We might expect Nehemiah to complain about the broken walls. Instead, he does not mention that problem but immediately bores down to the cause of the problem, that is, the people’s sin. Of the multiple words Scripture uses for sin
(Psalm 51:1–2), Nehemiah chooses the general term that means to miss the mark (Judges 20:16). Though God had created people able to hit the mark in perfect obedience to him, our depravity means we repeatedly miss the mark and so incur God’s righteous judgment. Nehemiah confesses (acknowledges) the people’s failure.
6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.