Commentators unanimously explain that God's refusal to hear prayer was not arbitrary. The people were crying out because of their suffering, not because they were genuinely sorry for their sins. Their prayers were described as a 'wail of suffering' (Ellicott) from the 'guilty smarting under punishment, not of the penitent' (Barnes). This teaches that for prayer to be effective, it must come from a heart that turns towards God in truth, not just one seeking escape from consequences.