Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 49:16
16Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
- New International Version (NIV)See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Context of Isaiah 49:16
14Zion says, “The Lord has abandoned me; the Lord has forgotten me!” 15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 17Your builders hurry; those who destroy and devastate you will leave you. 18Look up, and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As I live” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “you will wear all your children as jewelry, and put them on as a bride does.
Read all of Isaiah 49Isaiah 49:16 word by word
הֵ֥ן עַל־כַּפַּ֖יִם חַקֹּתִ֑יךְ חוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְ נֶגְדִּ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 49:16
- Exodus 13:9Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand.
- Jeremiah 22:24“As I live” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “though you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would tear you from it.
- Haggai 2:23On that day” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — “I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you.” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
- Isaiah 26:1On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Salvation is established as walls and ramparts.
- Isaiah 54:12I will make your fortifications out of rubies, your gates out of sparkling stones, and all your walls out of precious stones.
- Isaiah 60:18Violence will never again be heard of in your land; devastation and destruction will be gone from your borders. You will call your walls Salvation and your city gates Praise.
- Revelation 21:10He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
Commentaries on Isaiah 49:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands "Behold, on the palms of my hands have I delineated thee" - This is certainly an allusion to some practice, common among the Jews at that time, of making marks on their hands or arms by punctures on the skin, with some sort of sign or representation of the city or temple, to show their affection and zeal for it. They had a method of making such punctures indelible by fire, or by staining. See note on…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands - This is another argument in answer to the complaint of Zion in Isaiah 49:14. There have been various interpretations of this passage. Grotius supposes that it refers to a custom of placing some mark or sign on the hand, or on one of the fingers when they wished to remember anything, and appeals to Exodus 13:9. Lowth supposes that it is an allusion to some practice common among the Jews at that time…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 Let there be universal joy, for God will have mercy upon the afflicted, because of his compassion; upon his afflicted, because of his covenant. We have no more reason to question his promise and grace, than we have to question his providence and justice. Be assured that God has a tender affection for his church and people; he would not have them to be discouraged. Some mothers do neglect their children; but God's compassions to his people…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Alluding to the Jews' custom (perhaps drawn from Ex 13:9) of puncturing on their hands a representation of their city and temple, in token of zeal for them [Lowth], (So 8:6).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 49:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 49
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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