Daniel 9:6 Study Bible: Neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

◄ Daniel 9:6 ►

We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, and fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Study Bible

We have not listened
The Hebrew root for "listened" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just hearing but obeying and heeding. This phrase reflects a deep-seated disobedience and neglect of divine instruction. In the context of Israel's history, this failure to listen is a recurring theme, highlighting the people's persistent rebellion against God's commands. The act of listening in biblical terms often involves a heart posture of submission and willingness to act upon what is heard, which was evidently lacking.

to Your servants the prophets
The prophets were God's chosen messengers, often called "servants" (עֲבָדִים, avadim) to emphasize their role in serving God's purposes. They were tasked with delivering God's messages, warnings, and guidance to the people. This phrase underscores the gravity of ignoring those who spoke on behalf of God. Historically, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel faced rejection and persecution, yet they remained steadfast in their mission. The failure to heed their words led to dire consequences for Israel, as the prophets often warned of impending judgment due to sin.

who spoke in Your name
Speaking "in Your name" signifies the authority and divine backing of the prophets' messages. The Hebrew concept of "name" (שֵׁם, shem) encompasses character, authority, and reputation. When prophets spoke in God's name, they were conveying His will and character. This phrase highlights the seriousness of disregarding their messages, as it equates to rejecting God Himself. The authority of the prophets was not self-derived but was a direct commission from God, making their words sacred and binding.

to our kings and princes
The mention of "kings and princes" (מְלָכִים וְשָׂרִים, melachim v'sarim) indicates that the prophetic messages were directed not only to the common people but also to the nation's leaders. These leaders held the responsibility of guiding the people in righteousness and justice. Historically, many kings of Israel and Judah, such as Ahab and Zedekiah, ignored prophetic counsel, leading the nation into idolatry and moral decay. The failure of leadership to heed divine warnings often resulted in national catastrophe.

and fathers
The term "fathers" (אָבוֹת, avot) refers to the ancestors and previous generations who also received prophetic messages. This highlights a generational pattern of disobedience and neglect. The inclusion of "fathers" serves as a reminder of the longstanding nature of Israel's rebellion. It also emphasizes the communal and historical aspect of sin, where the actions of one generation affect the next, perpetuating a cycle of disobedience.

and all the people of the land
This phrase encompasses the entire nation, indicating that the failure to listen was not limited to leaders but was a widespread issue among "all the people" (כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ, kol-am ha'aretz). The collective responsibility and guilt of the nation are underscored here. In the biblical narrative, the land itself is often seen as a witness to the people's covenant with God, and their disobedience defiles it. This comprehensive indictment serves as a call to national repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Daniel
A prophet and a key figure in the Babylonian exile, known for his faithfulness to God and his role in interpreting dreams and visions.

2. Prophets
Messengers sent by God to deliver His word and warnings to the people of Israel and Judah. They played a crucial role in guiding and correcting the nation.

3. Kings and Leaders
The rulers of Israel and Judah who were often addressed by the prophets. Their actions and decisions had significant impacts on the spiritual and political state of the nation.

4. Fathers
Refers to the ancestors or previous generations of the Israelites who had also received messages from the prophets.

5. People of the Land
The general population of Israel and Judah, who were collectively responsible for heeding the messages of the prophets.

Teaching Points

The Importance of Listening to God’s Messengers
God communicates His will and guidance through His appointed messengers. Ignoring them leads to spiritual decline and consequences.

The Role of Leadership in Spiritual Health
Kings and leaders have a significant responsibility to heed God's word and lead the people accordingly. Their failure can lead to national consequences.

Generational Accountability
Each generation is accountable for responding to God's word. The failures of past generations serve as warnings for the present.

The Consequences of Disobedience
Ignoring God's warnings through the prophets leads to judgment and discipline, as seen in the history of Israel and Judah.

The Call to Repentance
Recognizing past failures should lead to repentance and a renewed commitment to follow God's commands.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the role of the prophets in the Old Testament compare to the role of spiritual leaders today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are listening to God's messages in our own lives?

3. What lessons can we learn from the failures of past generations in responding to God's word?

4. How can leaders today ensure they are leading in accordance with God's will?

5. What steps can we take to cultivate a heart of repentance and obedience in response to God's word?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Jeremiah 25:4-5
This passage highlights how God persistently sent prophets to warn the people, yet they did not listen, similar to the lament in Daniel 9:6.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Chronicles the repeated sending of prophets by God and the people's continued rejection, leading to the exile.

