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Daniel's prayer centres round the fact that Israel's terrible desolation is the outcome of
rebellion against the word of God, sent from time to time through the prophets, and is but
the fulfillment of the curse and the oath, written in the law of Moses long before.
God evidently keeps His word, and Israel have most surely merited their punishment.
Yet Daniel reminds himself that God not only watches over the evil to perform it, but in
the mighty deliverance of Israel from Egypt in days gone by, He was true to His covenant
promises, even though Israel had failed. The prayer, therefore, while a confession of
Israel's sin, reminds God of His covenant relationship with the people and the city.
There is a beautiful progression in the prayer. At first Daniel speaks of his people
without any term of association with the Lord. He speaks of our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and the people of the land; of the men of Judah, the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and of all Israel near and far. Not until we reach the tenth verse is any link
established; there Daniel speaks of the Lord our God, and again in verses 13, 14 and 15.
In verse 15 a fuller claim is made; this rebellious people are "Thy people". In verse 16
the desolate city is "Thy city", "Thy holy mountain"; and "Thy people have become a
reproach". In verse 17 "Thy sanctuary". Then it all comes pouring forth. Reserve is
abandoned. Before this covenant-keeping God, Daniel pours out his petition:--
"O my God, incline Thine ear and hear, open Thine eyes and behold our desolations,
and the city which is called by Thy Name: for we do not present our supplications before
Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive;
O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God; for the city and Thy
people are called by Thy Name" (9: 18, 19).
The curse and the covenant.
Because an expression used by Daniel in his prayer is used also by Jeremiah in exactly
the same way, it does not follow that Daniel borrowed it from Jeremiah. But on the other
hand, Daniel could hardly have read Jeremiah's prophecy without realizing how the word
"watch" suited his need. The word shaqad occurs in Dan. 9: 14: "Therefore the Lord
watched over the evil, and brought it upon us." In Jeremiah the words shaqed and
shaqad are translated "almond", "hasten" and "watch". At first sight there seems little
connection between these words, but let us examine the mater more closely:--
"What seest thou? And I said, I see the rod of an almond tree. Then said the Lord
unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it" (Jer. 1: 11, 12).
The almond is very early in blossom, and so is suggestive of alertness, vigilance,
watchfulness. We have, therefore, a paronomasia (a high order of the common pun):
"An almond tree (shaked) . . . . . I am watching" (shoked). The Lord watches over His
word of judgment: "Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good"
(Jer. 44: 27). Daniel recognized this; the Lord had kept His word. The curse
pronounced by Moses and the oath sworn by God had been fulfilled, for, as Moses had
said, a nation of fierce countenance had come upon them, destroying their possessions,
regarding not age nor sex, besieging their cities, and causing them to be scattered from
one end of the earth to the other (Deut. 28:). There was, however, another aspect of