God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 63:16
16You are our Father. Even though Abraham doesn’t know us and Israel doesn’t pay attention to us, O Lord, you are our Father. Your name is our Defender From Everlasting.
Isaiah 63:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
- New International Version (NIV)But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
Context of Isaiah 63:16
14Like animals going down into a valley, they were given rest by the Lord’s Spirit. In this way you guided your people to make an honored name for yourself. 15Look down and see from heaven, from your holy and beautiful dwelling. Where is your determination and might? Where is the longing of your heart and your compassion? Don’t hold back. You are our Father. Even though Abraham doesn’t know us and Israel doesn’t pay attention to us, O Lord, you are our Father. Your name is our Defender From Everlasting. 17O Lord, why do you let us wander from your ways and become so stubborn that we are unable to fear you? Return for the sake of your servants. They are the tribes that belong to you. 18Your holy people possessed the land for a little while. Our enemies have trampled on your holy place.
Read all of Isaiah 63Isaiah 63:16 word by word
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אָבִ֔ינוּ כִּ֤י אַבְרָהָם֙ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֔נוּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֣א יַכִּירָ֑נוּ אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אָבִ֔ינוּ גֹּאֲלֵ֥נוּ מֵֽעוֹלָ֖ם שְׁמֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Doubtlessכִּיkîy · forH3588
- our fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- though Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
- be ignorantיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- be ignorantלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- of us, and Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- acknowledgeנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
- us not: thou, O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our redeemerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: redeemH1350
- thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- from everlastingעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
Cross-references for Isaiah 63:16
- Isaiah 64:8But now, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.
- Exodus 4:22Then tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.
- Deuteronomy 32:6Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and silly people? Isn’t he your Father and Owner, who made you and formed you?
- 1 Chronicles 29:10he praised the Lord while the whole assembly watched. David said, “May you be praised, Lord God of Israel, our father forever and ever.
- Jeremiah 3:19“I wanted to treat you like children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful property among the nations. I thought that you would call me Father and wouldn’t turn away from me.
- Jeremiah 31:9They will cry as they return. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams on a level path where they will not stumble. I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn.
- Malachi 1:6“This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
- Malachi 2:10Don’t all of us have the same father? Hasn’t the same God created us? Why are we unfaithful to each other? And why do we dishonor the promise given to our ancestors?
- Matthew 6:9“This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy.
- Job 14:21His sons are honored, and he doesn’t know it. Or they become unimportant, and he doesn’t realize it.
- Ecclesiastes 9:5The living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no more reward for the dead when the memory of them has faded.
- Isaiah 63:12Where is the one who sent his powerful arm to support the right hand of Moses? Where is the one who divided the water in front of them to make an everlasting name for himself?
- Isaiah 41:14Don’t be afraid, Jacob, you worm. You people of Israel, I will help you,” declares the Lord, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 43:14This is what the Lord, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send ⌞an army⌟ to Babylon. I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees in the ships that they take pride in.
- Isaiah 44:6The Lord is Israel’s king and defender. He is the Lord of Armies. This is what the Lord says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.
- Isaiah 54:5Your husband is your maker. His name is the Lord of Armies. Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth.
Commentaries on Isaiah 63:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting "O deliver us for the sake of thy name" - The present text reads, as our translation has rendered it, "Our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting." But instead of מעולם meolam, from everlasting, an ancient MS. has למען lemaan, for the sake of, which gives a much better sense. To show the impropriety of the present reading, it is sufficient to observe, that the Septuagint and Syriac translators thought it…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Doubtless - Hebrew, כי kı̂y - For;‘ verily; surely. It implies the utmost confidence that he still retained the feelings of a tender father. Thou art our father - Notwithstanding appearances to the contrary, and though we should be disowned by all others, we will still believe that thou dost sustain the relation of a father. Though they saw no human aid, yet their confidence was unwavering that he had still tender compassion toward them. Though Abraham be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 They beseech him to look down on the abject condition of their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name to remove the veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of his inheritance? The Babylonish captivity, and the after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here foretold. The Lord looks down upon us in tenderness and mercy. Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16our Father: God is described as a Father to his people. His care and faithfulness to his children are stronger and more secure than their family or national ancestry. Their true identity does not depend only on being descendants of Abraham. It depends on belonging to God as his children (see Isaiah 9:6; 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Psalm 68:5; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 6:9–15; Romans 8:15–17).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. thou ... father--of Israel, by right not merely of creation, but also of electing adoption (Is 64:8; De 32:6; 1Ch 29:10). though Abraham ... Israel--It had been the besetting temptation of the Jews to rest on the mere privilege of their descent from faithful Abraham and Jacob (Mt 3:9; Joh 8:39; 4:12); now at last they renounce this, to trust in God alone as their Father, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary. Even though Abraham, our earthly…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 63:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 63
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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