Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,.... This he knew, either by the relation of others, or by the public proclamation of it through the city; however, he did not know of it till it was

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave

His windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem: this was, , according to Solomon’ s prayer, which doubtless all the devout Jews in their captivity did observe. Toward Jerusalem; not towards the east, which was the manner of the Gentiles; nor towards the king’ s palace, lest that, in compliance with the king’ s edict, he should seem to worship him; but towards the west and the temple in Jerusalem, where the holy of holies stood in the west end, and because the temple was the place where the Lord placed his name and worship, and promised to appear, and accept his people and their sacrifices, all being a type of Christ, through whom only the saints are accepted; which doubtless Daniel by faith had an eye to; believing also that God in his own time would deliver them out of this captivity, and bring them back again, and that he faithfully minded these things in the midst of his honours, and riches, and employments. Kneeled upon his knees: this posture was always used in times of mourning and danger; not that we are tied to this gesture, but it is a comely posture before the great God; noting of guilt at the bar of God’ s tribunal, and begging for our lives, by humble confession and humiliation, and craving pardon, and blessing God for his mercies. Three times a day: thus David, . These three times were, one at nine in the morning, which was their third hour of the day, ; the sixth hour was at twelve o’ clock, then Peter prayed, ; the ninth hour was our three in the afternoon, which was the time of the evening sacrifice, ; it is called the hour of prayer, and at that our Saviour Christ offered up himself a sacrifice for us, ,50. Now Daniel ordered his affairs so, that, though great, they should not hinder his solemn devotions to God. As he did aforetime; by which we see he was a holy man, also that he did not abate his prayers for the king’ s command, nor did he rashly break the law, by doing it purposely, because he did no more than he was wont to do in serving his God. Daniel did not imprudently, much less sinfully, in this action. 1. Because he would have declared by it that he preferred man before God. 2. It was against the law of nature, which commands God to be worshipped. 3. Against the dictates and peace of his own conscience. 4. Against the people of God, whom he would grieve and stumble by this forbearance. 5. Against his enemies, by hardening them in their evil way, and giving them occasion of triumphing and blaspheming.

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Ver. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed.] Which he knew not, belike, till it was proclaimed and published; and then, it may be, he did as much against it as Latimer did here in like case, by writing his mind unto King Henry VIII, after the proclamation for abolishing English books. See his letter in the Book of Martyrs, and marvel at his heroic boldness and stoutness; who as yet being no bishop, so freely and fearlessly adventuring his life to discharge his conscience, dared so boldly to so mighty a prince, in such a dangerous case, against the king’ s law and proclamation, set out in such a terrible time, take upon him to write and to admonish that which no counsellor dared once speak unto him in defence of Christ’ s gospel. He went into his house.] He left the court, as no fit air for piety to breathe in, and got home, where he might more freely and comfortably converse with his God. Exeat aula qui velit esse pius. Tutissimus est qui rarissime cum hominibus, plurimum cum Deo colloquitur, saith a good divine - that is, he is safest who speaketh seldom with men, but oft with God. And his windows being open in his chamber.] This was his wont, belike, at other times; and now he would not break it, to the scandal of the weak, and the scorn of the wicked, who watched him, and would have charged him with dissimulation, should he have done otherwise. Say not therefore, what needed he thus to have thrust himself into observation? could he not have kept his conscience to himself, and used his devotions in more secrecy? Our political professors and neuter passives indeed could and would have done so. But as Basil answered once to him that blamed him for venturing too far for his friend, Non aliter amare didici, I never learned to love any otherwise; so might good Daniel here have done, his zeal for God would not suffer him to temporise, or play on both hands. It shall well appear to his greatest enemies that he is true to his principles, and no flincher from his religion. His three companions were alike resolved, and Paul, and Luther, when to appear at Worms, and many more that might here be mentioned. Toward Jerusalem.] For the which he was now a petitioner, since "the time to favour her, yea, the set time was come." There also some time had stood the temple, not without a promise of audience to prayers made in or toward that holy place, which also was a type of Christ, &c.

