Isaiah 63:15-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

The foregoing praises were intended as an introduction to this prayer, which is continued to the end of the next chapter, and it is an affectionate, importunate, pleading prayer. It is calculated for the time of the captivity. As they had promises, so they had prayers, prepared for them against that time of need, that they might take with them words in turning to the Lord, and say unto him what he himself taught them to say, in which they might the better hope to prevail, the words being of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 63:15

Look down from heaven ,.... Here begins the prayer of the church and people of God, which continues to the end of the chapter, goes through the next, and the answer to which begins at Isaiah 65:1 . Aben Ezra calls it the prayer of the wise in captivity: it seems to be the petition of some converts among the Jews, either in the first times of the Gospel, or in the latter day; who entreat that the Lord would "look down from heaven", the third heaven, the seat of his majesty, where is his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 63:16

Doubtless thou art our father ,.... Therefore why shouldst thou restrain thy mercies and bowels of compassion from us? or therefore look down upon us, and behold us; the church pleads her relation to God, and in a strong manner; faith of interest continued with her, though he hid his face from her. This relation of father and children, which subsists between God and his people, is not upon the foot of creation, so he is a father to all men; nor on account of national adoption, so he was to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 63:17

O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear ?.... These are the words, not of wicked men among the Jews, charging all their errors, hardness of heart, and wickedness they were guilty of, upon the Lord, as if he was the author and occasion of them, and led them into them; but of the truly godly, lamenting and confessing their wandering from the ways, commands, and ordinances of God, the hardness of their hearts; their want of devotion and affection... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 63:15

And thy strength "And thy mighty power" - For גבורתיך geburotheycha , plural, thirty-two MSS. (seven ancient) and twenty-one of De Rossi's, and seven editions, have גבורתך geburathecha , singular. Are they restrained? - For אלי elai , from (or in regard to) me, the Septuagint and Syriac read אלינו eleynu , from us. - L. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 63:16

Our 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 necessary to add עלינו aleynu ,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 63:17

Why hast thou made us to err - A mere Hebraism, for why hast thou permitted us to err. So, Lead us not into temptation; do not suffer us to fall into that to which we are tempted. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15

Look down from heaven (comp. Deuteronomy 26:15 ; Psalms 80:14 ; 2 Kings 8:1-29 :30). "The Lord's seat" was "in heaven." While the temple lay in ruins, the Jews would naturally address their prayers to God in his heavenly abode. From the habitation of thy holiness . Mr. Cheyne translates, from the height of thy holiness," taking the meaning of the rare word z'bul from the Assyrian. "Height" certainly suits well most of the other places where the word z'bul occurs ( 1 Kings 8:13... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-17

The unvarying Father. The habitation of God's holiness is the habitation of his glory; his glory is in his goodness, in his faithfulness ( Exodus 33:19 ). His fatherhood of man remains and may be counted upon most confidently, although there may appear great obstacles in the way of it. I. OUR INSIGNIFICANCE AMONG MEN is no indication of the absence of God's interest in us. Abraham might be ignorant of any one of his children; our illustrious ancestors, our honoured... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN AND SUFFERING . From thanksgiving and confession, the people betake themselves to prayer, and beseech God to look down from heaven once more, to have compassion on them, to acknowledge them, and to save them alike from themselves ( Isaiah 63:17 ) and from their adversaries ( Isaiah 63:18 , Isaiah 63:19 ). "It is difficult to overrate the spiritual beauty of the prayer contained in this passage. We may admit that the most prominent motive... read more

Group of Brands