 ) ( 44:27 ) , the word used has the signification of hastening; and so Jarchi and Saadiah explain it, "he hath hastened" ^F8: the almond tree, as the latter observes, has its name from hence, because it prevents other trees, and is quicker in putting out its blossom than they, ( Jeremiah 1:11 Jeremiah 1:19 ) and so this may denote the purity of the Lord; his displicency at sin; his strict justice in punishing it; and his diligence and activity in executing judgment for it, which slumbers not, as some imagine: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth;
the prophet is all along careful to clear God from any imputation of injustice in any of his works, even in his strange work, punitive justice; though he watches over the evil to bring it, yet he is righteous in so doing; no charge of unrighteousness is to be exhibited against him on this account: for we obeyed not his voice;
neither in his word, nor in his providences; neither by his prophets, nor by his judgments; and being guilty of the evil of fault, it was but just they should bear the evil of punishment.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (dwqvy) "festinavit", Paguinus, Vatablus.

Daniel 9:14 In-Context

12 `And He confirmeth His words that He hath spoken against us, and against our judges who have judged us, to bring in upon us great evil, in that it hath not been done under the whole heavens as it hath been done in Jerusalem,

13 as it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil hath come upon us, and we have not appeased the face of Jehovah our God to turn back from our iniquities, and to act wisely in Thy truth.

14 And Jehovah doth watch for the evil, and bringeth it upon us, for righteous [is] Jehovah our God concerning all His works that He hath done, and we have not hearkened to His voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, who hast brought forth Thy people from the land of Egypt by a strong hand, and dost make for Thee a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 `O Lord, according to all Thy righteous acts, let turn back, I pray Thee, Thine anger and Thy fury from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mount, for by our sins, and by the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people [are] for a reproach to all our neighbours;