Isaiah 49:16 kjv
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:16 nkjv
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Isaiah 49:16 niv
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Isaiah 49:16 esv
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:16 nlt
See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins.
Isaiah 49 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 49:15 | "Can a mother forget her nursing child..." | O.T. context for the verse |
| Jeremiah 31:20 | "Is not Ephraim my dear son..." | God's fatherly compassion |
| Psalm 139:17-18 | "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!..." | God's constant thoughts of us |
| Song of Songs 8:6 | "Set me as a seal upon your heart..." | Symbol of enduring love |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." | Ultimate demonstration of love |
| Romans 8:38-39 | "For I am convinced that neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God..." | Inseparable divine love |
| Hebrews 13:5 | "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." | God's presence and faithfulness |
| 1 Peter 1:18-19 | "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed..." | Redemption emphasizes God's resolve |
| Revelation 21:4 | "He will wipe every tear from their eyes..." | End of sorrow, confirming care |
| Psalm 27:10 | "Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me in." | God's ultimate support |
| Isaiah 43:1-4 | "But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you...'" | Redemption and divine care |
| Hosea 11:8-9 | "How can I give you up, Ephraim?... My heart recoils within me..." | God's internal struggle against abandonment |
| Lamentations 3:22 | "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." | Unfailing mercies |
| Matthew 28:20 | "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." | Christ's promise of presence |
| John 14:16 | "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—" | The indwelling Holy Spirit |
| Ephesians 3:17-19 | "...that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ..." | Immensity of Christ's love |
| Philippians 1:6 | "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." | God's completion of His work |
| 2 Timothy 2:13 | "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." | God's inherent faithfulness |
| 1 Corinthians 1:8 | "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." | Preservation by God |
| Isaiah 54:5 | "For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer..." | God as spouse, emphasizing bonding |
Isaiah 49 verses
Isaiah 49 16 Meaning
This verse is a profound declaration of God's unwavering commitment and remembrance of His people, presented as a deeply personal and enduring bond. It signifies that even if others, including the mother who gave birth, could potentially forget, God's love and inscribed remembrance are eternal and cannot be nullified. This assurance is rooted in God's faithfulness, which extends beyond human capacity for forgetfulness or failure.
Isaiah 49 16 Context
Isaiah chapter 49 speaks of the Servant of the Lord, understood by many as a Messianic prophecy. In this particular verse, God is addressing the Servant, who feels abandoned and rejected. The surrounding verses highlight the Servant's suffering and apparent fruitlessness. God reassures the Servant that He has not forgotten him, even in the midst of profound adversity. This serves as a divine vindication and a promise of future restoration and impact. The verse aims to encourage the Servant by emphasizing God's unique and unassailable connection to him, a stark contrast to human relationships that can falter.
Isaiah 49 16 Word Analysis
- Behold (Hebrew: re'eh): See; look at; observe. A command to direct attention.
- I (Hebrew: ʼănî): First-person singular pronoun. Emphasis on the speaker, God.
- have (Hebrew: tsara): Engraved; inscribed. Implies permanence and indelible marking.
- graven: Same as tsara. Reinforces the permanence of the engraving.
- thee (Hebrew: bâḵ): To you; for you. Singular, masculine.
- upon (Hebrew: ʽal): Upon; on; over. Indicates placement or relation.
- my (Hebrew: yāḏ): Hand.
- palms (Hebrew: ḵappôṯ): Palms of the hands (plural of ḵap).
- Analysis of Phrases/Groups of Words:
- "Behold, I have graven thee upon my palms": This imagery suggests a deeply personal and indelible marking. Hands are instruments of action, carrying out plans. To be engraved on God's hands implies being constantly in His thoughts, visible to Him, and a permanent part of His active design and remembrance. It is more personal than merely remembering a name; it is to be a part of His very being and operation. Scholars often link this to the nails that would pierce Jesus' hands, fulfilling this intimate "engraving" through His sacrifice.
- "thy walls are continually before me": This could refer to the literal walls of Jerusalem, representing the restored people or city, or metaphorically to the protection or boundary God has established for His people, which He always sees. The constant presence before God signifies His continuous attention and care, never overlooking or forgetting.
Isaiah 49 16 Bonus Section
The imagery of being "graven upon my palms" is particularly poignant. It speaks of intimate connection and enduring identification. While the immediate context is the Servant of the Lord, Christian theology interprets this as a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, where His hands bore the literal marks of His love and sacrifice for humanity. The scars on His hands are seen as the ultimate, visible proof that we are indelibly inscribed on His heart and eternally remembered by Him. This verse emphasizes God's intentional and permanent relationship with His people, proving that divine love is neither forgetful nor neglectful.
Isaiah 49 16 Commentary
This verse powerfully conveys the unwavering and deeply personal love of God. It's a promise that God's remembrance of His people, represented here by the Servant, is not casual but profoundly etched into His very being and purpose. Even when the world or individuals seem to forget or abandon, God's active remembrance and care are perpetual and unchangeable. This serves as a profound assurance against feelings of rejection or insignificance, pointing to a divine faithfulness that supersedes all human failings. It highlights a commitment so deep that it is visibly displayed, as if carved into His hands. This intimate knowledge and care ensure continuous divine attention and action for His beloved.