Deuteronomy 26:7

So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The Israelites recite this declaration to the priest and congregation during the firstfruits offering, recounting their deliverance from Egypt. The speaker is the corporate body of Israel addressing God through the liturgical ceremony described in Deuteronomy 26.

The words — The text highlights וַ/נִּצְעַ֕ק (va./nitz.'Ak), literally "and we cried out," and וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֤ע (va/i.yish.Ma'), literally "and he heard." These terms frame the narrative pivot from human distress to divine attention.

The thread — This pattern of crying out and being heard recurs in Exodus 2:23 and Exodus 3:9, where God notes the Israelites' groaning and the cry reaching Him. The sequence establishes a consistent biblical motif of divine response to oppressed cries.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that recorded divine attention follows recorded human distress. It demands a factual recognition of God's responsiveness rather than an emotional appeal.

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

וַנִּצְעַ֕קva./nitz.'Akand/ we cried out אֶל־'el-to יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ'a.vo.Tei./nuancestors/ our וַיִּשְׁמַ֤עva/i.yish.Ma'and/ he heard יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>קֹלֵ֔נוּko.Le./nuvoice/ our וַיַּ֧רְאva/i.Yar'and/ he saw אֶת־'et-<obj.>עָנְיֵ֛נוּ'a.ne.Ye./nuaffliction/ our וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ'a.ma.Le./nutoil/ our וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃la.cha.Tze./nuoppression/ our

King James Version

And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

Cross-references

Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
Exodus 3:9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
Exodus 4:31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
Exodus 6:5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.
1 Samuel 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
Psalms 103:1 Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Psalms 116:1 I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice—my appeal for mercy.
Psalms 119:132 Turn to me and show me mercy, as You do to those who love Your name.