Daniel 9:18
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.
Study Note
Study Note
Daniel pleads for God to hear and see the desolation of his holy city, grounding his petition not in Israel's righteousness but in God's great mercies: 'we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.' This explicit rejection of merit as the basis of prayer is one of the clearest Old Testament formulations of grace-based intercession. The parallel 'thine ear, incline' / 'thine eyes, open' creates an intimate portrait of prayer as seeking God's full sensory attention — not merely formal acknowledgment but engaged divine presence. Paul's formulation 'by grace through faith, not of yourselves, not of works' (Ephesians 2:8-9) applies the same logic of grace-not-merit to the individual's standing before God.
Other Translations
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’ sake.
`Incline, O my God, Thine ear, and hear, open Thine eyes and see our desolations, and the city on which Thy name is called; for not for our righteous acts are we causing our supplications to fall before Thee, but for Thy mercies that <FI>are<Fi> many.
O my God, let your ear be turned and give hearing; let your eyes be open and see how we have been made waste and the town which is named by your name: for we are not offering our prayers before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercies.
Cross References
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard …
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast …
Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which …
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my …
Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from …
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of …
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal …
We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.