Daniel 9:18 · Bible study
Daniel 9:18 Commentary: Pleading Mercy, Not Merit
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Daniel renounces human righteousness and appeals solely to God's compassion. A study in the language and theology of prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Daniel prays that God would see the ruin of Jerusalem and respond, not because of human merit, but because of His own great compassion.
- Key words: "Supplications" (H8469 tachanun, a plea for favor), "righteousnesses" (H6666 tzedaqot, plural, specific righteous acts), "great mercies" (H7356 rachamim, deep, womb-like compassion).
- Main debate: Whether the prayer's "righteousnesses" refer to covenant faithfulness or meritorious works; also whether the "city called by your name" focuses on physical Jerusalem or the people of God corporately.
- Theological theme: Prayer rooted in God's mercy, not human worth, a foundation for justification by grace.
- Best use: A model for personal and corporate repentance, teaching believers to approach God with empty hands and full trust in His character.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.
WEB World English Bible 2000
My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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’ sake.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Incline, O my God, Thine ear, and hear, open Thine eyes and see our desolations, and the city on which Thy name is called; for not for our righteous acts are we causing our supplications to fall before Thee, but for Thy mercies that are many.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Incline thine ear, O my God, and hear; open thine eyes and behold our desolations, and the city that is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee because of our righteousnesses, but because of thy manifold mercies.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Incline, O my God, thy ear, and hear: open thy eyes, and see our desolation, and the city upon which thy name is called: for it is not for our justifications that we present our prayers before thy face, but for the multitude of thy tender mercies.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Inclina, oh Dios mío, tu oído, y oye; abre tus ojos, y mira nuestros asolamientos, y la ciudad sobre la cual es llamado tu nombre: porque no derramamos nuestros ruegos ante tu acatamiento confiados en nuestras justicias, sino en tus muchas miseraciones.
Inclina, ó Deus meu, teus ouvidos, e ouve; abre teus olhos, e olha para nossas assolações, e para a cidade que é chamada pelo teu nome; pois não apresentamos nossas súplicas diante de ti confiando em nossas justiças, mas sim em tuas muitas misericórdias.
Mon Dieu, prête l’ oreille et écoute! Ouvre les yeux et regarde nos ruines, regarde la ville sur laquelle ton nom est invoqué! Car ce n’ est pas à cause de notre justice que nous te présentons nos supplications, c’ est à cause de tes grandes compassions.
Neige dein Ohr, mein Gott, und höre, tue deine Augen auf und sieh, wie wir verstört sind und die ganze Stadt, die nach deinem Namen genannt ist. Denn wir liegen vor dir mit unserm Gebet, nicht auf unsre Gerechtigkeit, sondern auf deine große Barmherzigkeit.
Neig Uw oor, mijn God! en hoor, doe Uw ogen op, en zie onze verwoestingen, en de stad, die naar Uw Naam genoemd is; want wij werpen onze smekingen voor Uw aangezicht niet neder op onze gerechtigheden, maar op Uw barmhartigheden, die groot zijn.
O mio Dio, inclina il tuo orecchio, ed ascolta; apri gli occhi e guarda le nostre desolazioni, e la città sulla quale è invocato il tuo nome; perché noi umilmente presentiamo le nostre supplicazioni nel tuo cospetto, fondati non sulle nostre opere giuste, ma sulle tue grandi compassioni.
Nakłoń, Boże mój! ucha twego a usłysz; otwórz oczy twoje a obacz spustoszenia nasze i miasto, które jest nazwane od imienia twego; bo my przekładamy modlitwy nasze przed obliczem twojem, nie dla jakiej naszej sprawiedliwości, ale dla obfitego miłosierdzia twego.
Приклони, Боже мой, ухо Твое и услыши, открой очи Твои и воззри на опустошения наши и на город, на котором наречено имя Твое; ибо мы повергаем моления наши пред Тобою, уповая не на праведность нашу, но на Твое великое милосердие.
