Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

And cause thy face to shine - Give us proof that thou art reconciled to us.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant - In behalf of the people. He pleaded for his people and country, and earnestly entreated the Lord to be merciful. His argument is based on the confession of sin; on the character of God; on the condition of the city and temple; on the former Divine interpositions in behalf of the people; and by all these considerations, he pleads with God to have mercy upon his people and land.

And cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary - Upon the temple. That is, that he would look upon it benignly and favorably. The language is common in the Scriptures, when favor and kindness are denoted by lifting up the light of the countenance, and by similar phrases. The allusion is originally, perhaps, to the sun, which, when it shines brightly, is an emblem of favor and mercy; when it is overclouded, is an emblem of wrath.

For the Lord‘s sake - That is, that he would be propitious for his own sake; to wit, that his glory might be promoted; that his excellent character might be displayed; that his mercy and compassion might be shown. All true prayer has its seat in a desire that the glory of God may be promoted, and the excellence of his character displayed. That is of more consequence than “our” welfare, and the gratification of “our” wishes, and that should be uppermost in our hearts when we approach the throne of grace.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Now therefore, O our God,.... This being our miserable case, and the seventy years' captivity being at an end, and thou still our covenant God, whom we profess and worship:

hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications; which he had put up in an humble manner, consisting of various petitions for grace and mercy before expressed:

and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate; the temple; its walls demolished, its altars thrown down, and the whole in ruins; a melancholy scene! the Lord, suffering these things, seemed to frown upon it, and upon his people, that used to serve him there; wherefore it is entreated that he would smile upon it again, and upon them, and cause it to be rebuilt, and his worship restored in it: and this is asked

for the Lord's sake: that is, for Christ's sake, who is Lord of all, especially of his chosen people, by creation, redemption, and marriage, as well as by their own consent and profession; and for whose sake, and in whose name, all requests are to be made to God, he being the only Mediator between God and man; and for the sake of whose blood, righteousness, and mediation, all the blessings of goodness are given unto men; and who also was Lord and proprietor of the temple, and was to come into it, as well as was the antitype of it.

Geneva Study Bible

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

(l) Show yourself favourable.

(m) That is, for your Christ's sake, in whom you will accept all of our prayers.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

cause thy face to shine — metaphor from the sun, which gladdens all that it beams upon (Numbers 6:25; Malachi 4:2).

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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.

For the Lord's sake — For the sake of the Messiah: to whom the title Lord is frequently given in the Old Testament.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Daniel 9:17 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.

Ver. 17. Now therefore, O our God.] Since thou hast shown us our sins, and seen our reproach, whereof we are sure thou art very sensible. [Psalms 79:4]

Hear the prayer of thy servant.] Who assumeth the boldness to plead his interest in thee, and his relation to thee.

And his supplications.] Which are nothing else but prayers redoubled and reinforced, {as Genesis 32:11 Isaiah 63:16}

And cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary.] Do it, oh do it now; for "the time to favour Zion, yea, the set time is come." And this I can tell, because "thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof." {Psalms 102:13-14; see the notes there} That whole psalm, being "A prayer for the afflicted," may seem ta have been made by this prophet Daniel.

For the Lord’s sake,] i.e., For thine own sake, or for thy Son Christ’s sake, the mediator and advocate of his people: for so he was in the Old Testament also, [Hebrews 9:15] like as still he is the high priest of the New. And while the people were praying outside, the priest was offering incense within the temple, [Luke 1:9-10] so is Christ interceding for us while we are praying. "Whatsoever therefore ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." [Colossians 3:17]

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Daniel 9:17. And cause thy face to shine, &c.— And for thine own sake, O Lord, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

1. Here the prophet is most concerned for the sanctuary, and place of worship, a type not only of the church, and the worship of God, but also of Christ; because in all these the Lord is greatly concerned in honour, especially considering,

2. His argument, for the Lord’s sake; for Christ’s sake, the Messiah, who is meant here: which I prove,

1. Because the concurrent testimony of the best interpreters, and the synod of Sardis, is for this interpretation.

2. Because this construction is most agreeable to the text and the Hebrew: the contrary is against it, and forced and figurative, when there is no need of it.

