Open Ears
Psalm 40:6-8
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire —
but my ears you have pierced —
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come —
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 40 opens with a rescue. David has been pulled up from the pit, his feet set on solid ground, and a new song placed in his mouth. His gratitude overflows. Yet in verses 6–8, David seems to pause and ask an honest question: What could possibly be an adequate response to salvation like this?
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire… burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.” In other words, “Here’s a goat” won’t do. David senses a gap between God’s mercy and humanity’s tendency to reduce gratitude to religious transactions. Too often, faith becomes routine, and we are caught simply going through the motions. Sacrifice offered without listening. Obedience mimicked without surrender. What God desires, David realizes, is not more activity, but true service shaped by obedience.
In the midst of this realization is an unexpected image: “my ears you have pierced.”
What does David mean by this? Why mention pierced ears here? Different translations capture the phrase in slightly different ways:
The ESV says, “you have given me an open ear.”
The NIV (2011) reads, “my ears you have opened.”
The NLT paraphrases, “Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand.”
This image of open ears is rich with meaning and can be understood in two complementary ways.
On one level, it speaks of opening the ear for instruction. It paints the picture of ears opened to hear, a heart awakened to God’s voice, attentive and ready for direction. It is clear that obedience begins with listening.
But the image goes deeper. It echoes the Old Testament law of a Hebrew bondservant. According to Mosaic law, a servant was to be released in the seventh year. Yet if he loved his master and chose to remain, his ear would be pierced at the doorpost as a sign of lifelong, voluntary service (Deuteronomy 15:16–17). This piercing became a permanent mark of devotion. A visible declaration that the servant stayed not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
The Hebrew servant’s commitment had four defining qualities: love, voluntary choice, permanence, and total devotion. We see this commitment find its fullest expression in Christ. Hebrews 10:5–7 quotes Psalm 40:6-8 and places these words on the lips of Jesus as He enters the world, “my ears you have pierced.”
From the moment Jesus came, His life was marked by willing obedience. Jesus’ service was motivated by love for His heavenly Father. Yet this obedience was not easy. In Gethsemane, our Savior wrestled deeply, praying that the cup of suffering might pass from Him. Still, He surrendered, saying, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). As the perfect servant, Jesus committed Himself fully to our redemption, pierced on the cross for our salvation.
So what should be our response to our Savior’s sacrifice, to the salvation He has secured for us? We are called to echo David’s words: “Here I am, I have come… I desire to do your will.” This is the response that fits the rescue. With pierced ears and willing hearts, our lives say, ‘You rescued me from the pit; I choose You.’