Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 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 righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
18. incline and behold (lit. see)] Almost exactly the words in Hezekiah’s prayer, 2Ki 19:16 (= Isa 37:17).
desolations ] Dan 9:26: cf. Isa 49:19; Isa 61:4 (twice).
over which thy name hath been called ] i.e. of which Thou art the Owner. The sense of the expression appears from 2Sa 12:28, ‘lest I take the city, and my name be called over it,’ in token, viz. of my having conquered it. The expression is often used, especially in Deuteronomic writers, of the people of Israel, Jerusalem, or the Temple, as Dan 9:19; Deu 28:10; Jer 7:10-11; Jer 7:14; Jer 7:30; Jer 14:9; Jer 25:29 ; 1Ki 8:43; Isa 63:10. The paraphrase of A.V., R.V., ‘which is called by my name,’ weakens and obscures the real force of the expression. Cf. further on Amo 9:12.
present ] lit. cause to fall: so Dan 9:20, Jer 38:26; Jer 42:2; Jer 42:9; cf. Jer 36:7 (lit ‘ their supplication will fall before Jehovah’), Jer 37:20 (here in the sense of being accepted). The expression does not occur elsewhere in the O.T.: Prof. Kirkpatrick compares, however, Bar 2:19 ( we do not cast down our supplication).
for for ] properly on (the ground of).
thy great compassions ] Dan 9:9. The same expression in Neh 9:19; Neh 9:27; Neh 9:31 (A.V., R.V., ‘manifold mercies’): cf. 2Sa 24:14 (‘for his compassions are great’), Psa 119:156.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear – Pleading earnestly for his attention and his favor, as one does to a man.
Open thine eyes – As if his eyes had been closed upon the condition of the city, and he did not see it. Of course, all this is figurative, and is the language of strong and earnest pleading when the heart is greatly interested.
And the city which is called by thy name – Margin, whereupon thy name is called. The margin expresses the sense more literally; but the meaning is, that the city had been consecrated to God, and was called his – the city of Jehovah. It was known as the place of his sanctuary – the city where his worship was celebrated, and which was regarded as his peculiar dwelling place on the earth. Compare Psa 48:1-3; Psa 87:3. This is a new ground of entreaty, that the city belonged to God, and that he would remember the close connection between the prosperity of that city and the glory of his own name.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Observe here,
1. How he entitles God to the city for his name. It was the city of God, Psa 48:1,2,8; Jer 25:29. It is a good argument in prayer to entitle ourselves to God; yea, to interest God to ourselves, and to our cause. Observe,
2. How careful and cautious the prophet is to flee to mercy, and to renounce merit. Thus all the saints.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. present . . .supplicationsliterally, “cause to fall,” &c.(compare Note, see on Jer 36:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear,…. The petitions now put up, for Christ’s sake:
open thine eyes, and behold our desolations; the city and temple a heap of rubbish, and the whole land forsaken of its inhabitants, and lying waste and uncultivated, or, however, at most possessed by enemies; and things being thus, it seemed as if the Lord shut his eyes to them, and therefore is desired to open them, and look with pity and compassion on the case of his people, and deliver them out of all their troubles:
and the city which is called by thy name; or, “on which thy name is called” k; as Jerusalem was, being called the city of our God, the city of the great King, Ps 48:1 and in which also his name was called upon, both by the inhabitants of it in their private houses, and by the priests and Levites, and others, in the temple, which stood in it:
for we do not present our supplications before thee; or, “cause them to fall before thee” l; expressing the humble and lowly manner in which they presented their petitions to God, and respecting the gesture they used in prayer, bowing themselves to the ground, and falling prostrate upon it; and as was the custom of the eastern people when they supplicated their princes: and this Daniel, in the name of his people, did; not, says he,
for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies; not pleading their good works and righteous actions, and the merits of them, which had none in them, and were no other than as filthy rags, and could not recommend them to God, or be used as a plea and argument to obtain any good thing from him; but throwing themselves upon the abundant grace and mercy of God in Christ, mercy they pleaded, and not merit; and made mention of the righteousness of Christ, and not their own; as all good men, who are truly sensible of themselves, and of the grace of God, will do.
