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.

ISAIAH 63:17KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 63:17 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 63:17 mean?

Isaiah 63:17 is a prayer asking God why He has allowed the people to stray from His ways and why their hearts have become hard, making them less responsive to Him. The verse pleads for God to return and help His servants, the tribes that belong to Him, showing a deep longing for restoration.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking on behalf of the people of Israel, addressing God directly. The situation reflects a time of spiritual distance and confusion, where the people feel abandoned and unable to follow God as they should. Isaiah’s words express both sorrow over their condition and hope that God will come back to guide and restore them.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 63:17

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing a direct and covenant relationship between God and Israel.
  • "Err" (תָּעָה, ta'ah): This word means to wander or go astray. The verse suggests a sense of being lost or led off the right path, highlighting the people's helplessness without God’s guidance.
  • "Hardened" (קָשָׁה, qashah): This word means to make hard or stubborn. It points to an inner resistance or inability to respond to God, not just a simple mistake.
  • "Return" (שׁוּב, shuv): This is a plea for God to turn back or come back to His people, carrying the hope of renewed closeness and favor.

Why Isaiah 63:17 matters

  • Isaiah 63:17 helps clear up the idea that spiritual wandering can sometimes feel outside of human control, as if God’s absence makes it harder for people to follow Him.
  • The verse highlights the deep dependence of the people on God’s presence for true faithfulness and spiritual sensitivity.
  • This prayer connects to the larger theme in Isaiah of longing for God’s intervention and restoration, especially after times of judgment or exile.

Where else these words appear

“hardened” Hebrew H7188 · used in 2 verses

  • Job 39:16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

“err” Hebrew H8582 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
  • Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 30:28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

“fear” Hebrew H3374 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
  • Psalms 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
  • Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.