Isaiah 63:16 · Bible study
Isaiah 63:16 Commentary: Our Father, Our Redeemer from Everlasting
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 63:16 declares God's unchanging fatherhood and redemption when human ancestors disown us. A cry of faith in God alone.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God alone remains our Father and Redeemer when human ancestors disown us.
- Key words: Father (av, H0001), knows (yada, H3045), acknowledges (nakar, H5234), Redeemer (goel, H1350), everlasting (olam, H5769).
- Main debate: Whether 'from everlasting' describes God's eternal nature or refers to ancient redemptive acts (with a textual variant suggesting 'for our sake').
- Theological theme: God's unchanging fatherhood and redemption as the foundation of hope, transcending human ancestry.
- Best use: Comfort in abandonment; call to trust in God's character over human credentials.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Yet 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 Everlasting is Your name.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For thou art our Father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us: thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For Thou art our Father, For Abraham hath not known us, And Israel doth not acknowledge us, Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, Our redeemer from the age, is Thy name.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer, from everlasting, is thy name.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For thou art our father, and Abraham hath not known us, and Israel hath been ignorant of us: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer, from everlasting is thy name.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Tú empero eres nuestro padre, si bien Abraham nos ignora, é Israel no nos conoce: tú, oh Jehová, eres nuestro padre; nuestro Redentor perpetuo es tu nombre.
Porém tu és nosso Pai, porque Abraão não sabe de nós, nem Israel nos conhece. Tu, SENHOR, és nosso Pai; desde os tempos antigos o teu nome é Nosso Redentor.
Tu es cependant notre père,
Bist du doch unser Vater; denn Abraham weiß von uns nicht, und Israel kennt uns nicht. Du aber, HERR, bist unser Vater und unser Erlöser; von alters her ist das dein Name.
Gij zijt toch onze Vader, want Abraham weet van ons niet, en Israel kent ons niet; Gij, o HEERE! zijt onze Vader, onze Verlosser van ouds af is Uw Naam.
Nondimeno, tu sei nostro padre; poiché Abrahamo non sa chi siamo, e Israele non ci riconosce; tu, o Eterno, sei nostro padre, il tuo nome, in ogni tempo, è “Redentor nostro”.
Tyś zaiste ojciec nasz: bo Abraham nie wie o nas, a Izrael nie zna nas. Tyś, Panie! ojciec nasz, odkupiciel nasz; toć jest od wieku imię twoje.
Только Ты - Отец наш; ибо Авраам не узнает нас, и Израиль не признает нас своими; Ты, Господи, Отец наш, от века имя Твое: "Искупитель наш".
亞伯拉罕 雖然 不 認識我們，以色列 也不 承認我們，你 卻是 我們的父。耶和華啊，你 是我們的父；從萬古以來，你名稱為「我們的救贖主」。
For you are our father, though Abraham has no knowledge of us, and Israel gives no thought to us: you, O Lord, are our father; from the earliest days you have taken up our cause.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 63:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse voices Israel's renunciation of trust in ancestral privilege and a cleaving to God alone as Father and Redeemer. Barnes notes the unwavering conviction that God retains fatherly feelings even when earthly ties break. Gill highlights the church's claim of special adoptive relationship, not merely creation. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see the people finally letting go of pride in descent from Abraham and Jacob. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the patriarchs are dead and cannot help, so Israel turns to the eternal God who created and elected them. The verse is a pivot from lament to confession of faith.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Eternal Attribute View: 'From everlasting' (meolam) describes God's eternal identity as Redeemer; supported by the standard Masoretic text and most translations.
- Variant Petition View: A manuscript reading 'for the sake of' (lemaan) turns the line into a plea for deliverance; supported by the Septuagint's imperative and Adam Clarke's note.
What is clear: God is our Father and Redeemer—this is not in dispute.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Fatherhood of God in the Old Testament vs. New Testament | All traditions agree that God is called Father of Israel in the OT, indicating covenant relationship and special care. | Some traditions see this as primarily national, restricted to Israel; others see it as anticipating the universal fatherhood revealed in Christ. |
| Role of the Patriarchs | Abraham and Jacob cannot know or help the living, they are dead and unaware. | Some commentators (Gill) suggest the patriarchs would not acknowledge Israel because of their sin; others (Keil and Delitzsch) simply note they are dead and unable to act. |
| Textual Variant in 'from everlasting' | The standard text affirms God's name as Redeemer from eternity. | Adam Clarke points to an ancient manuscript reading 'for the sake of' instead of 'from everlasting,' which would make the line a petition ('deliver us for Your name's sake'). The Septuagint and Syriac add 'upon us.' |
| Meaning of 'Redeemer' (goel) | God is the Redeemer who rescues His people from bondage and defends their cause. | Some emphasize the legal kinship obligation (the role of a goel to avenge and restore); others focus on the broader theme of deliverance from exile and sin. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 63:16 sits within a communal lament (Isaiah 63:7, 64:12) likely composed during the Babylonian exile or its aftermath. The people have seen their temple destroyed, their land occupied, and their identity shattered. In verses 15, 19 they cry for God to look down from heaven and act. The mention of Abraham and Jacob (Israel) is intentional: these patriarchs were the foundation of Jewish identity. Yet the psalmist confesses that even these revered ancestors are dead and ignorant of their descendants' plight (Job 14:21; Ecclesiastes 9:5). The Hebrew verbs yada (knows) and nakar (acknowledges) carry legal and relational weight, the ancestors cannot recognize them as their own. This renounces the common temptation to rely on the merits of the fathers (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39). Instead, the community stakes everything on God's covenant fatherhood, established at the exodus (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 32:6). Calling God 'Redeemer' (goel) invokes the kin who rescues and restores (Isaiah 41:14; 44:6). The phrase 'from everlasting' (meolam) grounds hope not in recent history but in God's eternal identity.
