Daniel 9:18 Is An Overlooked Witness To Sola Fide

          Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 takes place during the Babylonian exile, a period when Israel was living under foreign rule because of its repeated disobedience to God’s covenant. Historically, this was a time of deep national shame and helplessness. The temple lay in ruins, the people were scattered, and there was no visible sign of Israel’s former glory. Against this backdrop, Daniel turns to God not with claims of righteousness or merit, but with a confession of failure and a plea for mercy. His words reflect the desperation of a people who know they cannot save themselves.

          In verse 18, Daniel says plainly: “We do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.” This is the heart of his prayer. He acknowledges that Israel has no bargaining chips, no moral credit to offer. Their only hope is God’s compassion. In simple terms, Daniel is saying: “We don’t deserve this, but we’re asking because You are merciful.” That posture is what later Christian theology would call faith, a reliance on God’s character rather than human achievement.

          Exegetically, the verse is powerful because it strips away any notion of works‑based righteousness. Daniel does not appeal to Israel’s history, their covenant identity, or even his own personal faithfulness. Instead, he grounds the entire prayer in God’s mercy. This anticipates the New Testament’s teaching that justification is by grace through faith, not by works of the Law. Paul’s declaration in Romans 3:28, that a person is justified by faith apart from works, finds a clear Old Testament echo here.

          The surrounding context strengthens the implications of Sola Fide here: Israel’s failure to keep the commandments only magnifies the necessity of mercy. Obedience collapses under the weight of sin and cannot serve as the ground of acceptance. Daniel’s appeal makes clear that when righteousness fails, faith alone in God’s mercy remains. This is not a denial of covenantal obedience, but a declaration that obedience cannot justify. Only mercy, received by faith, secures standing before God, and Daniel 9:18 stands as one of the clearest Old Testament witnesses to that truth.

          Daniel’s confession in verse 9 reinforces the same reality: “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.” Here again, the collapse of obedience is acknowledged, and the futility of appealing to covenantal performance is exposed. Mercy and forgiveness are God’s possession, not Israel’s achievement, and they are accessed not through works but through faith. The rebellion of the people only magnifies the necessity of trusting in God’s compassion, showing that justification rests not on human righteousness, but on divine mercy received by faith alone.

          Though passages like Genesis 15:6 and Habakkuk 2:4 are often cited in discussions of Sola Fide, Daniel 9:18 is rarely mentioned. Yet it deserves attention as one of the clearest Old Testament statements that human righteousness cannot serve as the basis for approaching God. In plain words, Daniel reminds us that salvation has always been about mercy, not merit. His prayer is a timeless witness to the truth that our standing before God rests on His grace alone, received by faith.