Daniel 9:18 (YLT)

Passage

`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.

Nearby Context

Daniel 9:16 `O Lord, according to all Thy righteous acts, let turn back, I pray Thee, Thine anger and Thy fury from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mount, for by our sins, and by the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people <FI>are<Fi> for a reproach to all our neighbours;

Daniel 9:17 and now, hearken, O our God, unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto his supplication, and cause Thy face to shine on Thy sanctuary that <FI>is<Fi> desolate, for the Lord's sake.

Daniel 9:18 `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.

Daniel 9:19 O lord, hear, O Lord, forgive; O Lord, attend and do; do not delay, for Thine own sake, O my God, for Thy name is called on Thy city, and on Thy people.'

Daniel 9:20 And while I am speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and causing my supplication to fall before Jehovah my God, for the holy mount of my God,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "incline", "thine", "hear", "open", "eyes", "desolations", and "city". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "incline", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "and now hearken O our God unto..." into verse 19's "O lord hear O Lord forgive O...", so "called" and "incline" belong inside that flow. In Daniel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "incline" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.