Hebrews 1:1-2
Reflects on how God spoke through the prophets in the past, emphasizing the continuity of God's communication with His people.

Sermons

The Prophetic Ministry	J. Blackburn.	Daniel 9:6
The Omnipotence of Prayer	J.D. Davies	Daniel 9:1-19
The Nation's Advocate At God's Bar	H.T. Robjohns	Daniel 9:1-21

People

Ahasuerus, Daniel, Darius, Gabriel, Jeremiah, Nahum

Places

Egypt, Greece, Jerusalem

Topics

Ear, Fathers, Heads, Hearkened, Kings, Listened, Moreover, Princes, Prophets, Rulers, Servants, Spake, Spoke, Spoken

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Daniel 9:6

5459 prince
7160 servants of the Lord

Daniel 9:1-6

8431 fasting, reasons

Daniel 9:1-19

8611 prayer, for others

Daniel 9:1-23

4926 delay, human

Daniel 9:4-6

5354 invasions
8404 commands, in OT

Daniel 9:4-14

6624 confession, of sin

Daniel 9:4-19

1065 God, holiness of
6655 forgiveness, application

Daniel 9:5-7

5947 shame

Daniel 9:5-9

6222 rebellion, against God

Daniel 9:5-14

8705 apostasy, in OT

Library

Daniel: a Pattern for Pleaders
"O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God; for thy city and thy people are called by thy name."--Daniel 9:19. DANIEL was a man in very high position in life. It is true he was not living in his own native land, but, in the providence of God, he had been raised to great eminence under the dominion of the country in which he dwelt. He might, therefore, naturally have forgotten his poor kinsmen; many have done so. Alas! we have known some that have …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 61: 1915

The Man and the Book.
In this and the following lectures I attempt an account and estimate of the Prophet Jeremiah, of his life and teaching, and of the Book which contains them--but especially of the man himself, his personality and his tempers (there were more than one), his religious experience and its achievements, with the various high styles of their expression; as well as his influence on the subsequent religion of his people. It has often been asserted that in Jeremiah's ministry more than in any other of the …
George Adam Smith—Jeremiah

Whether the Time of the Future Judgment is Unknown?
Objection 1: It would seem that the time of the future judgment is not unknown. For just as the holy Fathers looked forward to the first coming, so do we look forward to the second. But the holy Fathers knew the time of the first coming, as proved by the number of weeks mentioned in Daniel 9: wherefore the Jews are reproached for not knowing the time of Christ's coming (Lk. 12:56): "You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven and of the earth, but how is it that you do not discern …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

That Whereas the City of Jerusalem had Been Five Times Taken Formerly, this was the Second Time of Its Desolation. A Brief Account of Its History.
1. And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eighth day of the month Gorpeius [Elul]. It had been taken five [34] times before, though this was the second time of its desolation; for Shishak, the king of Egypt, and after him Antiochus, and after him Pompey, and after them Sosius and Herod, took the city, but still preserved it; but before all these, the king of Babylon conquered it, and made it desolate, one thousand four hundred and sixty-eight years and …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

From the Supplement to the Summa --Question Lxxii of the Prayers of the Saints who are in Heaven
I. Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers? II. Ought we to appeal to the Saints to intercede for us? III. Are the Saints' Prayers to God for us always heard? I Are the Saints cognizant of our Prayers? On those words of Job,[267] Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand, S. Gregory says: "This is not to be understood of the souls of the Saints, for they see from within the glory of Almighty God, it is in nowise credible that there should be anything without of …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Blessing of God.
NUMB. VI. 22-27. We have already seen the grace of GOD making provision that His people, who had lost the privilege of priestly service, might draw near to Him by Nazarite separation and consecration. And not as the offence was the free gift: those who had forfeited the privilege of priestly service were the males only, but women and even children might be Nazarites; whosoever desired was free to come, and thus draw near to GOD. We now come to the concluding verses of Numb. vi, and see in them one …
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service

