Daniel 9:10

Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:4-19 In every prayer we must make confession, not only of the sins we have been guilty of, but of our faith in God, and dependence upon him, our sorrow for sin, and our resolutions against it. It must be our confession, the language of our convictions. Here is Daniel's humble, serious, devout address to God; in which he gives glory to him as a God to be feared, and as a God to be trusted. We should, in prayer, look both at God's greatness and his goodness, his majesty and mercy. Here is a penitent confession of sin, the cause of the troubles the people for so many years groaned under. All who would find mercy must thus confess their sins. Here is a self-abasing acknowledgment of the righteousness of God; and it is evermore the way of true penitents thus to justify God. Afflictions are sent to bring men to turn from their sins, and to understand God's truth. Here is a believing appeal to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God, as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousness belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not only forgiveness, but forgivenesses. Here are pleaded the reproach God's people was under, and the ruins God's sanctuary was in. Sin is a reproach to any people, especially to God's people. The desolations of the sanctuary are grief to all the saints. Here is an earnest request to God to restore the poor captive Jews to their former enjoyments. O Lord, hearken and do. Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do; do that for us which none else can do; and defer not. Here are several pleas and arguments to enforce the petitions. Do it for the Lord Christ's sake; Christ is the Lord of all. And for his sake God causes his face to shine upon sinners when they repent, and turn to him. In all our prayers this must be our plea, we must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The humble, fervent, believing earnestness of this prayer should ever be followed by us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord - The commands of God as made known by the prophets, Daniel 9:6.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. set before us—not ambiguously, but plainly, so that we were without excuse.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To be large in,

1. Confession of sin, especially in a day of humiliation, is no vain repetition, for we offend commonly in being slight and perfunctory in our confessions; and God will have all out, and make us own it.

2. It was God’s mercy not only to give his people a law, which he did solemnly by Moses, but set it plainly and powerfully before them, and set it home upon them by the expositions and applications of all the prophets, for this was their work.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God,.... Speaking in the law, and by his prophets; for what was spoken there, and by them, should have been considered, not as the word of man, but as the word of God, and should have been attended to and obeyed; for despising that and them was interpreted as despising the Lord, and refusing to hearken to him, and obey his voice; which was a sin highly provoking to him, and resented by him:

to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets; by Moses and others; for it seems to include the system of laws which were delivered by Moses, and were many; and the doctrines of the prophets, which were explications and enforcements of them: and these the Lord set before them by both, as a rule to walk by, and a path to walk in; and not to do this was very sinful in them, and greatly displeasing to him.

Geneva Study Bible

Neither have we obeyed the {h} voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

(h) He shows that they rebel against God, who do not serve him according to his commandment and word.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. obeyed (lit. hearkened to) the voice, &c.] So Exodus 15:26; Exodus 19:5; and especially in Deut. (as Deuteronomy 4:30, Deuteronomy 9:23, Deuteronomy 28:1-2; Deuteronomy 28:15), and Jer. (as Jeremiah 3:13, Jeremiah 9:13, Jeremiah 44:23). Cf. with this verse Bar 1:18; Bar 2:10.

to walk in his laws] Cf. Jeremiah 26:4; Jeremiah 32:23; Jeremiah 44:10; Jeremiah 44:23.

which he set before us] See Deuteronomy 4:8; Deuteronomy 11:32; Jeremiah 9:13; Jeremiah 44:10, and esp. Jeremiah 26:4 (cf. the last clause).

Daniel 9:10

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Compassion and forgiveness are with the Lord our God; and these we need, for we have rebelled against Him. This thought is expanded in Daniel 9:10-14. The rebellion against God, the refusing to hear the voice of the Lord through the prophets, the transgression of His law, of which all Israel of the twelve tribes were guilty, has brought the punishment on the whole people which the law of Moses threatened against transgressors.