3. The plurality of persons is expressed thus.

4. The word

Lord is often attributed to Christ in the Old Testament, Psalms 110:1; and in the New Testament, Luke 1:43 2:11 John 20:28 Revelation 17:14 5. Because the Jews had none else to trust to for salvation, John 14:13 Acts 15:11 Ephesians 3:12 1 Timothy 2:5. Thus in the Old Testament, Psalms 80:15-17; for the Son’s sake, whom he calls the Son of man, Daniel 9:17, for so the Chaldee paraphrase, for the King Messiah. So upon that place, Psalms 72:1,

Give the king thy judgments, and thy righteousness to the king’s son, i.e. the King the Messiah. 2 Samuel 7:21,

For thy word’s sake, i.e. Christ, John 1:1 2 Samuel 12:25, He called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord, of whom Solomon was a type.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

cause Thy face to shine. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 6:25, Numbers 6:26). App-92.

for the LORD"S* sake. Septuagint reads "for Thy servants" sake".

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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.

Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary - metaphor from the sun, which gladdens all that it beams upon (Numbers 6:25; Malachi 4:2).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Cause thy face to shine.—See Numbers 6:25. The meaning is “let thy works show the fulfilment of “thy Word.”

For the Lord’s sake.—Comp. Daniel 9:19, “because Thou art the Lord.” Never does prayer rise higher, than when the soul humbly appeals to God as the sovereign lord of all, and patiently waits for Him to do as He pleases. (Comp. Psalms 44:9-26.)

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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.

cause

Numbers 6:23-26; Psalms 4:6; 67:1; 80:1,3,7,19; 119:135; Revelation 21:23

thy sanctuary

Lamentations 5:18

for

19; John 16:24; 2 Corinthians 1:20

Reciprocal: Numbers 6:25 - The Lord;  1 Kings 8:28 - Yet have thou;  1 Kings 8:44 - toward the city;  1 Kings 18:37 - Hear me;  1 Chronicles 17:19 - thy servant's;  2 Chronicles 6:19 - Have respect;  2 Chronicles 6:35 - hear thou;  Nehemiah 1:6 - thine ear;  Job 12:9 - the hand;  Psalm 17:6 - incline;  Psalm 25:16 - for I;  Psalm 31:16 - Make;  Psalm 34:15 - and;  Psalm 65:2 - thou;  Psalm 74:3 - the perpetual;  Psalm 106:8 - he saved;  Psalm 130:2 - let thine ears;  Isaiah 37:17 - Incline;  Isaiah 48:9 - my name's;  Jeremiah 31:9 - come;  Lamentations 1:9 - behold;  Ezekiel 12:20 - General;  Ezekiel 20:22 - wrought;  Haggai 1:4 - and;  Matthew 26:44 - prayed

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

His next prayer is, Do thou who art our God hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine forth In these words Daniel wrestles with distrust, not for his own sake privately, but for that of the whole Church to whom he set forth the true method of prayer. And experience teaches all the pious how necessary this remedy is in those doubts which break into all our prayers, and make our earnestness and ardor in prayer grow dull and cold within us, or at least we pray without any composed or tranquil confidence, and this trembling vitiates whatever we had formerly conceived. As, therefore, this daily happens to all the pious when they leave off the duty of prayer for even a short period, and some doubt draws them off and shuts the door of familiar access to God, this is the reason why Daniel so often repeats the sentence, Do thou, O Lord, hear the prayer of thy. servant David also inculcates such sentiments in his prayers, and has the greatest necessity for acting so. And those who are truly exercised in praying feel how God’s servants have good cause for such language whenever they pray to him. But I will complete the rest to-morrow.