Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 9:16
O Lord, according to all thy 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.
16. according to all thy righteousness ] The plural, of righteousness exhibited in deeds, or, in other words, of acts of righteousness: so Jdg 5:11; 1Sa 12:7; Mic 6:5; Psa 103:6. God’s deliverance of His people, according to His covenant-promise, when and in so far as it deserves it, is regarded as a manifestation of His righteousness. As in the last verse, God’s acts of mercy towards His people and His interpositions on its behalf, in the past, are appealed to as a ground why He should interpose similarly now.
let thine anger, &c.] for the expression, cf. Num 25:4, Jer 23:20; Jer 30:24, Isa 12:1.
thy city ] Dan 9:19: cf. ‘my city,’ Isa 45:13.
thy holy mountain ] Psa 15:1; Psa 43:3, and elsewhere. So Dan 9:24.
the iniquities of our fathers ] Cf. Lev 26:39, Jer 11:10, Isa 65:7, Neh 9:2; also Psa 79:8.
a reproach to all that are round about us ] Cf. Psa 44:13; Psa 79:4; also Eze 25:3; Eze 25:6; Eze 25:8; Eze 35:10; Eze 35:12-13. The words may, however, also glance at “the position of the faithful Jews under Antiochus, since in addition to the tyranny of the king they had to endure the taunts of their heathen neighbours, the Edomites, the Ammonites, etc.” (Bevan).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness – The word righteousness here seems to refer to all that was excellent and glorious in the character of God. The eye of Daniel is fixed upon what he had formerly done; upon his character of justice, and mercy, and goodness; upon the faithfulness of God to his people, and, in view of all that was excellent and lovely in his character, he pleaded that he would interpose and turn away his anger from his people now. It is the character of God that is the ground of his plea – and what else is there that can give us encouragement when we come before him in prayer.
Let thine anger and thy fury be turned away … – The anger which had come upon the city, and which appeared to rest, upon it. Jerusalem was in ruins, and it seemed still to be lying under the wrath of God. The word rendered fury is the common one to denote wrath or indignation. It implies no more than anger or indignation, and refers here to the Divine displeasure against their sins, manifested in the destruction of their city.
Thy holy mountain – Jerusalem was built on hills, and the city in general might be designated by this phrase. Or, more probably, there is allusion either to Mount Zion, or to Mount Moriah.
Because for our sins … – There is, on the part of Daniel, no disposition to blame God for what he had done. There is no murmuring or complaining, as if he had been unjust or severe in his dealings with his people. Jerusalem was indeed in ruins, and the people were captives in a distant land, but he felt and admitted that God was just in all that he had done. It was too manifest to be denied that all these calamities had come upon them on account of their sins, and this Daniel, in the name of the people, humbly and penitently acknowledged.
A reproach to all that are about us – All the surrounding nations. They reproach us with our sins, and with the judgments that have come upon us, as if we were peculiarly wicked, and were forsaken of heaven.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
As if he had said, Lord, according to thy righteousness thou hast punished thy people, as they justly deserved; now also, according to thy mercies, which is the other part of thy righteousness, save thy people, though they deserve it not. See Psa 143:1,2. For God hath promised, and therefore he will do it, yet in mercy, and this is faithfulness and righteousness. See 1Jo 1:9. Now though sin is the reproach of any people and nation, yet much more of the people of God, which should be a holy people, because their God is a holy God, and his laws are holy laws, by which they excel all other people. Yet, Lord, saith he, if Jerusalem be a reproach, this is a reproach to thee, because of their relation to thee; therefore, I pray thee, take away this double reproach; it is. grievous unto us to bear it; for thy names sake, O let it be grievous unto thee, and therefore wipe it away.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. thy righteousnessnotstern justice in punishing, but Thy faithfulness to Thypromises of mercy to them who trust in Thee (Psa 31:1;Psa 143:1).
thy citychosen asThine in the election of grace, which changes not.
for . . . iniquities of . . .fathers (Ex 20:5). Hedoes not impugn God’s justice in this, as did the murmurers (Eze 18:2;Eze 18:3; compare Jer31:29).
