Nehemiah 1:6 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.

Nehemiah 1:6 nkjv

please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned.

Nehemiah 1:6 niv

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's family, have committed against you.

Nehemiah 1:6 esv

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.

Nehemiah 1:6 nlt

listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!

Nehemiah 1 verses

Nehemiah 1 6 Meaning

Nehemiah commences his fervent supplication by appealing to God's active engagement, asking Him to be truly attentive and fully perceptive of the prayer offered without cessation. He identifies himself humbly as God's servant, interceding on behalf of the afflicted nation of Israel. A cornerstone of his prayer is the deep and profound confession of the collective sins of the Israelites, explicitly including those of his own family and himself, acknowledging that their current distressed state is a direct consequence of their persistent disobedience against the Lord.

Nehemiah 1 6 Context

Nehemiah 1:6 is embedded within Nehemiah’s profound prayer, initiated immediately upon receiving devastating news from Jerusalem (Neh 1:2-3). Hanani and other men from Judah report that "the remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire." This news plunges Nehemiah, then a high official in the Persian court at Susa, into deep mourning (Neh 1:4). He responds with weeping, fasting, and intense prayer, demonstrating a passionate connection to his people and the sacred city.

Historically, this verse takes place during the post-exilic period, around 445 BC. Although the temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt decades earlier under Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and Ezra had returned with another wave of exiles to enforce God's law (circa 458 BC), Jerusalem itself remained in a state of disrepair. The broken walls signified not just vulnerability to external threats but also the city's shame and the nation's spiritual degradation. This context of physical ruin and spiritual failure forms the immediate backdrop for Nehemiah's urgent and repentant prayer. Nehemiah's understanding of their predicament is rooted in the covenant framework, recognizing that their suffering is a direct consequence of generations of corporate and individual disobedience to God's commandments, echoing the warnings of the Mosaic Law concerning blessings and curses (Deut 28, Lev 26). His prayer, therefore, isn't a mere lament but a confession-filled appeal for divine intervention grounded in Israel's historical covenant relationship with YHWH.

Nehemiah 1 6 Word analysis

• let Your ear now be attentive: Nehemiah addresses God directly, not presumptuously, but with a deep understanding of His nature. This phrase (Hebrew: ozen qeshevet, literally "attentive ear") implores God for a deep, active listening—not merely to hear sounds but to understand and respond with compassion and action. It highlights a relational appeal to a living, responsive God, a contrast to the deaf idols of pagan worship (Ps 115:6). "Now" (ʿattāh) conveys a sense of urgency and immediate need.
• and Your eyes open: Paired with "ear attentive," this emphasizes God's comprehensive awareness (Hebrew: ʿayinayikh p'tuḥot). It implies divine watchfulness and perfect perception of their plight and distress. God's "open eyes" mean He sees the true spiritual and physical condition of His people and the ruins of Jerusalem, implying His full knowledge of their suffering and the cause of it. This underscores God's omniscient nature.
• that You may hear the prayer: This states the direct purpose of Nehemiah's petition for God's attentiveness. "Prayer" (tepillāh) signifies a formal supplication or plea, distinct from casual talk, offered in deep earnestness.
• of Your servant: Nehemiah humbly identifies himself (Hebrew: ʿebed) as God's bondservant. This term carries profound significance in biblical literature, often referring to individuals chosen and set apart by God for specific tasks (e.g., Abraham, Moses, David). It implies humility, obedience, submission, and a divinely commissioned relationship, positioning Nehemiah as an instrument for God's will rather than merely a petitioner.
• which I pray before You now: "Before You" (lipnêkā) emphasizes that the prayer is directed into the immediate presence of God, acknowledging His divine omnipresence and the directness of their communication. "Now" reinforces the urgency.
• day and night: This idiom signifies continuous, persistent, and unceasing prayer (Luke 18:7, 1 Thes 5:17). It indicates Nehemiah’s deep spiritual distress and relentless intercession, not just a passing plea but a prolonged cry stemming from deep anguish and conviction.
• for the children of Israel Your servants: Nehemiah's intercession is not self-centered but corporate. He prays for the entire covenant community, "the children of Israel" (b'nê Yiśrā'ēl), who are also identified as "Your servants," highlighting their ongoing, albeit flawed, relationship with God despite their unfaithfulness.
• confessing the sins: This is a crucial pivot point in the prayer. "Confessing" (Hebrew: mitwaddêh, Hithpael stem of yādāh) denotes a self-identifying, active admission of guilt, acknowledging the wrong done, and implies a desire to change. It's not just an intellectual assent to wrongdoing but a heartfelt acknowledgment before God.
• of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You: Nehemiah identifies directly with the national transgression (the plural "we" is crucial here, even though he had not been personally involved in the historical idolatry and rebellion). He understands their distress is a direct consequence of their actions and those of their forefathers. "Against You" (negdekā) explicitly states that all sin, ultimately, is an offense against the holy God, a breach of the covenant relationship.
• Both my father’s house and I have sinned: This statement is particularly powerful. Nehemiah, as a righteous and devoted individual serving in the Persian court, still includes himself and his immediate family in the corporate sin and guilt. This demonstrates profound humility, solidarity with his people, and a deep understanding that the problem of sin is pervasive, affecting all, even the "good" ones. It exemplifies true corporate repentance, where leaders lead by example in confessing collective culpability.

Nehemiah 1 6 Bonus section

Nehemiah's prayer here, with its intense focus on corporate confession and shared guilt, mirrors other significant prayers in Israel's history, such as those of Daniel (Dan 9) and Ezra (Ezra 9), highlighting a recurring pattern of lamenting and repenting over national covenant unfaithfulness during times of distress. This corporate confession is essential, as the national crisis in Nehemiah's day was not merely political but profoundly theological. His "day and night" praying showcases an active dependence on God and an understanding that human effort must be undergirded by divine favor and strength. The repetition of "Your servants" for the children of Israel signifies God's enduring claim on them, even when they fail Him, providing a glimmer of hope that His covenant faithfulness might endure despite their breaches. The verse's polemical element is subtle yet significant: Nehemiah directs his petition to a God who truly sees and hears, unlike the impotent gods of the pagan nations that surrounded him and Israel. This foundational prayer sets the stage for a spiritual rebuilding before the physical rebuilding.

Nehemiah 1 6 Commentary

Nehemiah 1:6 lays the theological and spiritual foundation for Nehemiah's entire mission to rebuild Jerusalem. It demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of Israel's covenant relationship with God: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Nehemiah acknowledges that the broken state of Jerusalem is not a random misfortune but a direct and just consequence of their historical and present corporate sin against God.

His prayer serves as a profound model of intercession. It begins by establishing God's active presence and omnipotence ("attentive ear and open eyes"), moving to a declaration of his own humble status as a "servant." The core of the verse, however, is the comprehensive confession. Nehemiah does not point fingers or blame others. Instead, he courageously takes personal responsibility for the collective sin, including himself and his "father’s house." This deeply personal identification with national sin ("we have sinned") underscores the seriousness of repentance, transforming it from a distant concept into a personal conviction. The "day and night" commitment highlights persistent, fervent prayer rooted in spiritual agony over the nation's spiritual and physical state. This confession to a God whose perfect justice brings judgment is simultaneously a humble plea to the same God whose perfect mercy brings restoration.