Daniel 9:18

Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Daniel addresses God on behalf of the exiled community, pleading for divine attention toward Jerusalem's ruined state during a moment of corporate confession.

The words — The Hebrew הַטֵּה (ha.Teh) translates literally as "incline," and פְּקַח (pik.chah) means "open," structuring the prayer as a direct request for God to direct His hearing and sight toward the city's desolation.

The thread — The identical petition appears in Isaiah 37:17 and 2 Kings 19:16, where Hezekiah himself urges God to observe a foreign threat, and parallels Jeremiah 36:7's call for the people to bring petitions before the Lord.

Why it lands — The text explicitly grounds the request in God's compassion rather than human righteousness, demanding that readers acknowledge divine mercy as the sole basis for intervention in visible ruin.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הַטֵּ֨הha.Tehincline אֱלֹהַ֥י׀'e.lo.Ha/iO God/ my אָזְנְךָ֮'a.ze.ne./Khaear/ your וּֽשֲׁמָע֒u./sha.Ma'and/ listen פְּקַ֣חpik.chahopen עֵינֶ֗יךָ'ei.Nei./khaeyes/ your וּרְאֵה֙u./re.'Ehand/ see שֹֽׁמְמֹתֵ֔ינוּsho.me.mo.Tei./nudesolate [things]/ our וְהָעִ֕ירve./ha./'Irand/ the/ city אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which נִקְרָ֥אnik.Ra'it is called שִׁמְךָ֖shim./Khaname/ your עָלֶ֑יהָ'a.Lei./haon/ it כִּ֣י׀kifor לֹ֣אlo'not עַל־'al-on צִדְקֹתֵ֗ינוּtzid.ko.Tei./nurighteousness<es>/ our אֲנַ֨חְנוּ'a.Nach.nuwe מַפִּילִ֤יםma.pi.Lim[are] making fall תַּחֲנוּנֵ֙ינוּ֙ta.cha.nu.Nei./nusupplications/ our לְפָנֶ֔יךָle./fa.Nei./kha<to>/ before/ you כִּ֖יkifor עַל־'al-on רַחֲמֶ֥יךָra.cha.Mei./khacompassion<s>/ your הָרַבִּֽים׃ha./ra.Bim<the>/ great

King James Version

O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

Cross-references

Isaiah 37:17 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.
Jeremiah 36:7 Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each one will turn from his wicked way; for great are the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
2 Kings 19:16 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.
Psalms 80:14 Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine—
Jeremiah 14:7 Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.
Jeremiah 25:29 For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts.’
Ezekiel 36:32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD—let it be known to you. Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, O house of Israel!
Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
1 Kings 8:29 May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.