k “super quam invocatum est nomen tuum”, Vatablus, Pagninus, Calvin; “super qua nomen tuum nuncupatum est”, Cocceius. l “nos cadere facientes”, Montanus; “nos cadere facimus”, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This short clause breathes a wonderful fervor and vehemence of prayer; for Daniel pours forth his words as if he were carried out of himself. God’s children are often in an ecstasy in prayer; they moan and plead with God, use various modes of speech and much tautology, and cannot satisfy themselves. In forms of speech, indeed, hypocrites are sometimes superior; they not only rival God’s sincere worshippers, but are altogether carried along by outward pomps, and by a vast heap of words in their prayers, they arrive at much elegance and splendor, and even become great rhetoricians. But Daniel here only displays some portion of his feelings; there is no doubt of his wishing to bear witness to the whole Church how vehemently and fervently he prayed with the view of inflaming others with similar ardor. In this verse, he says, O my God, incline thine ear and hear. It would have been sufficient simply to have said, hearken; but as God seemed to remain deaf notwithstanding so many prayers and entreaties, the Prophet begs him to incline his ear. There is a silent antithesis here, because the faithful had seemed to be uttering words to the deaf, while their groans had been continually carried upwards to heaven during seventy years without the slightest effect. He adds next, open thine eyes and see. For God’s neglecting to answer must have cast down the hopes of the pious, because the Israelites were treated so undeservedly. They were oppressed by every possible form of reproach, and suffered the most grievous molestation in their fortunes as well as in everything else. Yet God passed by all these calamities of his people, as if his eyes were shut; and for this reason Daniel now prays him to open his eyes. It is profitable to notice these circumstances with diligence, for the purpose of learning how to pray to God; first, when at peace and able to utter our petitions without the slightest disquietude, and next, when sorrow and anxiety seize upon all our senses, and darkness everywhere surrounds us; even then our prayers should be steadily continued in the midst of these great obstacles. And we gather at the same time, while God presses us to the very extremity of our lives, how we ought to be still more importunate, because the new object; of this our severe affliction, is to awaken us amidst our slothfulness. Thus it is said in the Psalms, (Psa 32:6,) The saint will approach thee in an accepted time. Our opportunity arises when the very vast necessities overwhelm us, because God then stirs us up, and, as I have said, corrects our slowness. Let us learn, therefore, to accustom ourselves to vehemence in prayer whenever God urges and incites us by stimulus of this kind.
He next says, Look upon our desolation’s — of this we have already said enough — and on the city on which thy name is called Again Daniel sets before himself the sure foundation of his confidence, — Jerusalem had been chosen as God’s sanctuary. We know God’s adoption to have been without repentance, as Paul says. (Rom 11:29.) Daniel, therefore, here takes the very strongest method of appealing to God’s honor, by urging his wish to be worshipped on Mount Zion, and by his destining Jerusalem for himself as a royal seat. The phrase, to be called by God’s name, means, reckoning either the place or the nation as belonging to God. For God’s name is said to be called upon us, when we profess to be his people, and he distinguishes us by his mark, as if he would openly shew to the eyes of mankind his recognition of our profession. Thus God’s name was called upon Jerusalem, because his election had been celebrated already for many ages, and he had also gathered together one peculiar people, and pointed out a place where he wished sacrifices to be offered.
He adds afterwards, Because we do not pour forth our prayers before thy face upon or through our own righteousness, ( כי ki, “but,” is in my opinion put adversatively here,) but on account of thy many or great mercies Daniel more clearly confirms what was said yesterday, shewing how his hope was founded in God’s mercy alone. But I have stated how he expresses his meaning more clearly by opposing two members of a sentence naturally contrary to each other. Not in our righteousness, says he, but in thy compassion’s Although this comparison is not always put so distinctly, yet this rule must be held — whenever the saints rely upon the grace of God, they renounce at the same time all their merits, and find nothing in themselves to render God propitious. But this passage must be diligently noticed, where Daniel carefully excludes whatever opposes God’s gratuitous goodness; and he next shews how, by bringing forward anything of their own, as if men could deserve God’s grace, they diminish in an equal degree from his mercy. Daniel’s words also contain another truth, manifesting the impossibility of reconciling two opposite things, viz., the faithful taking refuge in God’s mercy, and yet bringing anything of their own and resting upon their merits. As, therefore, a complete repugnance exists between the gratuitous goodness of God and all the merits of man, how stupid are those who strive to combine them, according to the usual practice of the Papacy! And even now, those who do not yield willingly to God and his word, wish to throw a covering over their error, by ascribing half the praise to God and his mercy, and retaining the remainder as peculiar to man. But all doubt is removed when Daniel places these two principles in opposition to each other, according to my former remark — the righteousness of man and the mercy of God. Our merits, in truth, will no more unite with the grace of God than fire and water, mingled in the vain attempt to seek some agreement between flyings so opposite. He next calls these mercies “great,” as we previously remarked the use of a great variety of words to express the various ways in which the people were amenable to his judgment. Here, therefore, he implores God’s mercies as both many and great, as the people’s wickedness had arrived at its very utmost pitch.
