Isaiah 63:16
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, LORD, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from ancient times is Your name.

NASB 1995
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.

NASB 1977
For Thou art our Father, though Abraham does not know us, And Israel does not recognize us. Thou, O LORD, art our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Thy name.

Legacy Standard Bible
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O Yahweh, are our Father, Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.

Amplified Bible
For [most certainly] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are [still] our Father, Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.

Christian Standard Bible
Yet you are our Father, even though Abraham does not know us and Israel doesn’t recognize us. You, LORD, are our Father; your name is Our Redeemer from Ancient Times.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet You are our Father, even though Abraham does not know us and Israel doesn’t recognize us. You, Yahweh, are our Father; from ancient times, Your name is our Redeemer.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob have both rejected us. But you are still our Father; you have been our protector since ancient times.

English Revised Version
For thou art our father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us: thou, O LORD, art our father; our redeemer from everlasting is thy name.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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.

Good News Translation
You are our father. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob do not acknowledge us, but you, LORD, are our father, the one who has always rescued us.

International Standard Version
But you are our Father, even Abraham does not know us and Israel has not acknowledged us; you are he, O LORD, our Father, from long ago, 'Our Redeemer' is your name.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, LORD, are our father; you have been called our protector from ancient times.

New Heart English Bible
For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn't know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us: you, LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For You [are] our Father, "" For Abraham has not known us, "" And Israel does not acknowledge us, "" You, O YHWH, [are] our Father, "" Our Redeemer from the Age, [is] Your Name.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
For thou our Father, for Abraham knew us not, and Israel will not recognize us: thou Jehovah our Father redeeming us; thy name from eternity.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you are our Father, and Abraham has not known us, and Israel has been ignorant of us. You are our Father, O Lord our Redeemer. Your name is beyond all ages.

New American Bible
For you are our father. Were Abraham not to know us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, LORD, are our father, our redeemer you are named from of old.

New Revised Standard Version
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.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For thou art our Father, though Abraham knew us not and Israel did not acknowledge us; thou, O LORD, art our Father, and our Saviour; thy name is from everlasting.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because you are our Father. Abraham did not know us and Israel did not acknowledge us. You are LORD JEHOVAH our Father and our Savior and your name is from eternity
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For Thou art our Father; For Abraham knoweth us not, And Israel doth not acknowledge us; Thou, O LORD, art our Father, Our Redeemer from everlasting is Thy name.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thou art our Father; for though Abraham knew us not, and Israel did not acknowledge us, yet do thou, O Lord, our Father, deliver us: thy name has been upon us from the beginning.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for Mercy
15Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained. 16Yet 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. 17Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.…

Cross References
Romans 8:15-16
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” / The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Galatians 4:6-7
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” / So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

John 1:12-13
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— / children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

1 John 3:1-2
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. / Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

Hebrews 12:9
Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?

Matthew 6:9
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,

2 Corinthians 6:18
And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Psalm 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Deuteronomy 32:6
Is this how you repay the LORD, O foolish and senseless people? Is He not your Father and Creator? Has He not made you and established you?

Jeremiah 31:9
They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”

Hosea 11:1
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

Malachi 1:6
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’

Exodus 4:22
Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.


Treasury of Scripture

Doubtless you are our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: you, O LORD, are our father, our redeemer; your name is from everlasting.

thou art

Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Exodus 4:22
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Deuteronomy 32:6
Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

through

Job 14:21
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Isaiah 63:12
That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 43:14
Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

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Isaiah 63
1. Christ shows who he is
2. What his victory over his enemies
7. And what his mercy toward his church
10. In his just wrath he remembers his free mercy
15. The church, in her prayer
17. And complaint, professes her faith














Yet You are our Father
This phrase establishes a profound relationship between God and His people, emphasizing intimacy and care. The Hebrew word for "Father" here is "אָב" (av), which denotes not only a biological parent but also a protector and provider. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a father was seen as the head of the family, responsible for the welfare and guidance of his children. This imagery conveys God's role as a loving and guiding presence in the lives of His people, reinforcing the covenant relationship established with Israel.