我的 神啊，求你側 耳 而聽，睜 眼 而看，眷顧我們荒涼 之地和稱 為 你名 下 的城。我們 在你面前 懇求，原 不是 因 自己的義，乃 因 你的大 憐憫。
O my God, let your ear be turned and give hearing; let your eyes be open and see how we have been made waste and the town which is named by your name: for we are not offering our prayers before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercies.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 9:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Daniel's prayer strikes a distinctive posture. He renounces any claim on God based on human righteousness and grounds his appeal entirely in God's character. Barnes notes that Daniel uses "figurative language of strong and earnest pleading," asking God to incline His ear and open His eyes as if He had been deaf and blind to Israel's suffering. Calvin captures the "wonderful fervor and vehemence" in Daniel's words: "God seemed to remain deaf... during seventy years without the slightest effect." The Cambridge Bible highlights the Hebrew phrase mapilim tachanuneinu, "we cause our supplications to fall", a gesture of humble prostration before a king. Gill emphasizes the theological hinge: Daniel pleads "not for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies." The unanimous witness is that authentic prayer does not bargain with God on the basis of merit; it throws itself on mercy alone.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Daniel bases his prayer solely on God's mercy, not on human merit—a point on which all traditions affirm the same.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Basis for prayer | Daniel does not appeal to human righteousness but to God's mercy. Christians agree that prayer should be grounded in God's grace. | Catholics and Orthodox see the plea as compatible with cooperating with grace and invoking the merits of saints; Protestants emphasize that even our best deeds cannot be a ground for petition. |
| Meaning of 'city which is called by your name' | The phrase signifies God's ownership and covenantal relationship with Jerusalem. | Some interpreters limit this to the physical city and temple in the time of Daniel; others see it as a type of the Church, God's people who bear His name. |
| Our righteous acts (tzidkotenu) | The plural form likely refers to specific acts of righteousness or covenant obedience. | Reformed traditions see this as a denial of any human merit; Catholic tradition understands it as a renunciation of self-righteousness, not of grace-enabled good works. |
| Great compassions (rachamim rabbim) | Refer to God's tender mercy, often associated with covenant faithfulness. | Dispensational readings connect this to God's future restoration of Israel; covenant theology sees it as God's unchanging character toward His people in all ages. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Daniel 9 falls near the end of the Babylonian exile. The prophet is an old man, serving in the Persian court, when he realizes from Jeremiah's writings that the seventy years of captivity are almost finished (Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 29:10). His response is extended prayer, fasting, and sackcloth (verse 3). He confesses the sins of the entire nation (vv.5, 15). The setting is Jerusalem, now a heap of ruins. The term "desolations" (Hebrew shomemot, from H8074) carries the sense of utter devastation, the temple destroyed, the city walls broken, the land left waste.
The phrase "the city which is called by your name" draws on ancient Near Eastern custom. When a king conquered a city, he "called his name upon it" as a sign of ownership (compare 2 Samuel 12:28). Israel's God had claimed Jerusalem as His own dwelling place. Its destruction therefore brought reproach not only on the people but on God's own reputation. Daniel echoes Hezekiah's prayer from 2 Kings 19:16, which uses almost identical language. The verb for "present our supplications" (Hebrew mapilim, from H5307 naphal) means "to cause to fall," picturing petitioners prostrating themselves before a king. Every detail in this verse reinforces the desperate situation and the posture of complete dependence on God.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant variants for this verse. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Daniel 9:18 has been a cornerstone for Christian teaching on prayer and grace. The early church saw in Daniel's renunciation of personal righteousness a pattern for the penitent. Augustine and other Church Fathers cited this verse to argue that salvation depends on God's mercy, not human effort. During the Reformation, it became a pivotal text for the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In liturgical traditions, the phrase "for your great mercies' sake" is often echoed in prayers of confession and intercession. Contemporary use continues to emphasize that believers approach God not with a claim of worth but with a plea for compassion.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Posture of Desperate Honesty. Daniel asks God to "incline the ear" and "open the eyes", language that admits God seems distant. He does not pretend everything is fine.
- The Basis of No Merit. He declares "we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness." Human achievement is set aside as grounds for appeal.