As for the following expression, The people pour down their prayers before God, Scripture seems in some degree at variance with itself, through the frequent use of a different metaphor, representing prayers as raised towards heaven. This phrase often occurs, — O God, we elevate or raise our prayers to thee. Here also, as in other places, the Spirit dictates a different form of expression, representing the faithful as casting down upon the ground their vows and prayers. Each of these expressions is equally suitable, because, as we said yesterday, both repentance and faith ought to be united in our prayers. But repentance throws men downwards, and faith raises them upwards again. At the first glance these two ideas do not seem easily reconciled; but by weighing these two members of a true and logical form of speech, we shall not find it possible to raise our prayers and vows to heaven, without depressing them, so to speak, to the very lowest depths. For on the one hand, when the sinner comes into the presence of God, he must necessarily fall completely down, nay, vanish as if lifeless before him. This is the genuine effect of repentance. And in this way the saints cast down all their prayers, whenever they suppliantly acknowledge themselves unworthy of the notice of the Almighty. Christ sets before us a picture of this kind in the character of the publican, who beats on his breast and begs for pardon with a dejected countenance. (Luk 18:13.) Thus also the sons of God throw down their prayers in that spirit of humility which springs from penitence. Then they raise their prayers by faith for when God invites them to himself, and gives them the witness to his propitious disposition, they raise themselves up and overtop the clouds, yea, even heaven itself. Whence this doctrine also shines forth Thou art a God who hearest prayer, as we read in the Psalms. (Psa 65:2.) In consequence of the faithful determining God to be propitious, they boldly approach his presence, and pray with minds erect, through an assurance that God is well pleased with the sacrifice which they offer. It follows:
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Dan 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 righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Ver. 18. O my God, incline thine ear and hear; open thine eyes, and behold, &c. ] Thus growing to a conclusion of his prayer he prays more earnestly: he stretcheth out his petitions, as it were, , upon the tenters, with those good souls in Act 12:5 ; he stirreth up himself and taketh better hold, as resolved not to let him go without the blessing. The like, before him, did good Hezekiah, with whom he concurreth in the very letter of his request. Isa 37:17 See Trapp on “ Isa 37:17 “
For our own righteousnesses.
But for thy great mercies.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Thine eyes. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
which is called by Thy name: or, upon which Thy name has been called.
we. Others were praying with Daniel.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 9:18
Dan 9:18 O my God,H430 inclineH5186 thine ear,H241 and hear;H8085 openH6491 thine eyes,H5869 and beholdH7200 our desolations,H8074 and the cityH5892 whichH834 is calledH7121 byH5921 thy name:H8034 forH3588 weH587 do notH3808 presentH5307 our supplicationsH8469 beforeH6440 thee forH5921 our righteousnesses,H6666 butH3588 forH5921 thy greatH7227 mercies.H7356
Dan 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 righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.”
Daniel has presented His case and the case of His people at the feet of God on His throne. This prayer had been carefully conducted according to the conditions set forth in the law of Moses and it came from Daniel’s heart. Daniel pleads God to open his ears and listen to his plea.
“open thine eyes, and behold our desolations”
Daniel pleads with God to look upon the sorry state they had fallen into. Look at the destruction and desolation and have mercy.
“for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.”
Notice Daniel is using the pronoun “we”. He is not praying by himself, for himself alone. He is praying as a spokesman for the entire nation of Israel. There can be no doubt that Daniel was not the only one praying on behalf of the nation of Israel concerning this matter. If one person could have prayed them out of their captivity, then one person would have been able to keep them out of it by prayer and we know there was at least a remnant of faithful Israelites in Jerusalem when she fell.
As indicated earlier, this prayer of confession, acknowledgement of guilt and petition for peace was not something dreamed up in the mind of Daniel. This prayer was a condition which had to be met if God were to remember His covenant with them (Lev 26:40-42). Daniel knew there was no righteousness of theirs upon which to plead for God’s mercy. He knew they deserved everything they got and that God was justified in His punishment of them. Daniel was pleading for the mercies of God based solely upon His merciful nature and nothing else. They had done nothing to deserve it, nothing to earn it, could not pay for it with any righteousness of their own and were coming to God’s feet with nothing more than themselves to offer. They were like the Christians in Laodicea mentioned in Rev 3:17, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”. The only thing they had to offer God was a promise to be faithful and loyal to Him. They wanted mercy and forgiveness so that they could return and serve Him on His terms and they were hoping God would want them to return enough to accept them in their pitiful state and allow them to do just that.
