ETB Daniel 9:4-19

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Pray

According to Lifeway, spring starts next Sunday, and we will begin our studies in first and second Thessalonians. If you do not have a copy of the quarterly or would like a digital copy just let me know and Josh or myself will get that to you before next week.

Understand the Context

Today’s passage in Chapter 9 tells us what happen before receiving the third of four visions recorded in the last chapters of Daniel. Many materials and commentaries have been written about the vision but not nearly as much on the prayer that led up to it. The first three verses of the chapter give us most of the context we need to begin to understand the reason for this prayer.

Daniel 9:1–3 ESV

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Even though Daniel had been exiled for many years by this time his devotion to the things of God had not dwindled. He was still reading and studying the prophets which in turn prompted the prayer. He did not just pray, but also changed his routine to mourn over the sin that convicted him while reading. He was encouraged however that the time of exile was nearly over because of the promises of God that he read in the prophet’s writings (Jer 25:11-12; 29:10) and now comes before God to request He act on those truths.

Explore the Text

Daniel 9:4–6 ESV

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not 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.

Daniel tells us that this prayer is one of confession, yet the beginning of the prayer itself are words of adoration and praise. If you have done any bible studies with materials written about prayer you probably have come across the acrostic of ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, & Supplication. Daniel’s prayer today follows this pattern fairly well, even though the overall theme is mostly about confession.

The confession is not a moralistic, autobiographical catalogue of sins—individual infractions of a legal code—but a confession of the underlying sinfulness that engulfs all mankind and separates us from the holy God. God is even to be praised for His judgments, by which He awakens repentance (e.g., Ps. 51:4). So one is not surprised to find praises in penitential contexts, and vice versa (1 Kings 8:33ff.; Neh. 9:2ff.; Dan. 9:4ff.).[Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words]

If you look at the verse, in most English Bibles the word Lord at the beginning of the verse and the one at the beginning of the prayer are printed differently. Several materials pointed out that the first printed in all caps, is God’s covenant name sometimes printed as Yahweh. This chapter is the only place that this particular name of God is used in Daniel, which is appropriate as that is what the prophet eventually bases his request upon, God’s faithfulness to keep His covenant promises.

Daniel calls God “great and awesome.” Awesome is one of those words that was overused in the 80’s and makes the modern rendering of “awe inspiring” less meaningful. The Hebrew word used is more often translated as “feared” which helps bring back the original meaning. When we take time to stop and think about the vastness and holiness of God, we begin to see just how little of either we are and His greatness overwhelms us, makes us afraid to be in His presence, and we are awestruck when He says “come, I want to hear what you want to say.”

The prophet then acknowledges that God’s “steadfast” love or faithful love is directed toward “those who love” Him. Two different words for love used here. Of course, the first love which is of God is stronger and unwavering. The second is emotional and fickle. One bible dictionary even listed a definition as “to like.” The stipulation that Daniel makes though is for those who love and “keep his commandments.” Jesus had a similar declaration to his disciples (John 14:15). Thankfully, God’s love toward us is not based on how well we are able to “keep his commandments” and forgiveness is readily available when we do not.

Verse 5 begins Daniel’s confessional part of the prayer. This is the first of the seven different words that Daniel uses to describe the sin of his people and himself. Although Daniel had been faithful and unwavering in his devotion to God and His principles throughout the book, he includes himself in all the sins of the people which he is confessing and uses “we” ten times in today’s passage.

As I studied this week, the word studies were a basic overview of hamartiology- or study of sin.

The biblical concept of sin comes from a study of words used in both Testaments for sin. The terms are numerous, compared to the words for grace in the Bible. Only three words are needed to express grace (chen and chesed in the Old Testament and charis in the New). By contrast, there are at least eight basic words for sin in the Old Testament and a dozen in the New. [Ryrie, Charles Caldwell]

