Daniel 9:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.

NASB: Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.

CSB: Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you.

NLT: 'Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you.

KJV: O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

NKJV: O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

When Israel first came into the Promised Land, God warned them about the consequences of disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:25, 48–50). Those threats came true when Assyria captured the ten tribes of the northern kingdom around 721 BC (2 Kings 17:1–8). Then, in 605 BC, Babylon conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and took many people captive (Daniel 1:1–7). This phase of Jewish captivity was predicted to last for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:7–11). Daniel was among those captured by Babylon, and he writes this passage more than sixty years later. The fall of Babylon and the predictions of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:1–2) gave Daniel hope. So, he began to pray, desperately, for the Lord's rescue (Daniel 9:3–6).

Daniel admits that when the Lord brought this punishment on the Jewish people, it was justified. They had worshipped false gods and committed terrible evils. Daniel does not call God's goodness into question here. Nor does he make excuses for Israel. In fact, Daniel does not even try to separate himself from the rest of the people, despite being an exceptionally faithful man (Daniel 1:8; 6:5). The widespread sin in Israel and Judah was a source of "open shame." This echoes the inter-connected nature of God's people. Even in the modern era, believers are identified as part of the body of Christ: the church. When one believer sins, the sin affects every believer (1 Corinthians 5:1–2; 12:14–26).

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.

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.