Daniel 9 17

Daniel 9:17 kjv

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

Daniel 9:17 nkjv

Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.

Daniel 9:17 niv

"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.

Daniel 9:17 esv

Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.

Daniel 9:17 nlt

"O our God, hear your servant's prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

Daniel 9 verses

Daniel 9 17 meaning

Daniel 9:17 is a fervent plea from Daniel to God, appealing for the restoration of Jerusalem and its Temple, which lay in ruins. It is a humble supplication, made not on the basis of Israel's righteousness, but entirely on the foundation of God's own character, glory, and faithfulness. Daniel implores God to respond favorably to his prayer and pleas, specifically asking for God's divine favor, symbolized by "making His face shine," upon the desecrated sanctuary, acknowledging its desolate state. This request is driven by Daniel's concern for God's honor among the nations, signifying a deep trust in God's power and a longing for the reinstatement of His presence among His people.

Daniel 9 17 Context

Daniel 9:17 is a pivotal verse within Daniel's extensive intercessory prayer recorded in Daniel 9:3-19. This prayer unfolds after Daniel has discerned, from the prophecies of Jeremiah (Jer 25:11-12; 29:10), that the seventy-year exile for Israel is nearing its end. This realization moves Daniel to humble himself before God, fasting, wearing sackcloth and ashes.

The prayer progresses from intense confession of Israel's widespread and deep-seated sin, rebellion, and disobedience to God's law (Dan 9:5-15) to an appeal based on God's righteousness, mercy, and steadfast love (Dan 9:16). Verse 17 then shifts directly to a passionate petition for the restoration of Jerusalem and, specifically, the "sanctuary." This request is deliberately couched not in terms of the people's deserving it, but solely for God's own reputation and glory among the nations who might otherwise mock God's apparent inability or indifference due to the desolate state of His holy city and Temple.

Historically, this prayer is set during the Babylonian exile (likely in the early Persian period, c. 538 BC), long after the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. The city walls were broken, and the Temple, the focal point of Israelite worship and God's manifest presence, was a heap of ruins. The Jewish people, including Daniel, yearned for restoration, both physically to their homeland and spiritually to God's favor. Daniel's prayer provides a theological framework for understanding that this restoration, prophesied by Jeremiah, was not merely an automatic event but contingent upon genuine repentance and intercession, aligning human supplication with divine decree.

Daniel 9 17 Word analysis

• Now therefore: (Hebrew: we`attah) - This phrase serves as a transitional marker. It bridges the preceding confession and acknowledgment of God's righteous judgment to the current plea or petition. It indicates that "in light of what has just been established" (our sin, your justice, your mercy), the petition that follows is appropriately offered.
• O our God: (Hebrew: `Elohênû) - Elohim (God) combined with the suffix for "our" highlights a deep, personal, and covenantal relationship. Daniel addresses God not as a distant deity but as the sovereign Lord with whom Israel shares a special bond. It underscores collective identity and communal prayer.
• listen: (Hebrew: shĕma`) - This imperative goes beyond merely "hearing" with the ears. It implores God to "heed," "attend favorably," and most importantly, to "act upon" the prayer. It implies an expectation of divine response and intervention.
• to the prayer: (Hebrew: lîtp̄illat `abdĕkā) - Tĕphillâh generally means a petition, supplication, or intercession. It refers to the specific act of sincere communication with God.
• of your servant: (Hebrew: `abdĕkā) - Daniel identifies himself as God's "servant." This term implies humility, obedience, and dedicated service, placing himself in a position to request divine favor, much like a trusted official approaches a king. It's a title of honor and close relationship for those devoted to God.
• and to his pleas: (Hebrew: wᵉ`al taḥănunāyw) - Taḥănunîm refers to supplications for grace or mercy, earnest and heartfelt appeals for favor or pity. It highlights the desperation and humility with which the request is made, not on merit but on divine benevolence.
• for your own sake: (Hebrew: ma`anākā) - This is a crucial theological point. Daniel pleads not based on Israel's worthiness but purely on God's honor, reputation, and glory. God is called to act to vindicate His name and nature, lest His inaction in the face of His desolate sanctuary be seen as weakness by the nations.
• O Lord: (Hebrew: `ădōnāy) - A solemn and reverential title for God, emphasizing His absolute sovereignty, mastery, and authority. Daniel frequently uses `Adonai when acknowledging God's power and position over all creation, including the events surrounding Israel.
• make your face shine: (Hebrew: ha`ēr pānekā) - A vivid anthropomorphic metaphor signifying divine favor, blessing, approval, and manifest presence. It is reminiscent of the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:25 and indicates a desire for God's benevolent presence to once again be fully evident, dispelling the darkness of judgment.
• upon your sanctuary: (Hebrew: `al-miqdāšĕkā) - Miqdāš refers to the holy place, the Temple, consecrated to God. It was the physical representation of God's dwelling among His people, the focal point of worship and atonement. It's "Your" sanctuary, reinforcing God's ownership and interest.
• which is desolate: (Hebrew: haššāmēm) - This adjective emphatically describes the ruined, deserted, and neglected state of the Temple. It acknowledges the severity of God's judgment and the depth of Israel's current despair. Its desolation was a visible sign of God's judgment and the people's punishment, a "reproach" among nations.

Daniel 9 17 Bonus section

• Polemics: By pleading for God to act "for His own sake" upon "His sanctuary which is desolate," Daniel indirectly challenges the polytheistic views of the Babylonians and Persians. Their gods were believed to be triumphant because their temples stood while Yahweh's lay in ruins. Daniel's prayer asserts that Yahweh remains the sovereign God, whose inaction is a disciplinary measure, not a sign of weakness, and whose future action will confirm His power and truth over all other deities.
• Intercessory Model: Daniel's prayer, and specifically this verse, serves as an enduring model for intercession. It demonstrates the importance of approaching God with humble self-identification, acknowledging human unworthiness, appealing to God's character and promises, and ultimately grounding the request in God's glory rather than personal or national merit.
• New Testament Echoes: The longing for God's face to shine finds an ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament. In Revelation 21:23 and 22:4, we see a vision of a New Jerusalem where there is no need for sun or moon, "for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp," and God's "servants... will see His face." Daniel's plea for God's face to shine on a physical desolate sanctuary points forward to a time when God's unhindered glorious presence will illumine and fulfill the New creation itself.

Daniel 9 17 Commentary

Daniel 9:17 presents a powerful synthesis of theological depth and earnest intercession. Having meticulously cataloged Israel's sins and acknowledged God's righteous judgment, Daniel transitions to an urgent plea, not out of entitlement but out of profound reverence for God's character. The appeal for God to "listen" is an expectation for active, saving intervention, reflecting the deep personal relationship conveyed by "O our God" and "your servant." The core motivation for God's action is brilliantly shifted from human merit to divine reputation: "for your own sake." This refrain, common in prophetic appeals, underscores that God's honor, faithfulness to covenant, and supreme sovereignty are at stake in the eyes of the nations who observed Israel's devastation. The vivid image of God "making His face shine" draws directly from the Aaronic blessing, a deep longing for restoration of divine favor, blessing, and palpable presence upon the very physical symbol of God's covenant with Israel—"your sanctuary." Its "desolate" state is explicitly mentioned to emphasize the urgency and the lamentable condition from which God alone can bring deliverance. Daniel’s prayer thus models profound humility, self-abnegation, and absolute reliance on God's unchangeable attributes for the restoration of His people and the re-establishment of His glory on earth.