Daniel isn't just asking God to notice their ruined city and land; he's pleading that God's own name, already connected to Jerusalem, is being dishonored by its desolation. He grounds their desperate plea not in any merit they possess, but solely in the vastness of God's mercy, recognizing that their utter ruin is the very stage for God's compassionate intervention.
O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel is in the midst of an earnest prayer, reflecting on the prophecy of Jeremiah about seventy years of exile. He confesses the sins of his people and pleads for God's mercy, acknowledging that their current desolation and the state of Jerusalem are the direct result of their unfaithfulness. This verse marks a pivotal point where Daniel shifts from confessing sin to desperately appealing to God's character and promises for deliverance and restoration.
Daniel's prayer is raw and real. He's not just asking; he's pleading for God to notice the devastation.
Daniel's prayer begins with a passionate plea for God's attention: "incline your ear and hear," "open your eyes and see." This isn't a casual request; it's an urgent cry from someone deeply moved by the brokenness around him.
A Relatable Urgency
Imagine Daniel watching his people suffer, their beloved city in ruins, and the temple—God's dwelling place—desecrated. His prayer reflects the intensity of that pain. He asks God to physically 'lean in' and 'look' as if God were unaware, a common way to express deep emotion and the desperate need for a response.
More Than Just Words
This isn't about God's actual ability to hear or see, but about Daniel's profound need for God's engagement. It's a way of saying, 'God, this matters! Our suffering is real, and we need you to be present and active in it.' It teaches us that fervent prayer isn't just about reciting words, but about pouring out our hearts with genuine urgency when we see need and desolation.
Daniel lays bare his nation's failures, but crucially, he refuses to base his plea on their own 'goodness.'
The heart of Daniel's prayer lies in its honest admission: 'we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.' This is a profound theological statement.
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Renouncing Self-Righteousness
Daniel acknowledges their desolations are a consequence of their actions. He doesn't pretend they are innocent. However, he knows their 'righteous deeds' are insufficient to earn God's favor. In fact, compared to God's perfect standard, their best efforts fall desperately short. To base their plea on their own merit would be futile and arrogant.
Resting Solely on God's Character
Instead, Daniel anchors his hope entirely in God's character—specifically, His 'great mercy.' This is the bedrock of his prayer. He appeals not to what they have done, but to what God is—compassionate, forgiving, and merciful. This highlights a critical truth: our access to God and His blessings is not earned, but freely given through His abundant mercy.
Daniel's prayer in this verse is deeply rooted in the devastating reality of the Babylonian exile, particularly the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. His plea acknowledges the people's utter ruin and their inability to claim righteousness, casting themselves entirely on God's mercy amidst the desolation.
605 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean captives, including nobles and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation of Jerusalem
Another wave of exiles are taken to Babylon, including King Jehoiachin and significant portions of the population. This further devastates Jerusalem and its people.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, the center of Jewish worship. The remaining population is largely exiled to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire falls to the Persian Cyrus the Great. This ushers in a new era for the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return and restoration.
Daniel's prayer echoes Hezekiah's plea to God to 'hear' and 'open his eyes' to see the enemy's threats, highlighting a consistent pattern of appealing to God's attention in times of crisis.
Psalm 48:1The verse speaks of 'the city that is called by your name,' a concept deeply rooted in the Psalms, which celebrate Jerusalem as God's dwelling place and a source of His protection and glory.
Nehemiah 9:17Daniel's confession of 'not presenting our pleas because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy' strongly parallels Nehemiah's prayer, where the people acknowledge their own shortcomings and rely solely on God's compassion.
Luke 18:13The publican's cry, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' mirrors Daniel's plea, emphasizing that salvation and favor come not from our own merit but from God's abundant mercy, a theme Jesus Himself highlighted.
Romans 9:16Paul's assertion that 'it depends not on man's willing or running, but on God's showing mercy' resonates with Daniel's core message: our pleas are heard not because of our actions, but solely on the grounds of God's unfailing mercy.
jfbDaniel 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."
- present … supplications—literally, "cause to fall," &c. (compare Note, see on [1097]Jer 36:7).
bensonDaniel 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."
Daniel 9:18-19 . O my God, incline thine ear and hear — The prophet’s importunity, in these verses, is very remarkable and affecting, and shows how exceedingly he had it at heart to have his request granted. Open thine eyes, and behold our desolations —…
Daniel isn't just asking God to notice their ruined city and land; he's pleading that God's own name, already connected to Jerusalem, is being dishonored by its desolation. He grounds their desperate plea not in any merit they possess, but solely in the vastness of God's mercy, recognizing that their utter ruin is the very stage for God's compassionate intervention.
Daniel is in the midst of an earnest prayer, reflecting on the prophecy of Jeremiah about seventy years of exile. He confesses the sins of his people and pleads for God's mercy, acknowledging that their current desolation and the state of Jerusalem are the direct result of their unfaithfulness. This verse marks a pivotal point where Daniel shifts from confessing sin to desperately appealing to God's character and promises for deliverance and restoration.
Daniel is in the midst of an earnest prayer, reflecting on the prophecy of Jeremiah about seventy years of exile. He confesses the sins of his people and pleads for God's mercy, acknowledging that their current desolation and the state of Jerusalem are the direct result of their unfaithfulness. This verse marks a pivotal point where Daniel shifts from confessing sin to desperately appealing to God's character and promises for deliverance and restoration.
"O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy." — Daniel isn't just asking God to notice their ruined city and land; he's pleading that God's own name, already connected to Jerusalem, is being dishonored by its desolation. He grounds their desperate…
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Last reviewed October 2026