Eight basic words for sin in the Old Testament

[Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth]

bad, calamity (Genesis 38:7; Dan 9:12-14) 7451. רַע‎ raʿ

wickedness (Exodus 2:13;Dan 9:5, 15) 7563. רָשָׁע‎ rāšāʿ

guilt (Hosea 4:15) 816. אָשַׁם‎ ʾāšam, אָשֵׁם‎ āšēm

sin (Exodus 20:20, Dan 9:5) 2398. חֶטְאָה‎ ḥeṭʾāh, חָטָא‎ ḥāṭa

iniquity (I Samuel 3:13; Dan 9:13,16) 5771. עָוֹן‎ ʿāwōn

err, to sin unintentionally (Isaiah 28:7) 7686. שָׁגָה‎ šag̱āh

wander away (Ezekiel 48:11) 8582. תָּעָה‎ tāʿāh

transgression, rebellion (I Kings 8:50). 6588. פֶּשַׁע‎ pešaʿ

Daniel in our passage today uses 3 more.

rebel (Gen 14:4; Dan 9:5) 4775. מָרַד‎ māraḏ

treachery, breach of faith (Lev 5:15, Dan 9:7) 4604. מַעַל‎ maʿal

transgressed (Dan 9:11) 5674. עָבַר‎ ʿāḇar

Daniel starts his confession with the word most often used in the Hebrew Bible to convey sin.

The word is translated in our passage all four times as “sinned” (Dan 9:5, 8, 11, 15). The basic meaning of this verb is illustrated in Judg. 20:16: There were 700 left-handed Benjamite soldiers who “could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.” The meaning is extended in Prov. 19:2: “He who makes haste with his feet misses the way” (rsv, niv, kjv nasb, “sinneth”) [Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words]

Daniel 9:5–6 ESV

5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not 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.

Next Daniel acknowledge that he and the people have “acted wickedly”. In the simple stem, this verb means to be or to become guilty. [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]. If the sin is us missing the mark, this is the judge declaring how far off the mark we are.

Then confession is made for the people rebelling and “turning aside”. These terms are linked in their context and sentence structure which entwines their meanings together. The word translated as rebelled usually describes the activity of resisting authority, whether against the Lord (Num. 14:9; Dan. 9:9) or against human kings (Gen. 14:4; Neh. 2:19) [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]. This is different than the one of the primary words of sin translated used later in the chapter (Dan 9:24) as the finishing of the “transgression” requiring the seventy weeks of exile. There it is referring to the final penalty of sin being paid for by the Anointed One. But Daniel is using the word to denote the intentional resistance to God’s authority and how it had continued for the 490 years requiring the exile for which he was praying to end.

It is no coincidence that the first three verbs in this verse parallel those in Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the temple to Yahweh, because the wise king stipulated that should his people go into exile, and there repent, they should say, “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly.” (1 Kgs. 8:47) [Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.]

Not only does Daniel confess the sins that the people made against God’s written laws, but also against those He sent to speak His words of truth to the people and the leaders. The word listen is translated as hear in Deut 6:4 and is the word used as a reference to that foundational Hebrew passage; shema. In our passage the modifying adverb before it puts in the negative. Daniel says we have done the opposite of the shema and “not heard” or listened.

Daniel continues his prayer of adoration and confession, contrasting God’s character with the people’s.

Daniel 9:7–10 ESV

7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

When faced with God’s righteousness we will feel shame over our failure and inability to be as righteous. Although this is not one of the words for sin, it is one of the results of having it. It contrasts to the Lord’s righteousness, we like Daniel have nothing but shame or feelings of guilt when faced with such holiness.

As an exiled Israelite himself, Daniel experiences another avenue of shame that others may not grasp. He is removed from the land of his God, and in part the God of his land. He acknowledges his location is not just a result of his own sin but God’s righteous judgement for many years of rebellion through multiple exiles of his national people. The phrase “those who are far away” may be a bit of play on words as the concept of being in a faraway land is implied, but the word has the same root as for “not listened” and “not obeyed” elsewhere in our passage. Not only were Daniel and his fellows Israelites far away from their homeland but they were also far away in their hearts and mind from the God of that land.

One reason for the exile Daniel confesses is the “treachery” that was done against God and His word.

