דניאל, פרק ט׳, פסוק י״ז

At the climax of a deep and emotional plea, the focus of the prayer shifts from a broad request for the entire nation to an intimate, personal cry. It becomes a passionate appeal for the honor of the Divine Presence and the restoration of its earthly home.

Having prayed on behalf of all the Israelites, the petitioner now approaches God directly in his personal capacity as His devoted servant [יוסף אבן יחיא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He asks that even if the people themselves have no merit left to rely on, God should still listen and not turn the prayer away, simply by virtue of being their God [אלשיך].

The heart of this request centers on the desolate Temple. The plea asks God to look upon the ruined Sanctuary with a bright and joyful face [מצודת דוד]. Currently, the site is wrapped in darkness because God has hidden His face from it [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Yet, the Divine Presence never actually abandoned the location. Instead, because of the people's sins, it remains there in a state of sadness and concealment. Therefore, the prayer is not asking God to return a presence that has completely vanished, but rather to replace the current darkness and absence with renewed light and joy [אלשיך].

The final and most powerful argument presented is that God should act for His own sake [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this plea is driven by the need to prevent the desecration of God's name. As long as the Temple, which carries God's name [רש״י], remains a burnt ruin where wild animals roam, the surrounding nations might wrongly conclude that God lacks the power to save His people [מצודת דוד, יוסף אבן יחיא, מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, acting for God's own sake is a direct appeal for the dignity of the Divine Presence itself, which currently suffers in exile. It is simply not fitting for God's glory to dwell in a broken and sorrowful house [חומת אנך, אלשיך].