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Connecting Statement:
This verse begins the prayer that Nehemiah begs Yahweh to listen to (verse 5).
may your eyes be open
"look at me." Here open eyes are a metaphor that represents paying attention to someone. Alternate translation: "pay attention to me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
may your ear be attentive
The ear here is a synecdoche for the whole person. Alternate translation: "listen and pay attention" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
so you may hear the prayer of your servant
"so that you may hear the prayer that I, your servant, am praying." The word "servant" refers to Nehemiah. This is how a person would address his superior in order to show humility and respect.
day and night
By saying that he prays both during the day and during the night, Nehemiah emphasizes the frequency of his prayers. Alternate translation: "all the time" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)
Both I and my father's house
Here the word "house" represents family. Alternate translation: "Both I and my family" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)