Normally this word treachery is used in Scripture as an act against God. A masculine noun meaning an unfaithful act, a treacherous act. Of its twenty-nine occurrences, it appears twenty times as a cognate accusative to the verb māʿal (4603), meaning to act unfaithfully or treacherously. It can apply to actions against another person, such as a wife against her husband (Num. 5:12, 27)[The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]

Daniel is confessing that his people who are exiled have acted like an unfaithful spouse before being exiled and from our readings in Ezekiel we know this continued during the exile as well. Although adultery is the “ultimate” unfaithful act any action that would demean or lessen the other “partner” would be a treacherous act. How often have we let little things or comments about God or Jesus go unconfronted when they are diminished or slandered in our presence?

In verse 8, Daniel again affirmed: to us … belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers. These groups represented those in society who should have set a good example but did not. Daniel again confessed; we have sinned against you. He put the blame where it belonged and accepted his role as one of those leaders in the exile.

Despite the people’s sin, Daniel affirmed to the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness. Forgiveness flowed from God’s gracious character, and His people needed to turn to Him. That same mercy and forgiveness flowed down the cross of Calvary to cover their sin, ours, and our children’s.

Daniel further affirmed that he and his people have not obeyed the voice of the Lord. God gave the people His word; however, they were not walking in his laws. God’s people answered God’s grace with persistent stubbornness and wickedness, rejecting His commands. [Lifeway Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022]

As a leader both for his people and in the land that he finds himself within, Daniel continues to repent on a national level for all the tribes of the people of his birth.

Daniel 9:11–14 ESV

11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

Transgressed is a verb meaning to pass through or over, to cover, to go beyond, to go along, to be crossed over, to make to cross over, to go through, to go away. This verb indicates the physical act of crossing or passing over and takes on a figurative usage that exhibits many variations in meaning. Two figurative meanings are of primary importance theologically; the verb means going beyond, overstepping a covenant or a command of God or man. Moses uses the word when charging the people with disobeying and overstepping the Lord’s commands (Num. 14:41; Josh. 7:11, 15). [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]

Daniel is confessing that not only had the people, all Israel - north and south, had gone beyond disobeying God’s laws but had trampled all over them. We all have heard of or maybe even personally know of people who have spouses or partners that take advantage of or even abuse their influence over them. They go beyond just getting what they want but even cause harm or at least add to our friend’s stress and we pray for them to be out from under such oppression. Whenever we do not take God’s moral laws seriously and do not take action to prevent ourselves from breaking them, we take advantage of God’s grace and “transgress” His Word as it has been revealed to us.

In the covenant with Moses and the Israelites, God first saved his people from slavery in Egypt and subsequently brought them to Sinai to give them his law. So it is in the new covenant: first he demonstrates his love for us by saving us through the death of Christ (Rom. 5:8–9); then he calls us to respond in love and obedience: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) [Understanding the Bible Commentary Series]

Under the terms of the Sinai covenant, the unfaithfulness that Daniel confesses in vv. 5–11 would result in the exile of God’s people from the Land of Promise. Yet when his people repented of their sins, the Lord would gather them again to the land [ESV Global Study Bible]

Although the word calamity is used in the noun form in our passage it is a word that indicates realities that are inherently evil, wicked, or bad; the psalmist feared no evil (Ps. 23:4). Calamities, failures, and miseries are all connotations of this word when it is used as a noun. [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]

The evil situations that Daniel is describing are all acts of judgement for the people disobeying God’s word over the centuries. They are evil in that God has removed His “blessing” so that they may happen, just as He said He would when giving the laws to Moses, and later being confirmed with Joshua. (Joshua 8:33-35)

Daniel acknowledges that these righteous judgments from God are because of the people’s iniquities. This is the last of the seven different words that Daniel uses to define and describe his people’s sins against God.

This word indicates sin that is particularly evil, since it strongly conveys the idea of twisting or perverting deliberately. The noun carries along with it the idea of guilt from conscious wrongdoing (Gen. 44:16; Jer. 2:22). The punishment that goes with this deliberate act as a consequence is indicated by the word also (Gen. 4:13; Isa. 53:11) [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]

Although is difficult to think of committing a sin without choosing to since we act upon what we have been dwelling on and this leads to our sin (James 1:14-15), these types of sins are not only made through conscious choice but have the idea of us changing God’s words so that we can then break it. “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat...’”, “You will not surely die”. (Gen 3:1-3)

This word is used again in verse 16, but more importantly in verse 24 when the sin is atoned for, and it brings about the “everlasting righteousness”. Jesus sacrificial work covers all of these sins, wickedness, rebellions, treacheries, transgressions, calamities, and iniquities.

