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 before.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Before. He did not open the windows that he might be seen, as that would have been rashness; nor did many perceive what he was doing, (ver. 11.; Worthington) as it was in an upper room, but only those who rushed in. (Haydock)
It was the usual practice of the Jews, (Calmet) to pray turning towards the temple, as Solomon had directed, (3 Kings viii. 48; St. Jerome in Ezechiel viii. 16.) though it was now in ashes. (Haydock)
Daniel observed the third, sixth, and ninth hours, as the Church still does, Acts ii. 15., and x. 9. (St. Jerome)
We must quickly draw from our memory and bring together from all of Holy Scripture all the passages where we have read of domata, which mean in Latin either "walled enclosures" (menia) (C) or "beds" or "sun-terraces," and also the references to anogaia (D), that is, "upper rooms." For after all, our Lord celebrated the passover in an upper room (Matt. 14), and in the Acts of the Apostles the Holy Spirit came upon the one hundred and twenty souls of believers while they were in an upper room (Acts 2). And so Daniel in this case, despising the king's commands and reposing his confidence in God, does not offer his prayers in some obscure spot, but in a lofty place, and opens up his windows towards Jerusalem, from whence he looked for the peace [of God]. He prays, moreover, according to God's behest, and also according to what Solomon had said when he admonished the people that they should pray in the |66 direction of the Temple. Furthermore, there are three times in the day when we should...
