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Isaiah 63:17

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O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, [and] hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

O LORD {H3068}, why hast thou made us to err {H8582} from thy ways {H1870}, and hardened {H7188} our heart {H3820} from thy fear {H3374}? Return {H7725} for thy servants {H5650}' sake, the tribes {H7626} of thine inheritance {H5159}.

ADONAI, why do you let us wander from your ways and harden our hearts, so that we do not fear you? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes who are your possession.

Why, 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.

O Jehovah, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Commentary

Commentary on Isaiah 63:17 (KJV)

Isaiah 63:17 is a poignant cry from the prophet, representing the lament of the Israelites, likely during a period of national distress or exile. This verse encapsulates a deep spiritual struggle, questioning God's apparent withdrawal and pleading for His return.

Context

This verse is found within a section of Isaiah (chapters 63-64) that serves as a collective lament and intercession for the nation of Israel. Following prophecies of God's vengeance against His enemies and His mighty acts on behalf of His people, the tone shifts to a heartfelt prayer acknowledging Israel's sinfulness and appealing to God's mercy. The people feel abandoned and spiritually hardened, prompting them to ask why God has seemingly allowed them to stray and their hearts to become unresponsive. This period often reflects the aftermath of the Babylonian exile or a time of deep national apostasy, where the people feel the weight of their consequences and long for divine intervention and restoration.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Responsibility: The opening question, "O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, [and] hardened our heart from thy fear?" presents a profound theological tension. While humans are responsible for their sin, the lament attributes a degree of divine allowance or even direct action to their spiritual state. This is not to say God forces sin, but rather that He may, in His judgment, allow hearts to become unresponsive as a consequence of persistent rebellion, a theme explored further in passages like Paul's discussion on God hardening hearts. It reflects the people's desperate attempt to comprehend their spiritual decline.
  • Lament and Supplication: The verse is a powerful example of biblical lament, where the people express their pain, confusion, and desperate need for God. It's a raw, honest prayer, questioning God yet simultaneously appealing to His character and covenant.
  • Plea for Restoration: The cry "Return for thy servants' sake" is a fervent plea for God to re-engage with His people, to bring them back into fellowship and favor. They appeal to His faithfulness to His covenant, reminding Him that they are "thy servants" and "the tribes of thine inheritance."
  • God's Inheritance: The phrase "the tribes of thine inheritance" emphasizes Israel's unique relationship with God. Despite their failings, they appeal to God's prior choice of them as His chosen and peculiar people, hoping His love and commitment will compel Him to act.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "hardened" (קָשָׁה - qashah) implies stiffness, stubbornness, or making something difficult. When applied to the heart, it signifies an unwillingness to respond to God's commands or warnings, a spiritual insensitivity. The phrase "made us to err" (תָעֵנוּ - ta'enu) from the root תָעָה (ta'ah) means to wander, stray, or go astray. While it can imply God causing the straying, in context, it often reflects God's judgment allowing or delivering people over to the consequences of their own choices, rather than actively forcing them to sin. It's a rhetorical question born of deep anguish and a struggle to understand divine providence in their suffering.

Practical Application

Isaiah 63:17 offers several powerful lessons for believers today:

  • Honest Prayer: It validates the practice of bringing our deepest questions, doubts, and laments before God, even when they challenge our understanding of His ways. God can handle our honest struggles.
  • Acknowledging Spiritual Stagnation: The verse prompts self-examination. If we feel distant from God or find our hearts unresponsive, it encourages us to cry out to Him for spiritual renewal and softening of heart.
  • Appealing to God's Character: Like Israel, we can appeal to God's faithfulness, His covenant love, and His identity as our Father, even when we have strayed. He is always willing to receive those who genuinely seek Him and restore His presence and favor.
  • Understanding Divine Judgment and Mercy: While challenging, the verse reminds us that God is sovereign even over the consequences of sin. Yet, His ultimate desire is for His people to return to Him in repentance and humility.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 6:10 (7 votes)

    Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

  • Joshua 11:20 (6 votes)

    For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, [and] that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

  • Ezekiel 14:7 (6 votes)

    For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

  • Ezekiel 14:9 (6 votes)

    And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

  • Deuteronomy 2:30 (5 votes)

    But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as [appeareth] this day.

  • Isaiah 29:13 (4 votes)

    Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

  • Numbers 10:36 (3 votes)

    And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.