Isaiah 49:16

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

14“Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, the sovereign master has forgotten me.’ 15Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you! Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms; your walls are constantly before me. 17Your children hurry back, while those who destroyed and devastated you depart. 18Look all around you! All of them gather to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry; you will put them on as if you were a bride.

Isaiah 49:16 word by word

הֵ֥ן עַל־כַּפַּ֖יִם חַקֹּתִ֑יךְ חוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְ נֶגְדִּ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, I have gravenחָקַקchâqaq · to decreeH2710
• handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• thy wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• continuallyתָּמִידtâmîyd · continuallyH8548

Cross-references for Isaiah 49:16

• Exodus 13:9It will be a sign for you on your hand and a memorial on your forehead, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.
• Jeremiah 22:24The Lord says, “As surely as I am the living God, you, Jeconiah, king of Judah, son of Jehoiakim, will not be the earthly representative of my authority. Indeed, I will take that right away from you.
• Haggai 2:23On that day,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord who rules over all.”
• Isaiah 26:1At that time this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city! The Lord’s deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure.
• Isaiah 54:12I will make your pinnacles out of gems, your gates out of beryl, and your outer wall out of beautiful stones.
• Isaiah 60:18Sounds of violence will no longer be heard in your land, or the sounds of destruction and devastation within your borders. You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’ and your gates, ‘Praise.’
• Revelation 21:10So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending 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

• Church
• God
• God Continued...
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• Church
• Forget
• Mouth
• Circumcision
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Palm (of the Hand)
• Saviour
• Isaiah, Book of

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