We . Note that Daniel associates himself with his People. Compare Nehemiah 1:0 ; and Dan 9:33-38 . Ezra 9:5-15 . wickedly = lawlessly. Hebrew. rasha, App-44 . rebelled = revolted. Hebrew. marad. Usually of revolt against Deity or royalty. read more
Daniel 9:5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity— Daniel here puts up the confession prescribed in Solomon's consecration-prayer, to be used by the Jews in the land of their captivity. read more
5. Compare Nehemiah's confession (Nehemiah 9:1-38). sinned . . . committed iniquity . . . done wickedly . . . rebelled—a climax. Erred in ignorance . . . sinned by infirmity . . . habitually and wilfully done wickedness . . . as open and obstinate rebels set ourselves against God. read more
2. Daniel’s prayer of confession 9:4-14 read more
Daniel stressed God’s transcendence and His loyal love (Heb. hesed) to Israel in his salutation (Daniel 9:4). He then proceeded to point out that, in contrast to Yahweh’s faithfulness to Israel, Israel had been unfaithful to Him. The prophet identified with his people. Personally he had been faithful to God. Yet since he was an Israelite he partook of the blessings and curses that God sent Israel for her obedience and disobedience (cf. Deuteronomy 28:48-57; Deuteronomy 28:64-68)."What made... read more
The Seventy WeeksIn the first year of Darius the Mede, Daniel, studying the prophetical books, finds that Jeremiah has predicted that the desolation of Jerusalem will last for seventy years (Daniel 9:1-2). He prays, confessing the great sin of Israel, and entreating God to have mercy on His people (Daniel 9:3-19), Thereupon the angel Gabriel explains to him (Daniel 9:20-24) that Jeremiah’s seventy years are seventy ’weeks,’ or ’sevens,’ of years (=490 years), which are to be made up of (7+62+1)... read more
(5) We have sinned.—It has been remarked that four stages of sin are pointed out by the prophet, corresponding to the four different words which he uses. “Sin” refers especially to sins of deed, “committing iniquity” to sins of word, “done wickedly” to sins of thought, “rebelled” implies the person against whom the sin has been committed. The whole result of sin under these several aspects is expressed by the words “departing from Thy precepts.” read more
Daniel 9:3 Fasting is an indispensable condition of a good life; but in fasting, as in self-control in general, the question arises, With what shall we begin? How to fast, how often to eat, what to eat, what to avoid eating? And as we can do no work seriously without regarding the necessary order of sequence, so also we cannot fast without knowing where to begin with what to commence self-control in food. Fasting! and even an analysis of how to fast, and where to begin the very notion of it... read more
THE SEVENTY WEEKSTHIS chapter is occupied with the prayer of Daniel, and with the famous vision of the seventy weeks which has led to such interminable controversies, but of which the interpretation no longer admits of any certainty, because accurate data are not forthcoming.The vision is dated in the first year of Darius, the son of Achashverosh, of the Median stock. We have seen already that such a person is unknown to history. The date, however, accords well in this instance with the... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Daniel 9:1-23
Daniel’s prayer (9:1-23)Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC and Darius was placed in charge of the newly conquered territory (see 5:31). The Jews’ seventy years captivity in Babylon, which Jeremiah had predicted, was now almost complete, and Daniel looked for their return to their homeland (9:1-2; see Jeremiah 29:10). But he knew that repentance was necessary if they were to enjoy God’s blessing, and therefore he came to God in prayer on behalf of his people (3).Casting himself and his people... read more