Isa 63:15-19 | JFB | STEP | 15. Here begins a fervent appeal to God to pity Israel now on the ground of His former benefits. habitation of ... holiness-- ( ; ; ; ; ). zeal ... strength-- evinced formerly for Thy people. sounding of ... bowels-- Thine emotions of compassion ( ; ; ; ).

‏ Isaiah 63:15-19

15. Here begins a fervent appeal to God to pity Israel now on the ground of His former benefits.

habitation of ... holiness--(Is 57:15; De 26:15; 2Ch 30:27; Psa 33:14; 80:14).

zeal ... strength--evinced formerly for Thy people.

sounding of ... bowels--Thine emotions of compassion (Is 16:11; Jr 31:20; 48:36; Ho 11:8).

16. thou ... father--of Israel, by right not merely of creation, but also of electing adoption (Is 64:8; De 32:6; 1Ch 29:10).

though Abraham ... Israel--It had been the besetting temptation of the Jews to rest on the mere privilege of their descent from faithful Abraham and Jacob (Mt 3:9; Joh 8:39; 4:12); now at last they renounce this, to trust in God alone as their Father, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary. Even though Abraham, our earthly father, on whom we have prided ourselves, disown us, Thou wilt not (Is 49:15; Psa 27:10). Isaac is not mentioned, because not all his posterity was admitted to the covenant, whereas all Jacob's was; Abraham is specified because he was the first father of the Jewish race.

everlasting--an argument why He should help them, namely, because of His everlasting immutability.

17. made us to err--that is, "suffer" us to err and to be hardened in our heart. They do not mean to deny their own blameworthiness, but confess that through their own fault God gave them over to a reprobate mind (Is 6:9, 10; Psa 119:10; Ro 1:28).

Return--(Nu 10:36; Psa 90:13).

18. people of ... holiness--Israel dedicated as holy unto God (Is 62:12; De 7:6).

possessed--namely, the Holy Land, or Thy "sanctuary," taken from the following clause, which is parallel to this (compare Is 64:10, 11; Psa 74:6-8).

thy--an argument why God should help them; their cause is His cause.

19. thine ... never--rather, "We are Thine from of old; Thou barest not rule over them" [Barnes]. Lowth translates, "We for long have been as those over whom Thou hast not ruled, who are not called by Thy name"; "for long" thus stands in contrast to "but a little while" (Is 63:18). But the analogy of Is 63:18 makes it likely that the first clause in this verse refers to the Jews, and the second to their foes, as English Version and Barnes translate it. The Jews' foes are aliens who have unjustly intruded into the Lord's heritage.