He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
turneth
Proverbs 21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Isaiah 1:15,16 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood…
Isaiah 58:7-11 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? …
even
Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psalm 109:7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
even his prayer is detestable
This part of the verse highlights the seriousness of disregarding God's law. In biblical times, prayer was a central aspect of worship and communication with God. However, the effectiveness of prayer is contingent upon the righteousness of the individual (James 5:16). When one turns away from God's commandments, their prayers become unacceptable, akin to the sacrifices of the wicked, which are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 15:8). This reflects the principle that God desires obedience over ritual (1 Samuel 15:22). The term "detestable" underscores the severity of the offense, indicating that God does not merely ignore such prayers but finds them repugnant. This concept is further illustrated in Isaiah 1:15, where God refuses to listen to the prayers of those who persist in sin. The verse serves as a warning that a relationship with God requires both faith and obedience, a theme that is consistent throughout Scripture.
• The verse opens with an all-inclusive word. No one—religious or irreligious—stands outside its reach.
• Romans 3:23 reminds us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” so the warning applies equally to every heart.
• John 3:16 shows God’s universal invitation, yet Proverbs 28:9 shows a universal accountability: the same “whoever” invited to believe is the “whoever” cautioned here.
• This is deliberate, not accidental. Zechariah 7:11 pictures people who “stopped up their ears,” and Acts 7:57 shows hearers literally covering their ears—both vivid portraits of willful refusal.
• Turning the ear is turning the heart. Matthew 13:15 connects dull ears with a calloused heart, stressing that indifference to God’s voice springs from inner resistance, not mere distraction.
• It is a conscious decision to step out from under God’s authority.
• “The law” points to God’s revealed word—the commands, principles, and gospel truths He has spoken. Deuteronomy 5:1 urges, “Hear, O Israel,” and Joshua 1:8 calls us to meditate on Scripture “day and night.”
• In biblical thinking, to “hear” is to obey. James 1:22 cautions that hearing without doing produces self-deception.
• Neglect of Scripture is therefore more than a lapse in study habits; it is rebellion against the living God who speaks.
• A person who refuses God’s word finds God refusing his words. Psalm 66:18 states, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
• Isaiah 1:15 depicts God hiding His eyes from hands lifted in empty ritual, and Isaiah 59:2 explains why: “your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God.”
• John 9:31 sums it up: “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He listens to the godly man who does His will.” 1 Peter 3:12 echoes the same principle.
• Prayer that disregards obedience is hypocrisy; God finds it “detestable”—a strong word showing moral revulsion, not mere disapproval.
Proverbs 28:9 draws a straight line between the way we treat God’s word and the way God treats our prayers. Everyone is summoned to listen, but if we purposely block our ears to His commands, our prayers hit a closed heaven. Genuine communion with God flows from hearts that welcome His voice and walk in His ways.
(9) Even his prayer shall be abomination.--See above on Proverbs 15:8.Verse 9. - He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law. He who refuses to hearken to and to practise the dictates of the Divine law (comp Proverbs 1:20. Even his prayer shall be abomination (comp. Proverbs 15:8, and note there). "God heareth not sinners" (John 9:31). Such a man's prayer, if he does pray, is not hearty and sincere, and therefore, lacks the element which alone can make it acceptable. He will not resolve to forsake his favourite sin, even while paying outward worship to the God whoso Law he breaks: what wonder that the prophet so sternly denounces such offenders (Isaiah 1:11. etc.), and the psalmist cries with terrible rigour, "When he shall be judged, let him be condemned; and let his prayer become sin" (Psalm 109:7)? St. Gregory ('Moral.,' 10:27), "Our heart blames us in offering up our prayers, when it calls to mind that it is set in opposition to the precepts of him whom it implores, and the prayer becomes abomination, when there is a 'turning away' from the control of the Law; in that wrily it is meet that a man should be a stranger to the favours of him to whose bidding he will not be subject." And again (ibid., 18:9, 10), "If that which he bids we do, that which we ask we shall obtain. For with God both these two do of necessity match with one another exactly, that practice should be sustained by prayer, and prayer by practice" (Oxford transl.).