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Nehemiah 1:6

in Nehemiah 1

let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee. Yea, I and my father’s house have sinned:

KJV

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

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This verse in Nehemiah 1

Commentary

2 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

His penitent confession of sin; not only Israel has sinned (it was no great mortification to him to own that), but I and my father's house have sinned,

This site's exposition

the great and terrible God

on Nehemiah 1:5-6

The prayer opens with a title before a petition: O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments. Nehemiah asks first that God's ear be attentive and his eyes open to a prayer he has kept praying day and night, then turns the prayer on himself, both I and my father's house have sinned. Confession begins with the whole nation but does not stay there; he counts his own house inside Israel's guilt rather than standing over it.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

I beseech You Heb. אָנָא, an expression of request and supplication.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Nehemiah 1:5:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

33 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • תְּהִ֣יmay it be

    tehiH1961 →3559 times

  • נָ֣אplease

    na'H4994 →404 times

  • אָזְנְךָֽ־ear your

    ʾazenekha-H241 →187 times

  • קַשֶּׁ֣בֶתattentive

    kashevetH7183 →

  • וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָand eyes your

    veeineikhaH5869 →887 times

  • פְתֻוּח֟וֹתopen

    fetuvchotH6605 →144 times

  • לִשְׁמֹ֣עַto listen

    lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • תְּפִלַּ֣ת[the] prayer of

    tefilatH8605 →72 times

  • עַבְדְּךָ֡servant your

    ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • אָנֹכִי֩I

    ʾanokhiH595 →

  • מִתְפַּלֵּ֨ל[am] praying

    mitpalelH6419 →84 times

  • לְפָנֶ֤יךָ<to> before you

    lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times

  • הַיּוֹם֙this day

    haiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • יוֹמָ֣םby day

    yomamH3119 →50 times

  • וָלַ֔יְלָהand night

    valaylahH3915 →233 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of

    beneiH1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • עֲבָדֶ֑יךָservants your

    ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times

  • וּמִתְוַדֶּ֗הand [am] confessing

    umitvadehH3034 →114 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • חַטֹּ֤אות[the] sins of

    chatotH2403 →295 times

  • בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of

    benei-H1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • חָטָ֣אנוּwe have sinned

    chatanuH2398 →238 times

  • לָ֔ךְto you

    lakh

  • וַאֲנִ֥יand I

    vaaniH589 →874 times

  • וּבֵית־and [the] house of

    uveit-H1004 →2046 times

  • אָבִ֖יfather my

    ʾaviH1 →1212 times

  • חָטָֽאנוּ׃we have sinned

    chatanuH2398 →238 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.25 worksNehemiah 1:11O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)21 worksDaniel 9:20While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—18 worksDaniel 9:4And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,17 worksPsalms 34:15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.13 worksPsalms 102:17He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.13 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Psalms 106:6We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.12 worksDaniel 9:17–18So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary.9 works2 Chronicles 6:40Now, my God, may Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.8 works2 Chronicles 29:6For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.8 works2 Chronicles 7:15Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.8 worksIsaiah 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”7 worksLuke 18:7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?5 worksPsalms 130:2O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.5 works2 Timothy 1:3I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.4 worksLamentations 5:7Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.4 worksLamentations 3:39–42Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?4 works1 Kings 8:29May 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.4 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 34:15

    The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

    it leads to

    • 1 Peter 3:12

      For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

    • Psalms 34:17

      The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.

    • Psalms 33:18

      Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion

    • Job 36:7

      He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.

    • Psalms 130:2

      O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.

  • Through

    Daniel 9:4

    And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,

    it leads to

    • Romans 8:28

      And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

    • Exodus 20:6

      but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

    • Deuteronomy 5:10

      but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Where this verse is studied

About Nehemiah

Nehemiah Views the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Nehemiah Views the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Nehemiah: the study guide →Read Nehemiah 1 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Nehemiah 1 →