Daniel 9:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After condemning the wrongdoing of the Jewish people, the prophet discusses the consequences they endured, aiming to appeal to God's mercy: "And for this cause were poured out upon us," he remarks, "the curse and the oath which are written in the law of Moses." What does this oath entail? Would you care to read it? "But if thou wilt not endeavor to do all the commandments," declares Moses, "of the Lord thy God, the Lord will send upon thee a people from afar, an insolent people, whose tongue thou shalt not understand, and there shall be few of you left" (Deuteronomy 28:15, 49-50, 62).

And it fell upon us. Not in its full measure, which we could not endure, but merely a drop of your wrath, intended to lead us back to you through the lessons learned in our affliction. The curse and the vow inscribed in the writings of Moses, the servant of God, and so forth. In the book of Deuteronomy, we encounter the blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 27), which were later proclaimed from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, addressing both the righteous and the transgressors.

All of Israel has violated Your commandments and gone astray, refusing to heed Your voice. If some had broken Your law while others remained loyal, this disaster would not have befallen everyone. However, since all have generally engaged in wrongdoing, the Prophet justly declares, "There has come upon us an oath and a curse as written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him." The Prophet refers to the oath declared by God in Deuteronomy, stating, "I lift my hand to heaven and swear by my right hand, saying, I live forever. I will bring down My sword like lightning; My hand shall render judgment, and I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me.