thy people . . . areproachwhich brings reproach on Thy name. “All thenations that are about us” will say that Thou, Jehovah, wast notable to save Thy peculiar people. So Da9:17, “for the Lord’s sake”; Da9:19, “for Thine own sake” (Isa 48:9;Isa 48:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness,…. Or “righteousnesses” i; which he had been used to exercise in the world, in all ages of it; either punishing wicked men according to their deserts, to which respect may be had here; since turning away wrath from his people would issue in turning it upon their enemies, which would be in righteous judgment or in fulfilling his promises; and so it signifies his faithfulness, of which there had been so many instances in times past, and gave encouragement to believe the performance of those not yet accomplished: or this may be understood of his goodness, and kindness, which is sometimes meant by his righteousness see
Ps 31:1 and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, “in all thy mercy”; and Jacchiades paraphrases the words thus,
“O Lord, according to all the multitude of thy righteousness, and of thy kindness, which thou dost in the world:”
I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem; the city of the great King, which he chose for his residence, in which the temple, was, and where he was worshipped; and the prophet earnestly entreats, that the marks of divine displeasure, which were upon it, might be removed; that the punishments or judgments inflicted, as the effects of the anger and wrath of God, might cease, and the city be rebuilt, and restored to its former glory:
thy holy mountain; the temple, devoted to the worship and service of God; or Mount Moriah, on which it stood:
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; their neighbours, the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Tyrians, and Philistines; who rejoiced at their destruction, and jeered at them and their religion, and scoffingly said, where were their temple of which they boasted, and their God in whom they trusted? the cause of all this is owned to be their own sins, and the sins of their ancestors, which they their posterity continued in; and therefore do not lay the fault wholly upon them, but take the blame to themselves.
i “justitias tuas”, Vatablus, Calvin, Gejerus, Cocceius, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Lastly, he would not permit that redemption to fail which was an illustrious and eternal proof of his virtue, favor, and goodness. Hence he subjoins, O Lord, may thine anger be averted according to all thy righteousness, and thine indignation from thy city Jerusalem, the mountain of thy holiness. We observe how Daniel here excludes whatever merit there might be in the people. In reality they did not possess any, but I speak according to that foolish imagination which men can scarcely put off. They always take credit to themselves, although they are convicted of their sins a hundred times over, and still desire to conciliate God’s favor by pleading some merit before God. But here Daniel excludes all such considerations when he pleads before God his own justice, and uses the strong expression, according to all thy righteousness Those who take this word “righteousness” to mean “judgment,” are in error and inexperienced in interpreting the Scriptures; for they suppose God’s justice to be opposed to his pity. But we are familiar with God’s righteousness as made manifest, especially in the benefits he confers on us. It is just as if Daniel had said, that the single hope of the people consisted in God’s having regard to himself alone, and by no means to their conduct. Hence he takes the righteousness of God for his liberality, gratuitous favor, consistent fidelity, and protection, which he promised his servants: O God, therefore, he says, according to all thy prormsed mercies; that is, thou dost not fail those who trust in thee, thou dost promise nothing rashly, and thou art not accustomed to desert those who flee to thee; oh! by thy very justice, succor us in our distress. We must also notice the universal particle “all,” because when Daniel unites so many sins which might drown the people in an abyss a thousand times over, he opposes to this all God’s promised mercies. As if he had said, although the number of our iniquities is so great that we must perish a hundred times over, yet thy promised mercies are far more numerous, meaning, thy justice surpasses whatever thou mayest find in us of the deepest dye of guilt.
He says, again, Let thine anger be turned away, and thy burning wrath from thy city Jerusalem, and from thy holy mountain In joining together anger and burning wrath, the Prophet does not imply any excess on the part of God, as if he revenged the sins of the people too severely, but he again represents the aggravation of their wickedness, causing him to become so angry with them as to lay aside his usual character, and to treat their adoption as vain and fruitless. Daniel does not complain in this case of the severity of the punishment, but rather condemns himself and the rest of the people for causing a necessity for such severe measures. Once more, he sets before God the holy mountain which he had chosen, and in this way averts his countenance from judgment, lest he should reckon with them for so many sins, by which God was deservedly incensed. Here, therefore, God’s election is interposed, because he had consecrated Mount Zion to himself, and desired to be worshipped there, where also his name should be celebrated and sacrifices offered to him. In this respect, therefore, Daniel obtains favor for himself before God, and, as I have said, he excludes all other considerations.