Daniel 9:15–16 ESV

15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.

In verses 4-6, Daniel confessed his sin and the people’s sin. In verses 7-14, he contrasted God’s absolute righteousness with His people’s disloyalty. Now, Daniel began to conclude his prayer by imploring God’s forgiveness.

The word translated now often stresses the “bottom line” of what a speaker wants to say. Daniel was asking God to take action on behalf of His people. The title Lord our God stressed God’s power but also His covenant relationship with Israel. The Lord brought His people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand. His people served the Egyptians for over 400 years, but God rescued them. Daniel affirmed that God had made a name for Himself, as at this day. Other nations heard of God’s greatness. Rahab, a citizen of Jericho, told the Israelite spies that all Jericho’s citizens knew of God’s works (Josh. 2:8-11). Daniel stressed that God’s name was still worthy of honor. [Lifeway Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022]

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 9:17–19

Having prayed for the negative, the removal of God’s wrath (vv. 15–16), the prophet now prayed for the positive, God’s favor, mercy, and forgiveness (vv. 17–19)

Daniel 9:17–19 ESV

17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

In contrast to what how the people had “not listened”, Daniel asks God to “hear” his plea based not on the people’s righteousness but on God’s holy faithfulness.

Nothing Daniel and his fellow citizens could offer would be enough. They could never fulfill God’s righteous standard, but they could confess their sins and repent. Daniel pleaded to God on the basis of God’s great mercy.

Daniel spoke four entreaties to God. First, he asked the Lord to hear. Daniel had confessed his own sin and the sin of his people and asked God to hear their confession. Second, Daniel asked the Lord to forgive. God’s forgiveness could only come by His grace in response to their repentance. Third, Daniel asked the Lord to pay attention and act. He wanted the Lord to consider what He had heard and take action to forgive. Fourth, Daniel asked the Lord, delay not. Daniel then stated why he wanted God to hurry—because your city and your people are called by your name.

Throughout his prayer, Daniel affirmed God’s holy character and confessed the people’s failure. But as long as the people lived in exile and the land lay desolate, God’s honor suffered. Those who witnessed Israel’s plight knew of the God they worshiped, and some may have doubted God’s ability to redeem His people. Daniel knew God’s honor was at stake, so he urged the Lord to act quickly and decisively. [Lifeway Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022]

Daniel finishes his prayer like he started it by quoting from the prayer of dedication by Solomon. 1Kings 8:30 “30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”

Apply the Text

The Applied Old Testament Commentary Daniel’s Prayer (9:1–19)

Daniel has given us a model for praying effectively. He had faith in God (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24); he sought to live a righteous life (1 John 3:21–22); he confessed his sins (verse 20); he put God’s glory—God’s Name—first (John 14:14); and finally, he prayed according to God’s will (1 John 5:14–15).

Part of the reason that this prayer was answered so quickly was because of Daniel’s recognition of how different God’s character is compared with that of his own and his people’s. Throughout the prayer the servant contrasted God’s character with the Israelites.

Keeps His covenant vs. rebellion

Giving truth (good) vs. sins (evil)

Justice of judgement vs. wickedness & guilt

Steadfast love vs. treacheries of unfaithfulness

Set the law before us vs. transgressions and overstepping

Mercy vs. calamities

Confirms His word vs. iniquities and twisting them

Righteousness vs. shame

Hears prayers vs. refusing to listen

Thankfully the God of Daniel is immutable, and His mercy and forgiveness is still available to any who are willing to admit His Ways are best for us and accept the gracious gift of eternal life through the sacrificial acts of Jesus, His son. By His blood, all of our sin, wickedness, guilt, evil intents, iniquities, moral errors, wanderings, transgressions, rebellion, and treacheries are covered and can be forgiven. (1John 1:9)