תהלים, פרק נ״ה, פסוק ב׳

A moment of profound crisis prompts a desperate cry to God. This plea was uttered by King David at the exact moment he received the devastating news that his own son, Absalom, was leading a rebellion against him [מלבי״ם]. In his distress, David reaches out to God using human sensory concepts. He appeals first to the sense of hearing, begging God to actively listen to his voice [אבן עזרא, מאירי]. He then shifts to the sense of sight, asking God not to hide His eyes from witnessing the intense suffering unfolding [אבן עזרא]. Alternatively, this second request is a continued appeal for God not to conceal Himself from hearing the supplication [מצודת דוד].

While some view these dual requests as a traditional poetic repetition that expresses the same idea in different ways [רד״ק], others find a meaningful distinction between a prayer and a plea. A prayer represents the broad, emotional outpouring of the soul to God, whereas a plea is a targeted request for practical needs. By using both concepts, David asks God to hear the general anguish of his soul while also paying close attention to his immediate, specific requirements [מלבי״ם].

Another approach sees this phrasing as a descending scale of hope. The poet asks God to listen completely to his prayer, but if that is not granted, he begs that God at least not ignore his plea [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, the two terms can be understood as a continuous sequence of appeal. A person often prays and then continues to plead repeatedly for the very same issue. David asks that God not only accept his initial prayer but also remain attentive to the ongoing pleas that follow, hoping God will not ignore these later cries simply because He already heard the first request [אלשיך].