Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel doesn't just ask for God to fix the sanctuary, he asks God to make His face shine upon it. This isn't just a plea for reconstruction, but for God's visible favor and presence to return, essentially asking God to reclaim His own desolate dwelling.
Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel has just finished a profound confession of Israel's sins and the justice of God's judgment, acknowledging the desolate state of Jerusalem and the temple. Now, he shifts from confession to petition, pleading with God to hear his prayer and to restore His people and sanctuary. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's earnest plea for God's mercy, grounded in God's own character and glory.
What does it mean for God to 'cause his face to shine' upon something, especially when it's desolate?
When the Bible talks about God's 'face shining' upon His sanctuary, it's not just a poetic image. It's a profound request for God's favor, presence, and blessing to be restored. Think of it like the sun breaking through clouds – it signifies joy, life, and a visible sign of God's approval and active engagement.
In this verse, Daniel asks God to shine His face upon a desolate sanctuary. This means he's praying for God to look favorably upon the ruins, to acknowledge His people's brokenness, and to initiate the restoration of His dwelling place. It’s a plea for God’s presence to return where it had been absent due to sin and judgment.
Daniel grounds his desperate prayer not in his people's merit, but in God's own character. How radical is that?
This is one of the most powerful aspects of Daniel's prayer. After confessing deep sin and acknowledging judgment, he appeals to God not based on Israel's worthiness, but on God’s own self. He prays, 'for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine.'
This means Daniel is appealing to God's glory, His reputation, and His covenant faithfulness. If God restores His people and His sanctuary, His own name will be honored among the nations. It’s a bold reminder that God’s ultimate motivation is His own glory and the fulfillment of His purposes. True prayer often reaches its highest point when we appeal to God's character and promises, recognizing that His honor is at stake.
Understand the original words
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rachamim · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew concept of 'hesed' or compassion; it is the undeserved favor of God, often contrasted with human merit. It is the core motivation for God’s interaction with His people.
panim ohr · Hebrew Verb/Noun phrase
A biblical idiom for the bestowal of God’s favor, blessing, presence, and salvation. When God makes His face shine, it results in restoration and joy for the recipient.
miqdash · Hebrew Noun
A sacred place of worship where God promises to meet His people. It signifies the center of covenant life and the dwelling place of God's name on earth.
Daniel's prayer, deeply rooted in the sorrow of the Temple's desolation and the nation's exile, arises from a profound understanding of God's faithfulness despite Israel's sin. His plea for God to 'make your face to shine upon your sanctuary' is a powerful cry for restoration, acknowledging that the nation's hope and God's glory are inextricably linked.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and deport many of its inhabitants, marking a devastating blow to Jewish worship and national identity.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great overthrows the Neo-Babylonian Empire, paving the way for the return of exiled peoples, including the Jews.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus allowing Jewish return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, initiating the post-exilic period.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
The rebuilt Second Temple is dedicated in Jerusalem, a significant moment of restoration, though it lacks the full glory of Solomon's original Temple.
c. 444 BC
Nehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls
Nehemiah leads the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, facing opposition and reinforcing the city's defenses after the return from exile.
c. 400-300 BC— this verse
Book of Daniel written
The prophet Daniel, likely living in exile in Babylon, receives visions and writes down prophecies, including his profound prayer and vision of the seventy weeks.
This passage uses the same beautiful imagery of God causing His face to shine upon His people, symbolizing His favor and blessing, which Daniel echoes in his plea for the desolate sanctuary.
This psalm repeatedly uses the plea for God to 'make your face shine' and to 'restore us,' mirroring Daniel's desperate prayer for God's favor to return to His forsaken people and land.
This passage describes a time of national distress and appeals to God's covenant faithfulness and past acts of deliverance, much like Daniel's prayer which recounts past faithfulness and pleads for renewed mercy.
Isaiah 62:1-2Here, God declares His intention to shine His favor upon Zion and Jerusalem, promising their restoration and glory, which is the ultimate hope behind Daniel's prayer for his desolate sanctuary.
Malachi 4:2This verse speaks of the 'sun of righteousness' arising with healing in its wings, connecting the concept of God's face shining with the Messiah, who is often identified with the 'Lord' for whose sake Daniel prays.
ellicottDaniel 9:17: "Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake."
(17) Cause thy face to shine.— See Numbers 6:25 . The meaning is “let thy works show the fulfilment of “thy Word.” For the Lord’s sake.—Comp. Daniel 9:19, “because Thou art the Lord.” Never does prayer rise higher, than when the soul humbly appeals to God as the sovereign lord of all, and patiently waits for Him to…
barnesDaniel 9:17: "Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake."
Now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant - In behalf of the people. He pleaded for his people and country, and earnestly entreated the Lord to be merciful. His argument is based on the confession of sin; on the character of God; on the condition of the city and temple; on the former Divine interposi…
Daniel doesn't just ask for God to fix the sanctuary, he asks God to make His face shine upon it. This isn't just a plea for reconstruction, but for God's visible favor and presence to return, essentially asking God to reclaim His own desolate dwelling.
Daniel has just finished a profound confession of Israel's sins and the justice of God's judgment, acknowledging the desolate state of Jerusalem and the temple. Now, he shifts from confession to petition, pleading with God to hear his prayer and to restore His people and sanctuary. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's earnest plea for God's mercy, grounded in God's own character and glory.
Daniel has just finished a profound confession of Israel's sins and the justice of God's judgment, acknowledging the desolate state of Jerusalem and the temple. Now, he shifts from confession to petition, pleading with God to hear his prayer and to restore His people and sanctuary. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's earnest plea for God's mercy, grounded in God's own character and glory.
"Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate." — Daniel doesn't just ask for God to fix the sanctuary, he asks God to make His face shine upon it. This isn't just a plea for reconstruction, but for God's visible favor and presence to return, es…
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Last reviewed October 2026