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
6. prophets . . . spake . . . to our kings . . . to all the people—They fearlessly warned all without respect of persons. read more
7. confusion of faces, as at this day—Shame at our guilt, betrayed in our countenance, is what belongs to us; as our punishment "at this day" attests. near, and . . . far off—the chastisement, however varied, some Jews not being cast off so far from Jerusalem as others, all alike were sharers in the guilt. read more
9. mercies—The plural intensifies the force; mercy manifold and exhibited in countless ways. As it is humbling to recollect "righteousness belongeth unto God," so it is comforting, that "mercies belong to the Lord OUR God." though we have rebelled—rather, "since," &c. [Vulgate], (Psalms 25:11). Our punishment is not inconsistent with His "mercies," since we have rebelled against Him. read more
10. set before us—not ambiguously, but plainly, so that we were without excuse. read more
11. all— (Psalms 14:3; Romans 3:12). the curse . . . and . . . oath . . . in . . . law—the curse against Israel, if disobedient, which God ratified by oath (Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 27:15-26; Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Deuteronomy 29:1-29). read more
12. confirmed his words—showed by the punishments we suffer, that His words were no idle threats. under . . . heaven hath not been done as . . . upon Jerusalem— ( :-). read more
13. yet made we not our prayer before—literally, "soothed not the face of." Not even our chastisement has taught us penitence (Isaiah 9:13; Jeremiah 5:3; Hosea 7:10). Diseased, we spurn the healing medicine. that we might turn, c.—Prayer can only be accepted when joined with the desire to turn from sin to God (Psalms 66:18 Proverbs 28:9). understand thy truth—"attentively regard Thy faithfulness" in fulfilling Thy promises, and also Thy threats [CALVIN]. Thy law (Daniel 8:12), [MAURER]. read more
14. watched upon the evil—expressing ceaseless vigilance that His people's sins might not escape His judgment, as a watchman on guard night and day (Job 14:16; Jeremiah 31:28; Jeremiah 44:27). God watching upon the Jews' punishment forms a striking contrast to the Jews' slumbering in their sins. God is righteous—True penitents "justify" God, "ascribing righteousness to Him," instead of complaining of their punishment as too severe (Nehemiah 9:33; Job 36:3; Psalms 51:4; Lamentations 3:39-42). read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Daniel 9:4
4. my confession—according to God's promises in :-, that if Israel in exile for sin should repent and confess, God would remember for them His covenant with Abraham (compare Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Jeremiah 29:12-14; James 4:10). God's promise was absolute, but prayer also was ordained as about to precede its fulfilment, this too being the work of God in His people, as much as the external restoration which was to follow. So it shall be at Israel's final restoration (James 4:10- :). Daniel takes... read more