Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

ISAIAH 63:15KJV
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Isaiah 63:15 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 63:15 mean?

Isaiah 63:15 is a prayer asking God to look down from heaven and notice the suffering of His people, questioning why God’s passion, strength, and compassion seem distant or withheld. The speaker wonders where God’s zeal and mercy have gone, feeling as if God’s care is being held back.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking on behalf of the people of Israel, addressing God directly. The setting is one of distress, with Israel feeling abandoned or ignored by God. Isaiah uses vivid language to describe God’s “habitation of holiness and glory” and asks why God’s “zeal,” “strength,” and “mercies” are not being shown as before, expressing a deep longing for God’s active involvement and compassion.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 63:15

  • “Zeal” (קִנְאָה, qin’ah): This word means passionate commitment or intense concern. Isaiah is asking why God’s passionate care for His people seems missing.
  • “Bowels” (מֵעֶה, me’eh): In Hebrew thought, the “bowels” were seen as the seat of deep emotion or compassion. The phrase “sounding of thy bowels” refers to the stirring of deep feelings, especially mercy or pity.
  • “Mercies” (רַחֲמִים, rachamim): This word means tender compassion or loving-kindness. Isaiah is questioning why God’s usual acts of mercy seem to be withheld.
  • “Restrained” (אָפַק, afaq): This word means to hold back or keep in check. Isaiah is asking if God’s compassion is being deliberately withheld from His people.

Why Isaiah 63:15 matters

  • Isaiah 63:15 highlights the honest struggle of faith when God seems distant, showing that it is not wrong to bring such feelings directly to God in prayer.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Isaiah 63 of remembering God’s past kindness and wrestling with His apparent absence in the present, which helps readers understand the emotional depth of Israel’s relationship with God.
  • The use of words like “zeal,” “bowels,” and “mercies” emphasizes that God’s care is not just formal or distant but is expected to be deeply personal and emotionally involved, which shapes how the people hope for God’s response.

Where else these words appear

“habitation” Hebrew H2073 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Kings 8:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.
  • Psalms 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

“restrained” Hebrew H662 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 43:31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
  • 1 Samuel 13:12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
  • Isaiah 42:14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

“bowels” Hebrew H4578 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
  • 2 Chronicles 21:19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
  • Isaiah 48:19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

“zeal” Hebrew H7068 · used in 41 verses

  • Numbers 5:14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
  • Psalms 119:139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
  • Ezekiel 5:13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.