(10) Toward Jerusalem.—On the custom of praying thus see 1 Kings 8:33; 1 Kings 8:35; Psalms 5:7; Psalms 28:2; and on prayer at the intervals mentioned here, see Psalms 55:17. There is nothing ostentatious in Daniel’s prayer. He removed the lattices (see Ezekiel 40:16) from his window, that he might see as far as possible in the direction of Jerusalem, and then continued his devotions just as though the king’s decree had not been recorded. The prophet must by this time have been close upon ninety years of age, but still his faith is as firm and unwavering as that of his three companions many years before.

Verse 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed] He saw what was designed, and he knew whom he served. His windows being open] He would not shut them to conceal himself, but "kneeled down with his face turned toward Jerusalem, and prayed thrice each day, giving thanks to God as usual." When the Jews were in distant countries, in prayer they turned their faces towards Jerusalem; and when in Jerusalem, they turned their faces towards the temple. Solomon, in his prayer at the dedication of the temple, 1Kg 8:48, had entreated God to hear the prayers of those who might be in strange lands, or in captivity, when they should turn their faces towards their own land, which God gave unto their fathers; and towards the city which he had chosen, and the house which was dedicated to his name. It was in reference to this that Daniel turned his face towards Jerusalem when he prayed.

10. and his windows, &c.] more exactly, and also more clearly, now he had in his roof-chamber open windows fronting Jerusalem. The clause is parenthetical, and describes the constant and habitual arrangement of Daniel’s windows. roof-chamber] usually rendered upper chamber, which however does not at all suggest to an English reader what is intended. The ‘roof-chamber’ was (and still is) an apartment ‘raised above the flat roof of a house at one corner, or upon a tower like annex to the building, with latticed windows giving free circulation to the air’ (Moore on Judges 3:20). It was thus cool in summer (Judg. l. c.), and a part of the house to which anyone would naturally retire if he wished to be undisturbed (cf. 1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 1:2; 2 Kings 4:10-11). In the N.T. the roof-chamber is mentioned as a place of meeting for prayer (Acts 1:13; Acts 20:8; cf. Acts 10:9 : see also Acts 9:37; Acts 9:39). Comp. Thomson’s The Land and the Book, ed. 2, ii. 634, 636 (with an illustration). open] i.e., either without lattices at all, or without fixed lattices (cf. 2 Kings 1:2; 2 Kings 13:17) opp. to ‘closed windows’ (Ezekiel 40:16; Ezekiel 41:16; Ezekiel 41:26), or ‘windows with closed wood-work’ (1 Kings 6:4), the lattices of which did not admit of being opened. toward Jerusalem] To pray, turning towards Jerusalem—or, if in Jerusalem, towards the Temple—became in later times a standing Jewish custom: we do not know how early it began; but it was based doubtless upon 1 Kings 8:35; 1 Kings 8:38; 1 Kings 8:44; 1 Kings 8:48 (in this verse with reference to exiles in a foreign land), cf. Psalms 5:7; Psalms 28:2. The custom is alluded to in the Mishna (Bμrβchτth, iv. 5, 6); and in Sifrκ 71b it is said that those in foreign lands turn in prayer towards the land of Israel, those in the land of Israel towards Jerusalem, and those in Jerusalem towards the Temple. Mohammed at first commanded his disciples to pray towards Jerusalem; but afterwards he altered the ḳ ?ibla (‘facing-point’) to Mecca. and he continued kneeling.… and praying, and giving thanks before his God, forasmuch as he had been wont to do (it) aforetime] inasmuch as it had been his regular custom, he still adhered to it. three times a day] Cf. Psalms 55:17 (‘at evening, and at morning, and at noonday will I complain and moan’). In later times, the three hours of prayer were—not as is often supposed, the third, sixth and ninth hours, but—the time when the morning burnt-offering was offered (ϊτμϊωηψ), in the afternoon at the ninth hour (our three o’clock; cf. Acts 3:1; Acts 10:30), when the evening meal-offering was offered (ϊτμϊξπηδ), and sunset (ϊτμϊδςψα) see Schόrer, ii. 237. The custom may well have arisen before the 2nd cent. b.c. On the prayers which, at least in later days, were used at the three times, see Hamburger, Real-Encyclop. vol. vii., arts. Morgen-, Mincha-, and Abendgebet.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed - Probably there was some proclamation made in regard to that decree. He went into his house - That is, he went in in his usual manner.

10. Through the latticed windows of “his upper room” his enemies see Daniel offer his prayers and thanksgivings as heretofore three times a day (Psalms 55:17) with his face toward the ruined temple.