Daniel 9:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

NIV: Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.

NASB: And now, Lord, our God, You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked.

CSB: Now, Lord our God--who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made your name renowned as it is this day--we have sinned, we have acted wickedly.

NLT: 'O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness.

KJV: And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

NKJV: And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

This begins a subtle shift in Daniel's prayer (Daniel 9:3–4). He has been confessing Israel's corporate sins (Daniel 9:5–14) which led the nation to defeat and exile (2 Kings 17:1–8; 2 Chronicles 36:5–7; Jeremiah 25:7–11). God predicted these consequences (Deuteronomy 28:15–24, 48–50; 29:25), but the Jewish people and their leaders ignored those warnings. Now, Daniel begins to appeal to God to accept these prayers of confession and restore Israel as He promised to do (Jeremiah 29:10–14).

The exodus, when Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt, was a clear display of the Lord's infinite power (Exodus 3:19–20; 12:50–51). He carved a path through the Red Sea to give the Hebrews safe passage (Exodus 14:21–22), but He brought the waters together when the Egyptian cavalry pursued the Hebrews (Exodus 14:26–29). These events generated a reputation among the Canaanite people (Joshua 2:10–11).

Later, as the people entered the Promised Land, God piled up the waters of the Jordan River to allow His people safe passage (Joshua 3:15–17). This miracle further enhanced God's reputation in Canaan. Joshua 5:1 reports: "As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel."

Yet, despite all the Lord's miraculous intervention on their behalf, Israel sinned and acted wickedly (Psalm 106:9–14; Isaiah 1:4). The Old Testament records the many wicked rulers who led the people even further into sin (see 1—2 Kings).

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.