He next adds, Because on account of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem. and thy people are a reproach to all our neighbors By another argument, the Prophet desires to bend God to pity; for Jerusalem as well as the people were a disgrace to the nations; yet this caused equal disgrace to fall upon God himself. As, therefore, the Gentiles made a laughing-stock of the Jews, they did not spare the sacred name of God; nay, the Jews were so despised, that the Gentiles scarcely deigned to speak of them, and the God of Israel was contemptuously traduced, as if he had been conquered, because he had suffered his temple to be destroyed, and the whole city Jerusalem to be consumed with burning and cruel slaughter. The Prophet, therefore, now takes up this argument, and in speaking of the sacred city, doubtless refers to the sacredness of God’s name. His language implies, — Thou hast chosen Jerusalem as a kind of royal residence; it was thy wish to be worshipped there, and now this city has become an object of the greatest. reproach to our neighbors. Thus he declares how God’s name was exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles. He afterwards asserts the same of God’s people, not by way of complaint when the Jews suffered these reproaches, for they deserved them by their sins, but the language is emphatic, and yet they were God’s people. God’s name was intimately bound up with that of his people, and whatever infamy the profane east upon them, reflected chiefly on God himself. Here Daniel places before the Almighty his own name; as if he had said, O Lord! be thou the vindicater of thine own glory, thou hast once adopted us on this condition, and may the memory of thy name be ever inscribed upon us; permit us not to be so reproachfully slandered, let not the Gentiles insult thee on our account. And yet he says this was done on account of the iniquities of the people and of their fathers; by which expression he removes every possibility of doubt. 0h! how can it happen, that God will so lay his people prostrate? Why has he not spared at least his own name! Daniel, therefore, here testifies to his being just, because the iniquity of the people and of their fathers had risen so high, that God was compelled to exercise such vengeance against them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Righteousness.Those acts of Jehovah which evince His righteousness, or His faithfulness to His promises. Mount Zion, the holy mountain, holds a very important place in prophecy. It is the outward visible sign of the stability of Gods promises to David, the sure mercies of David, as well as the centre of all that is Holy in the kingdom of God. (See Psa. 68:15-16; Psa. 132:13-14; Isa. 2:2-4; and comp. Dan. 9:20.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16-19. The prophet cries out in great agony, beseeching Jehovah, since now his righteous punishments had been so fearfully fulfilled upon Jerusalem and the holy mountain (Psa 2:6; Jer 25:1-11), that the equally righteous promises to repentant Israel might also be speedily fulfilled (see Jer 25:12, etc.; Jer 27:22; Jer 29:10-14), and as a representative of repentant Israel he makes an intercessory prayer for the desolated and ruined sanctuary which reminds one of the mediatorial cry of Moses (Exo 32:32; Deu 9:26-29), and especially of the prayer of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32) and the petition of the Levites (Nehemiah 9).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Dan 9:16 O Lord, according to all thy 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.
Ver. 16. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness. ] Not that of equity, but the other of fidelity. 1Jn 1:9
Thy holy mountain.
Thy people are a reproach.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
holy. See note on Exo 3:5.
because for our sins . . . fathers. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 20:5). App-92.
become a reproach. Compare Jer 24:9; Jer 29:18; Jer 42:18; Jer 44:8, Jer 44:12. Eze 5:14, Eze 5:15; Eze 22:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 9:16
Dan 9:16 O Lord,H136 according to allH3605 thy righteousness,H6666 I beseech thee,H4994 let thine angerH639 and thy furyH2534 be turned awayH7725 from thy cityH4480 H5892 Jerusalem,H3389 thy holyH6944 mountain:H2022 becauseH3588 for our sins,H2399 and for the iniquitiesH5771 of our fathers,H1 JerusalemH3389 and thy peopleH5971 are become a reproachH2781 to allH3605 that are aboutH5439 us.
Dan 9:16
“O Lord, according to all thy 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”.
Daniel is pleading for the the righteousness of God. Daniel has already acknowledged that God is right in everything He does (Dan 9:7). Daniel is not pleading on the grounds of any righteousness either of the Israelites or of himself (Dan 9:18), rather he is appealing to the righteousness of God. Daniel knows the Israelites deserved everything that happened to them and that they have no righteousness upon which they can appeal to. Therefore Daniel is appealing to the righteousness of the only One who is righteous and the only One who’s mercy can provide them with any hope.
“I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem”
This request was the entire point to Daniel’s prayer. This is what he was praying to God for. Daniel had acknowledged the sins of his people as a whole. He has accepted the responsibility for that sin. He has come to God with a submissive and repentant attitude. This sorrow of heart and contrition of spirit is exactly what was required in the law of Moses as being conditional upon God’s mercy on those who were cursed (Lev 26:40-42). Daniel was earnestly and fervently going about the fulfillment of this condition from his heart of hearts.