What a lesson on God’s grace that can be found here in this account. A people who had sinned, bringing shame to themselves and to God, and were deserving of death, coming to God with nothing to offer but themselves in their most pitiful state, hoping for mercy and deliverance. That sounds like us today when out of a pure heart and a contrite spirit, we come to God in the same state, making the same plea and hoping for the same deliverance. Truly it was a gracious act on the part of God in returning the Israelites to Jerusalem and likewise it was an even more gracious act on the part of God to send His Son to earth to die so that all can be delivered from the eternal bondage of sin. One cannot look at such a demonstration of mercy and grace and not help but be touched in their heart. We truly do serve a God who is merciful and gracious and we must never ever allow ourselves to forget that He is rich in mercy and that all of his acts are righteous while ours at their very best are never deserving of God’s favor. God shows His mercy and grace because of His nature and His righteousness, and not because of ours in any way.
All that is required of us, is the same thing that was required of the Israelites; obedient service. Return and serve. Return and obey. Return and do what we should have done in the first place, trust, serve and obey. It won’t earn or pay for God’s gracious offer, but if and only if we do it, we today, like the Israelites then, will receive deliverance from our bondage and find forgiveness, mercy and grace.
The words of Paul echo this great truth in new testament times: Tit 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
incline: 1Ki 8:29, 2Ki 19:16, Psa 17:6, Psa 17:7, Isa 37:17, Isa 63:15-19, Isa 64:12
behold: Exo 3:7, Psa 80:14-19
which is called by thy name: Heb. whereupon thy name is called, Jer 7:10, Jer 14:9, Jer 15:16, Jer 25:29, 1Co 1:2
for we: Isa 64:6, Jer 14:7, Eze 36:32
present: Heb. cause to fall, Jer 36:7, Jer 37:20, *marg.
Reciprocal: Exo 32:32 – if thou Lev 26:32 – And I Lev 26:41 – and they Num 6:27 – put my Deu 9:28 – Because Deu 28:10 – called Neh 1:6 – thine ear Neh 9:19 – in thy Job 9:15 – I would Job 23:4 – fill my mouth Psa 6:4 – for Psa 17:1 – attend Psa 31:16 – save Psa 40:1 – inclined Psa 51:1 – O God Psa 62:12 – mercy Psa 86:1 – Bow Psa 103:10 – dealt Psa 119:77 – thy tender Psa 119:124 – Deal Jer 31:9 – come Eze 3:20 – righteousness Dan 9:19 – for thy Joe 2:17 – Spare Amo 9:12 – which are called by my name Hag 1:4 – and Zec 3:3 – General Zec 12:4 – I will open Mat 6:7 – repetitions Mat 15:27 – Truth Luk 7:42 – he Luk 18:13 – God Act 4:29 – behold Rom 12:12 – continuing Jam 5:11 – the Lord is
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 9:18. Open thine eyes. The first word is from PAQAOH which Strong defines, “to be observant. God never literally closes his eyes, hut Daniel means for Him to take favorable notice of them in their sad condition. The closing statement of the verse is very humble and respectful towards God, Daniel does not claim that his people deserved the favor of God on the ground of their righteousness; he is relying solely on the mercy of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 9:18-19. O my God, incline thine ear and hear The prophets importunity, in these verses, is very remarkable and affecting, and shows how exceedingly he had it at heart to have his request granted. Open thine eyes, and behold our desolations Especially the desolations of thy city and temple: or, look with pity upon a most distressing and piteous case. For we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness That is, our righteous acts. We do not hope to have success for the sake of any thing we have done, do, or ever can do, as if we were worthy to receive thy favour, as if we could merit it by any good in us, or could demand any thing as a debt; but for thy great mercies The only sources of all our blessings. Grant what we ask, to make it appear thou art a merciful God. Observe, reader, the good things we request of God we call mercies, because we expect them purely from Gods mercy. And because misery is the proper object of mercy, therefore the prophet here spreads the deplorable condition of Gods church and people before him, as it were, to move his compassion. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; defer not Forgive our sins, and then hasten our deliverance. That the mercy which we ask may be granted, let the sin, that stands in the way of our receiving it, be removed; O Lord, hearken and do Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do: do that for us which none else can do, and that speedily. As he now sees the appointed day approaching, he could pray in faith that God would make haste to them, and not defer the expected blessing.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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.
(n) Declaring that the godly flee only to God’s mercies, and renounce their own works, when they seek for remission of their sins.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Daniel appealed repeatedly to God to hear and answer his prayer, not because the Israelites deserved it, but because God is compassionate (cf. Exo 32:12-14). It is interesting that Daniel did not tell God what to do. Instead he asked God to hear, to see, and to act. This is a humble approach that does not dictate to God but leaves the answering up to Him. This magnificent prayer builds to an emotional, positive, logical climax in Dan 9:19.