Isaiah 49:16

"“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!"

Key Reflection

Isaiah 49:16 powerfully conveys God's unwavering commitment to His people through a poignant comparison with a mother’s love for her nursing child. Just as a mother would never forget or forsake her baby, even in the most trying circumstances, so too will God never abandon those He has chosen, emphasizing the strength and constancy of divine love.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands -This is another argument in answer to the complaint of Zion inIsaiah 49:14. There have been various interpretations of this passage. Grotius supposes that it refers to a custom of placing some mark or sign on the hand, or on one of the fingers when they wished to remember anything, and appeals toExodus 13:9. Lowth supposes that it is an allusion to some practice common among the Jews at that time, of making marks on their hands or arms by means of punctures in the skin with some sign or representation of the city or temple, to show their zeal and affection for it.

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