even though Abraham does not know us
This part of the verse acknowledges a separation or distance from the patriarch Abraham, who is often seen as the father of the nation of Israel. The Hebrew word for "know" is "יָדַע" (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. The historical context here reflects a time when the Israelites felt disconnected from their ancestral roots, possibly during the Babylonian exile. Despite this disconnection, the verse reassures the people of their identity and belonging through their relationship with God.

and Israel does not recognize us
Similar to the previous phrase, this highlights a perceived estrangement from their forefather Jacob, also known as Israel. The Hebrew word for "recognize" is "נָכַר" (nakar), which can mean to acknowledge or to regard. This suggests a feeling of being forgotten or unacknowledged by their own heritage. The historical backdrop of exile and dispersion might have contributed to this sentiment, yet the verse underscores that their true identity and recognition come from God, not merely from human lineage.

You, O LORD, are our Father
Reiterating the opening declaration, this phrase emphasizes the personal and communal relationship with God. The use of "LORD" (YHWH) is significant, as it is the covenant name of God, denoting His eternal and unchanging nature. This repetition serves to reassure the Israelites of God's unwavering commitment to them, despite their circumstances. It is a call to remember that their ultimate identity and security are found in their divine relationship.

Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name
The term "Redeemer" (גּוֹאֵל, go'el) is rich with meaning, referring to one who buys back or rescues. In the cultural context, a redeemer was often a family member who restored the rights of another, reflecting God's role in delivering His people from bondage. "From Everlasting" (מֵעוֹלָם, me'olam) speaks to God's eternal nature and His timeless commitment to His people. This phrase encapsulates the hope and assurance that God, as their Redeemer, is both their historical and eternal Savior, offering a promise of restoration and continuity beyond their immediate struggles.

(16) Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham . . .--Better, For Abraham is ignorant of us. The passage is striking as being an anticipation of the New Testament thought, that the Fatherhood of, God rests on something else than hereditary descent, and extends not to a single nation only, but to all mankind. Abraham might disclaim his degenerate descendants, but Jehovah would still recognise them. Implicitly, at least, the words contain the truth that "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matthew 3:9). He is still their Redeemer. The words may possibly imply the thought that, as in the case of Jeremiah (2 Maccabees 15:13-14), and Rachel (Jeremiah 31:15), Abraham was thought of as watching over his posterity, and interceding for them. So, eventually, Abraham appears in the popular belief of Israel, as welcoming his children in the unseen world (Luke 16:22).

Verse 16. - Doubtless thou art our Father; rather, for thou art our Father. This is the ground of their appeal to God. As their Father, he must love them, and must be ready to listen to them. Abraham and Isaac, their earthly fathers, were of no service, lent them no aid, seemed to have ceased to feel any interest in them. It cannot be justly argued from this that the Jews looked to Abraham and Isaac as actual "patron saints," or directed towards them their religious regards. Had this been so, there would have been abundant evidence of it. Thou, O Lord, art our Father (comp. Isaiah 64:8; and see also Deuteronomy 32:6, and Jeremiah 3:4). Though the relationship was revealed under the old covenant, it was practically realized only upon the rarest occasions. Our Redeemer; thy name, etc.; rather, our Redeemer has been thy name from of old. "Redeemer" first appears as a name of God in Job (Job 19:25) and in the Psalms (Psalm 19:14; Psalm 78:35). It is an epitheton usitatum only in the later portion of Isaiah. There it occurs thirteen times.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Yet
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You
אַתָּ֣ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are our Father,
אָבִ֔ינוּ (’ā·ḇî·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1: Father

though
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Abraham
אַבְרָהָם֙ (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

does not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know us
יְדָעָ֔נוּ (yə·ḏā·‘ā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

and Israel
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (wə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

does not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

acknowledge us.
יַכִּירָ֑נוּ (yak·kî·rā·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize

You,
אַתָּ֤ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

O LORD,
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

are our Father;
אָבִ֔ינוּ (’ā·ḇî·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1: Father

our Redeemer
גֹּאֲלֵ֥נוּ (gō·’ă·lê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1350: To redeem, act as kinsman

from of old
מֵֽעוֹלָ֖ם (mê·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

is Your name.
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (šə·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 63:16 For you are our Father though Abraham (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 63:15
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