Daniel 9:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

NASB: Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.'

CSB: Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.

NLT: 'O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.'

KJV: O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

NKJV: O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Three times Daniel prays, "O Lord." Some commentators believe this three-times-repeated phrase alludes to the Trinity: God's existence as one Being and yet three divine Persons referred to as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is possible, but Daniel's revelations are much more focused on prophecy than exploring the nature of God. Each time Daniel addresses the Lord, he offers a petition for the Lord to "hear," to "forgive," and to "pay attention and act." A fourth petition follows his call upon God. He prays, "Delay not, for your own sake."

Daniel asks for forgiveness (Daniel 9:5, 9). He does not blame the Lord for the tragedies that befell Jerusalem; he realizes Israel's sins brought those calamities (Deuteronomy 28:15–24, 48–50; 29:25). So, he asks for forgiveness. He does not tell the Lord what to do, but simply asks Him to act because Jerusalem and Israel are called by God's name. He is concerned for God's reputation. Psalm 48:1 identifies Jerusalem as "the city of our God," and "His holy mountain." In Jeremiah 25:29 the Lord refers to Jerusalem as "the city that is called by my name."

This ends Daniel's prayer on this subject. In the next verse, he will receive divine explanation of Israel's future. This will be delivered by the angel Gabriel (Daniel 9:20).

Daniel 9:1–19 records a prayer of confession on behalf of God's rebellious people; Daniel includes himself by using terms such as "us" and "we." After the fall of Babylon, Daniel sees evidence in the writings of Jeremiah that Israel's exile may be nearing an end. He prays for forgiveness and restoration, referring to God as righteous, merciful, and forgiving. This prayer leads to an appearance from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel will deliver a prophetic message about Israel's future.

Darius became king when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia. Daniel compared this to writings from Jeremiah, and realized the exile of Israel was almost over. As he prayed for God's intervention, the angel Gabriel arrived to provide further explanation. Gabriel's prophecy ties the arrival of an "anointed one," or "Messiah," or "Christ," to a moment in history followed by a set interval of time. This prediction includes dire moments for Israel and Jerusalem.

This chapter forms part of the prophetic section of Daniel's writing. After confessing the sins of both Israel and his own life, Daniel received a visit from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel revealed a message about Israel's then-future. This includes reference to the arrival of Christ and information about the still-future end times. Chapter 10 begins the last of Daniel's prophetic messages.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.