Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 9:16

"O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, let thine anger and thy wrath, I pray thee, be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are round about us." — Daniel 9:16 (ASV)

O Lord, according to all your righteousness - The word righteousness here seems to refer to all that was excellent and glorious in the character of God. The eye of Daniel is fixed upon what God had previously done: upon his character of justice, mercy, and goodness; upon his faithfulness to his people. In view of all that was excellent and lovely in his character, Daniel pleaded that God would interpose and turn away his anger from his people now. It is the character of God that is the ground of Daniel's plea—and what else is there that can give us encouragement when we come before him in prayer?

Let your anger and your fury be turned away ... - The anger that had come upon the city, and that appeared to rest upon it. Jerusalem was in ruins, and it seemed still to be lying under the wrath of God. The word rendered fury is the common one to denote wrath or indignation. It implies no more than anger or indignation, and refers here to the Divine displeasure against their sins, manifested in the destruction of their city.

Your holy mountain - Jerusalem was built on hills, and the city in general might be designated by this phrase. Or, more probably, there is allusion either to Mount Zion or to Mount Moriah.

Because for our sins ... - There is, on the part of Daniel, no disposition to blame God for what he had done. There is no murmuring or complaining, as if he had been unjust or severe in his dealings with his people. Jerusalem was indeed in ruins, and the people were captives in a distant land, but Daniel felt and admitted that God was just in all that he had done. It was too manifest to be denied that all these calamities had come upon them on account of their sins, and this Daniel, in the name of the people, humbly and penitently acknowledged.

A reproach to all that are about us - All the surrounding nations. They reproach us with our sins, and with the judgments that have come upon us, as if we were peculiarly wicked and were forsaken of heaven.