Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
The verse is a direct appeal for the Lord to hear prayer and give ear to supplications, with the expected answer resting entirely on divine faithfulness and righteousness rather than on any worthiness in the one who prays. The psalm to which it belongs stands among the seven penitential psalms. In that penitential setting the petition functions as a plea for mercy, setting God's truth over against the speaker's dishonor. It therefore refuses station or birth as any ground of trust, leaving the suppliant dependent solely on God's character for a hearing.
The verse is a direct appeal for the Lord to hear prayer and give ear to supplications, with the expected answer resting entirely on divine faithfulness and righteousness rather than on any worthiness in the one who prays. The psalm to which it belongs stands among the seven penitential psalms. In that penitential setting the petition functions as a plea for mercy, setting God's truth over against the speaker's dishonor. It therefore refuses station or birth as any ground of trust, leaving the suppliant dependent solely on God's character for a hearing.