Textual Notes
Adam Clarke notes a variant in an ancient Hebrew manuscript where 'from everlasting' (מעולם, meolam) appears as 'for the sake of' (למען, lemaan), making the line a petition: 'Our Redeemer, for Your name's sake.' The Septuagint and Syriac add the word 'upon us' to clarify the sense. Most modern translations and commentators retain the standard reading, affirming God's name as Redeemer from eternity. No other significant variants are reported in the supplied sources.
Reception History
This verse has been treasured in Christian worship as a confession of God's fatherhood when earthly relationships fail. The early church saw it as foreshadowing the New Testament emphasis on God's fatherhood through Christ. During the Reformation, the verse was cited to counter reliance on ancestral merit, faith rests in God alone. Known as a text of comfort, it has been sung in hymns about the unchanging nature of God. Today it continues to offer assurance to Christians facing rejection by family or community, pointing them to the eternal Redeemer.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Failure of Earthly Fathers. Abraham and Israel (Jacob) are dead and cannot know or acknowledge us. Human ancestry, no matter how honored, cannot save.
- The Faithfulness of the Heavenly Father. 'You, Yahweh, are our Father.' Not creation, but covenant, an adoptive relationship that death cannot break.
- The Forever Redeemer. 'Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.' God's identity as deliverer is not recent; it is eternal.
Five-Point Outline
- Crisis of identity: Disowned by the very ancestors we trusted.
- Confession of faith: 'Yet You are our Father.'
- Covenant relationship: Father by creation and redemption, not just biology.
- Eternal name: Redeemer from everlasting, God's character does not change.
- Plea for restoration: The surrounding prayer (vv.15, 17) shows that this confession fuels intercession.
Illustration Hooks
- A child adopted after being abandoned by birth parents finds security in the adoptive father's unchanging love.
- An elderly person with dementia no longer recognizes family, but God never forgets His own.
- A Christian disowned by relatives for their faith discovers the church as a new family with God as Father.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How do I trust God when my own family has rejected me?
- If the patriarchs can't help, what hope is there for me?
- What does it mean that God is my 'Redeemer' personally?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows how to pray when those who should care for us fail. The community of faith models turning from human failure to divine faithfulness. Read the verse aloud together, then discuss.
Discussion Questions
- What situation prompted this confession? Look at the surrounding verses for clues.
- Why does the speaker mention Abraham and Israel specifically? What do these names represent?
- The Hebrew verbs 'knows' and 'acknowledges' imply a legal or relational recognition. What does it mean that the patriarchs do not know us? (Compare Job 14:21 and Ecclesiastes 9:5.)
- How does calling God 'our Redeemer' connect to His role as a kinsman-redeemer in Israelite culture? (Think of Boaz in Ruth or Isaiah 41:14.)
- What difference does it make that God's name as Redeemer is 'from everlasting'? How does that shape your trust in Him?
- In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on human credentials (family, church background, personal history) instead of God alone?
- How can this verse become a prayer for someone who feels abandoned or disowned today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 4:22 | You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn, |
| Deuteronomy 32:6 | Is this the way you repay Yahweh, foolish and unwise people? Isn’t he your father who has bought you? He has made you and established you. |
| I Chronicles 29:10 | Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, “You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. |
| Job 14:21 | His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them. |
| Ecclesiastes 9:5 | For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. |
| Isaiah 41:14 | Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says Yahweh. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. |
| Isaiah 43:14 | Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. |
| Isaiah 44:6 | This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points to an ancient manuscript variant that reads "for the sake of thy name" instead of "thy name is from everlasting," which he considers the better sense. This changes the verse from a statement about God's eternal name into a direct plea for deliverance, matching the Septuagint's imperative "deliver us."
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that even if Abraham and Jacob, the most honored patriarchs, should disown Israel, God’s fatherly love remains unshaken. True confidence in God persists when every human connection fails, proving that divine compassion outlasts the strongest earthly ties.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that even if Abraham and Jacob themselves were to disown or be unaware of Israel, God still owns them as His children. Their relationship with Him does not depend on the patriarchs' acknowledgment, but on His eternal name as Father and Redeemer.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the church's claim on God as Father rests on special adopting grace, not on creation or national heritage. Since earthly ancestors like Abraham are dead and cannot help, believers must turn to God alone as their eternal Redeemer, a title held from everlasting.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
jfb notes that the Jews finally give up relying on their descent from Abraham and Jacob, instead trusting God alone as their Father. Isaac is omitted because not all his descendants were in the covenant, while Abraham is named as the first father of the race. The title "everlasting" argues for God's help because He never changes.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the Old Testament cry "Our Father" does not yet carry the full depth of the New Testament sense. The patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, though honored, are dead and cannot know or intervene for their descendants. Only Jehovah, Israel's Creator and long-standing Redeemer, can be addressed as Father with expectation of help.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the church's anguished question is
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees this prayer as one God himself prepared for his people to use during the Babylonian captivity, giving them the very words to plead with him. He also notes that some interpreters find in it a prophecy of the Jews' later rejection and destruction for refusing the gospel.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a contrast between Abraham, a human father now dead and unaware of our condition, and God as our Redeemer from everlasting. The plea for pity rests on this eternal Redeemer, not on Abraham, who cannot know or help us.