- The Ground of Great Mercy. The prayer pivots on God's compassion. Not what we have done, but who God is.
Five-point outline
- Daniel identifies with his people in their ruin: "our desolations."
- He claims the city as God's own possession: "called by your name."
- He renounces confidence in human righteousness (plural "righteousnesses" suggests specific acts).
- He casts himself on God's "great mercies" (Hebrew rachamim, deep compassion).
- He prays with holy importunity: the entire chapter shows he kept praying until Gabriel arrived.
Illustration hooks
- A defendant before a judge who throws himself on the mercy of the court, offering no excuse but pleading for grace.
- A child who has broken a valuable vase, coming to a parent with empty hands, asking forgiveness not because they are good but because the parent is loving.
- A student who failed an exam and appeals to the teacher's kindness, not their own work.
Questions your congregation is asking
- "If I've made too many mistakes, can I still pray with confidence?"
- "Does God hear me even when I don't feel righteous enough to ask?"
- "How do I pray when I know I don't deserve God's help?"
Leading a Discussion
Daniel 9:18 cuts to the heart of how we approach God. Do we pray because we have been good, or because God is good? Daniel's answer is clear. This passage invites us to examine what we really trust when we pray.
Discussion questions
- Read Daniel 9:18 slowly. What words or phrases stand out to you, and why?
- Daniel uses vivid physical language: "incline your ear," "open your eyes." What does this suggest about how he feels God is responding?
- Why does Daniel mention "the city which is called by your name"? What does that emphasize about God's stake in the situation?
- The Hebrew says we "cause our supplications to fall." What does this image of falling convey about humility in prayer?
- Daniel explicitly renounces "our righteous acts." Why is that an important step in his prayer? What would change if he omitted that clause?
- He appeals instead to "your great compassion" (or "mercies"). What view of God does that imply?
- In what situations do you find yourself tempted to base your prayers on your own track record rather than on God's character?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 3:7 | Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. |
| I Kings 8:29 | that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ to listen to the prayer which your servant prays toward this place. |
| II Kings 19:16 | Incline your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God. |
| Psalms 17:6 | I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech. |
| Psalms 17:7 | Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies. |
| Psalms 80:14 | Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine, |
| Psalms 80:19 | Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved. |
| Isaiah 37:17 | Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the petition's shift from personal favor to God's own honor. He explains that calling Jerusalem "the city called by your name" means it is consecrated to God. This makes the plea a matter of God's reputation: the city's condition directly affects the glory of His name.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that Daniel's repeated pleas for God to incline his ear and open his eyes are not empty repetition but the raw, ecstatic language of desperate faith. The prophet prays with such fervor because, after seventy years of silence, God seemed deaf and blind to Israel's suffering. This very vehemence is meant to stir the whole church to similar passionate prayer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools observe that Daniel's prayer draws heavily on the language of Deuteronomy, Solomon's prayer, and Jeremiah, with many direct echoes. They highlight the specific phrase "over which thy name hath been called" to mean God's ownership of Jerusalem, not just that it is named after Him.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the people appeal to God solely on the basis of His own character, not their worthiness. They do not claim any righteousness of their own but cast themselves entirely on His great tender mercies.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Daniel and the people present their prayers not on the ground of their own righteousness, which is worthless, but solely on God’s great mercies. They cast themselves prostrate before God, pleading grace in Christ, not merit. This is the humble posture of all who are truly aware of their own unworthiness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Greek word behind "present" in this passage literally means "cause to fall," like offering a petition by placing it before someone. He points readers to a similar usage in Jeremiah 36:7, where the same phrase conveys earnest, humble entreaty.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the seventy weeks refer primarily to the Maccabean period under Antiochus Epiphanes, not directly to Christ. The prophecy was fulfilled in events like the murder of high priest Onias III and the desecration of the temple, with the Messianic reference being only typical, not literal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Daniel prays with deep reverence, calling God both great and dreadful while still clinging to His covenant mercy. Far from excusing himself, Daniel identifies fully with the nation's sin, and Henry highlights that the people's own failure to plead with God was itself part of their transgression.