It cannot be overstated how important it is to approach God according to His righteousness. Daniel, who had experienced God’s judgment upon Israel well knew this and was diligently applying himself to the fulfillment of God’s requirements on this matter. The application we can make from this for today is that the nature of God does not change and His requirements for approaching Him with our petitions has not changed. The Apostle wrote concerning this in Rom 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness , have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”. Daniel was laying his petition at the foot of the throne of God and before He did, He made sure that it was according to the righteousness of God. John teaches us that we can have confidence that God will hear our prayers “if” we ask “according to His will” (1Jn 5:14). Today, when we approach the throne of God with our petitions, we can use Daniel and his prayer here as a model for how to be assured that our petitions will be heard approvingly.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Renewed Favor in Gods Own Time
Dan 9:16-27
Dan 9:17-19 have in them a tone of anguish which reminds us of our Lords words as to the violence which takes the kingdom of heaven by force. God loves to see us in dead earnest. It is not long but strong prayers that prevail with Him. He sometimes seems to deny us, that He may draw us out in supplication. Notice the response to such prayer. Before it was spoken, it was granted, Dan 9:23. Before Daniel called, he was answered, and while he was yet speaking, he was heard. Pray on! God is more eager to hear and to bless us than we are to pray. Even now the divine answer is hastening towards thee, swifter than the speed of the morning beams across the vault of space. While we are speaking in prayer, nay, before the beginning of our supplication, the angel is sent out, and he is made to fly very swiftly. Six purposes were to be effected within 490 years from a specified date. Some refer these to final Jewish restoration, but for this the last week of the seventy has to be separated from the rest and postponed till the end of the age. It is more natural to understand the passage as describing here Christs finished work, and thus we avoid impairing the definiteness of the prophecy by indefinitely prolonging it. The prince that shall come seems to refer to the Roman emperor, Vespasian, whose people destroyed Jerusalem. But many think that Dan 9:27 refers to a future compact between Antichrist and the Jews, previous to their conversion.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
according: 1Sa 2:7, Neh 9:8, Psa 31:1, Psa 71:2, Psa 143:1, Mic 6:4, Mic 6:5, 2Th 1:6, 1Jo 1:9
thy holy: Dan 9:20, Psa 87:1-3, Joe 3:17, Zec 8:3
for the: Exo 20:5, Lev 26:39, Lev 26:40, Psa 106:6-48, Mat 23:31, Mat 23:32, Luk 11:47-51
Jerusalem: 1Ki 9:7-9, Psa 41:13, Psa 79:4, Isa 64:9-11, Jer 24:9, Jer 29:18, Lam 1:8, Lam 1:9, Lam 2:15, Lam 2:16
Reciprocal: 1Sa 17:26 – reproach 2Ch 6:40 – thine eyes 2Ch 29:6 – For our fathers Psa 51:14 – righteousness Psa 78:54 – And he Psa 79:8 – former iniquities Psa 80:14 – look down Psa 85:4 – cause Psa 89:41 – he is Psa 102:14 – General Isa 5:25 – For all Jer 23:40 – General Jer 50:7 – We offend Jer 51:50 – remember Lam 3:50 – General Eze 22:4 – have I Eze 23:43 – old Eze 36:3 – and ye Eze 39:26 – they have borne Joe 2:1 – in my Mic 6:16 – therefore Zep 3:11 – because of my holy Zec 7:14 – the land Mat 4:5 – the holy Heb 7:25 – to make
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 9:16. Daniel continues his prayer on behalf of his people, and acknowledges that all of their suffering is because of their sins. The most disheartening feature of it is that the nation has become a reproach In the eyes of the other nations.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 9:16-17. According to all thy righteousness let thine anger be turned away The word righteousness here, as in many other places of Scripture, is equivalent to mercy; (see the margin;) from thy holy mountain The place whereon thy temple stood. Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach Our conquerors and others, who know into what a miserable condition we are brought, mock at us, and say, See to what a state the people are reduced, who boasted themselves to be the chosen people of the Lord of heaven and earth! Now, therefore, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary Return in mercy to us, and show that thou art reconciled to us, by repairing the desolations of thy sanctuary. For the Lords sake That is, as some interpret the expression, for thine own sake; that is, do this that thou mayest do honour to thyself. Or rather, as most Christian interpreters understand the words, for the Lord Christs sake; for the sake of the Messiah promised, who is Lord. The Hebrew word, here rendered Lord, is , Adonai, the word used for the Messiah Psa 110:1, where David calls him his Lord. It is for Christs sake, and because of the atonement he has made for sin, that God causes his face to shine upon sinners, when they repent and turn to him. In all our prayers, therefore, that must be our plea; we must make mention of his righteousness, even his only. He himself has directed us to pray in his name.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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.
(k) That is, according to all your merciful promises and the performance of them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Now the prophet appealed to God as Adonai, stressing His sovereignty over His people, and as Elohim, the strong One. As God had righteously brought discipline on Israel for her past sins, Daniel asked Him righteously to bring restoration, since He had promised it, too. The answer would primarily glorify God, and secondarily, bless His people.