Proverbs 28:9

The one who turns away his ear ¹  from hearing the law, even his prayer ²  is an abomination. ³ 

Ps 66:18; Ps 109:7; Pr 15:8; Pr 21:13; Isa 1:15,16; Isa 58:7-11; Zec 7:11-13; Lu 13:25-27; 2Ti 4:3,4

¹ sn The expression “turn away the ear from hearing” uses a metonymy to mean that this individual will not listen – it indicates a deliberate refusal to follow the instruction of the law.

² sn It is hard to imagine how someone who willfully refuses to obey the law of God would pray according to the will of God. Such a person is more apt to pray for some physical thing or make demands on God. (Of course a prayer of repentance would be an exception and would not be an abomination to the Lord.)

³ sn C. H. Toy says, “If a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on his part, is deaf to prayer” (Proverbs [ICC], 499). And W. McKane observes that one who fails to attend to God’s law is a wicked person, even if he is a man of prayer (Proverbs [OTL], 623).