Three Things Briefly to be Regarded in Christ --viz. His Offices of Prophet, King, and Priest.
1. Among heretics and false Christians, Christ is found in name only; but by those who are truly and effectually called of God, he is acknowledged as a Prophet, King, and Priest. In regard to the Prophetical Office, the Redeemer of the Church is the same from whom believers under the Law hoped for the full light of understanding. 2. The unction of Christ, though it has respect chiefly to the Kingly Office, refers also to the Prophetical and Priestly Offices. The dignity, necessity, and use of this …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

General Account of Jesus' Teaching.
^A Matt. IV. 17; ^B Mark I. 14, 15; ^C Luke IV. 14, 15. ^a 17 From that time Jesus began to preach [The time here indicated is that of John the Baptist's imprisonment and Jesus' return to Galilee. This time marked a new period in the public ministry of Jesus. Hitherto he had taught, but he now began to preach. When the voice of his messenger, John, was silenced, the King became his own herald. Paul quoted the Greeks as saying that preaching was "foolishness," but following the example here set by …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober Reason,
appears of itself highly credible and probable, and abundantly recommends itself in its native simplicity, merely by its own intrinsic goodness and excellency, to the practice of the most rational and considering men, who are desirous in all their actions to have satisfaction and comfort and good hope within themselves, from the conscience of what they do: So it is moreover positively and directly proved to be actually and immediately sent to us from God, by the many infallible signs and miracles …
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of Its Author
In Isaiah 41:21-23 we have what is probably the most remarkable challenge to be found in the Bible. "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods." This Scripture has both a negative …
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Sin-Bearer.
A COMMUNION MEDITATION AT MENTONE. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."--1 Peter ii. 24, 25. THE SIN-BEARER. THIS wonderful passage is a part of Peter's address to servants; and in his day nearly all servants were slaves. Peter begins at the eighteenth verse: "Servants, be subject …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
(at Feast-Time at Jerusalem, Probably the Passover.) ^D John V. 1-47. ^d 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [Though every feast in the Jewish calendar has found some one to advocate its claim to be this unnamed feast, yet the vast majority of commentators choose either the feast of Purim, which came in March, or the Passover, which came in April. Older commentators pretty unanimously regarded it as the Passover, while the later school favor the feast …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Being of God
Q-III: WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH? A: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. Q-IV: WHAT IS GOD? A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Here is, 1: Something implied. That there is a God. 2: Expressed. That he is a Spirit. 3: What kind of Spirit? I. Implied. That there is a God. The question, What is God? takes for granted that there …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Manifestation of the Messiah
(JOHN I. 31.) "Before me, as in darkening glass, Some glorious outlines pass, Of love, and truth, and holiness, and power-- I own them thine, O Christ, And bless Thee in this hour." F. R. HAVERGAL. The Herald's Proclamation--The Meeting of John and Jesus--Christ's Baptism--"It Becometh Us."--"My Beloved Son." John's life, at this period, was an extraordinary one. By day he preached to the teeming crowds, or baptized them; by night he would sleep in some slight booth, or darksome cave. But the …
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

The Intercession of Christ
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us! T he Redemption of the soul is precious. Fools make mock of sin (Proverbs 14:9) . But they will not think lightly of it, who duly consider the majesty, authority, and goodness of Him, against whom it is committed; and who are taught, by what God actually has done, what sin rendered necessary to be done, before a sinner could have a well-grounded …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold.
^A Matt. XXIV. 1-28; ^B Mark XIII. 1-23; ^C Luke XXI. 5-24. ^a 1 And Jesus went out from the temple [leaving it to return no more], and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him ^b as he went forth ^a to show him the buildings of the temple. ^b one of his disciples saith unto him, Teacher, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of buildings! ^c 5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said [The strength and wealth of the temple roused …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Christ's Priestly Office
Q-35: HOW DOES CHRIST EXECUTE THE OFFICE OF A PRIEST? A: In his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. 'Now once in the end of the world has he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb 9:96. What are the parts of Christ's priestly office? Christ's priestly office has two parts - his satisfaction and intercession. I. His Satisfaction; and this consists of two branches. [1] His active …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Scriptures
Q-II: WHAT RULE HAS GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM? A: The Word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 2 Tim 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' By Scripture is understood the sacred Book of God. It is given by divine inspiration; that is, the Scripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but is divine in its origin. The image of Diana was had in veneration …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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