Nehemiah 1:6-7
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's striking here is Nehemiah's profound sense of solidarity with his people. He doesn't just confess the sins of "Israel," but immediately includes himself and his entire family, declaring "both I and my father’s house have sinned." This reveals a deep spiritual connection where personal and ancestral guilt are not separate from the nation's struggles, but intrinsically woven into them.
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news about Jerusalem's broken walls and the distress of his people, a report that has plunged him into deep mourning and prayer. In this prayer, he humbly asks God to listen and pay attention, confessing that the people's sins, including his own and his family's, are the reason for their suffering. This vulnerable confession sets the stage for his bold request to the king that will follow.
Nehemiah's prayer wasn't a one-off request; it was a sustained cry. What does this tell us about approaching God in times of crisis?
Nehemiah emphasizes that he has been praying 'day and night' for the people of Israel. This isn't just a casual mention; it highlights the intensity and constancy of his intercession.
Consistent Devotion
This persistent prayer demonstrates a deep personal burden and a profound commitment to God's people. It wasn't a momentary outburst of emotion but a prolonged season of wrestling in prayer, reflecting a heart fully surrendered to God's will and deeply pained by the suffering of his community.
A Model for Us
This sustained prayer life serves as a powerful model for us today. When facing overwhelming challenges or deep concern for others, Nehemiah shows us the value of not giving up, but continuing to bring our concerns before God with unwavering devotion.
Nehemiah doesn't just confess the sins of 'the people'; he includes himself and his own family. Why is this personal inclusion so vital?
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Nehemiah's confession is striking because it moves from the collective sin of Israel to a personal acknowledgment: 'Even I and my father’s house have sinned.'
Unity in Confession
He recognizes that national sin impacts everyone, including himself and his lineage. This isn't about assigning blame but about embracing shared responsibility. By including his 'father's house,' he acknowledges that sins can have generational consequences and that even those in positions of proximity to God's people bear responsibility.
Humility and Solidarity
This act reveals Nehemiah's profound humility and solidarity with his people. He doesn't distance himself or claim innocence. Instead, he identifies with their fallenness, understanding that God's judgment on sin is a serious matter that touches all levels of community and family.
Nehemiah asks God to be 'attentive' and 'open.' What does this reveal about God's posture towards His praying people?
The plea for God to let His 'ear be attentive and your eyes open' is a request for God's focused attention and compassionate awareness.
Divine Listening
'Let your ear be attentive' isn't about God needing to be reminded to listen; it's Nehemiah's expression of faith that God will listen to His servant's sincere prayer. It's a plea for God to truly 'hear' – to give heed and respond.
Compassionate Observation
'And your eyes open' asks God to 'see' the situation not just factually, but with compassion and understanding. Nehemiah wants God to behold the suffering and brokenness of His people with a merciful gaze, just as he himself is moved to tears. It's an appeal for divine intervention driven by divine empathy.
Trust in God's Character
Ultimately, this request underscores Nehemiah's deep trust in God's character – that God is a God who listens to prayer and sees the distress of His people with loving concern.
Understand the original words
qashab · Hebrew Adjective
A term often used in scripture to describe God's attentiveness, suggesting his personal, responsive, and intimate awareness of his people's prayers and circumstances.
yadah · Hebrew Verb
A formal acknowledgment of wrongdoing before God, involving an admission of guilt, responsibility, and the confession of a broken covenantal relationship.
chata' · Hebrew Verb
An act of moral rebellion, missing the mark of God's standard, and violating the relationship between the creature and the Creator. It encompasses both thoughts and actions that are contrary to God's law.
chabal · Hebrew Verb
Behavior that is morally decaying, perverted, or destructive; it denotes a fundamental departure from righteousness and obedience to God's covenantal requirements.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
Authoritative instructions from God that establish the moral, ethical, and religious obligations of the covenant community, intended to guide life in accordance with His will.
Nehemiah's prayer comes at a critical moment, not long after Ezra's reforms but before his own momentous return to Jerusalem. The returned community faced ongoing struggles and the physical walls of the city remained in ruins, a stark reminder of their ancestors' disobedience and exile.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport many Judeans into exile. This event marked a devastating consequence of Israel's repeated disobedience to God.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire. This shifted political power and set the stage for the return of exiled peoples, including the Jews.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree
Cyrus issues a decree allowing exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This sparked the first wave of returnees, led by figures like Zerubbabel.
c. 457 BC
Ezra's Reforms
Ezra the scribe leads a second significant group of exiles back to Jerusalem. He institutes religious reforms, emphasizing adherence to the Law and addressing intermarriage.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah Serves as Cupbearer in Susa
Nehemiah is serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I in the Persian capital. This position afforded him proximity to the king and knowledge of events in Judah.
Moses also confessed the sins of Israel before God, showing a deep sense of corporate responsibility for the nation's failures, much like Nehemiah.
Daniel 9:4-5Daniel's prayer of confession for his people mirrors Nehemiah's, demonstrating a profound awareness that national distress stems from national sin and personal participation in it.
1 Kings 8:47-48Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication speaks of Israelites confessing their sins and God hearing their prayer from heaven when in exile, a concept Nehemiah's prayer embodies.
Psalm 106:6This Psalm reflects on Israel's history of sin and confession, showing that Nehemiah's posture of admitting his people's (and his own) wrongdoing was a long-standing theme in their relationship with God.
pulpitNehemiah 1:6: "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."
Verse 6. - Both I and my father's house have sinned. Ewald well observes, "In the prayer of Nehemiah the keynote is struck in the words, 'I and my father's house have sin…
clarkeNehemiah 1:6: "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."
Let thine ear - Hear what we say and confess. Thine eyes open - see what we suffer.
What's striking here is Nehemiah's profound sense of solidarity with his people. He doesn't just confess the sins of "Israel," but immediately includes himself and his entire family, declaring "both I and my father’s house have sinned." This reveals a deep spiritual connection where personal and ancestral guilt are not separate from the nation's struggles, but intrinsically woven into them.
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news about Jerusalem's broken walls and the distress of his people, a report that has plunged him into deep mourning and prayer. In this prayer, he humbly asks God to listen and pay attention, confessing that the people's sins, including his own and his family's, are the reason for their suffering. This vulnerable confession sets the stage for his bold request to the king that will follow.
Nehemiah has just heard devastating news about Jerusalem's broken walls and the distress of his people, a report that has plunged him into deep mourning and prayer. In this prayer, he humbly asks God to listen and pay attention, confessing that the people's sins, including his own and his family's, are the reason for their suffering. This vulnerable confession sets the stage for his bold request to the king that will follow.
"let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you…" — What's striking here is Nehemiah's profound sense of solidarity with his people. He doesn't just confess the sins of "Israel," but immediately includes himself and his entire family, declaring "both…
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