Daniel 9:11-19

Context

9:11 “All Israel has broken¹ your law and turned away by not obeying you.² Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened³ in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.⁴ 9:12 He has carried out his threats⁵ against us and our rulers⁶ who were over⁷ us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify⁸ the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom⁹ from your reliable moral standards.¹⁰ 9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just¹¹ in all he has done,¹² and we have not obeyed him.¹³

9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power¹⁴ and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice,¹⁵ please turn your raging anger¹⁶ away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.

9:17 “So now, our God, accept¹⁷ the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to¹⁸ your devastated sanctuary for your own sake.¹⁹ 9:18 Listen attentively,²⁰ my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins²¹ and the city called by your name.²² For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you,²³ but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.”²⁴

[9:11] ¹tn Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.

[9:11] ²tn Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”

[9:11] ³tn Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see Deut 28) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21; Neh 10:29) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.

[9:11] ⁴tn Heb “him.”

[9:12] ⁵tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”

[9:12] ⁶tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12] ⁷tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:13] ⁸tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”

[9:13] ⁹tn Or “by gaining insight.”

[9:13] ¹⁰tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.

[9:14] ¹¹tn Or “righteous.”

[9:14] ¹²tn Heb “in all his deeds which he has done.”

[9:14] ¹³tn Heb “we have not listened to his voice.”

[9:15] ¹⁴tn Heb “with a powerful hand.”

[9:16] ¹⁵tn Or “righteousness.”

[9:16] ¹⁶tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).

[9:17] ¹⁷tn Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.

[9:17] ¹⁸tn Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19.

[9:17] ¹⁹tn Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19.

[9:18] ²⁰tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[9:18] ²¹tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.

[9:18] ²²tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.

[9:18] ²³tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”

[9:19] ²⁴tn Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18.