Isaiah 64:8
Isaiah 64:8 in Multiple Translations
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
But now, O Lord, you are our father; we are the earth, and you are our maker; and we are all the work of your hand.
But you, Lord, are our Father. We're the clay, you're the potter. You made us all with your own hands.
But now, O Lord, thou art our Father: we are the clay, and thou art our potter, and we all are the worke of thine hands.
And now, O Jehovah, thou [art] our Father, We [are] the clay, and Thou our Framer, And the work of Thy hand — all of us.
But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay: and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands.
Yahweh, you are our father. We are like [MET] clay, and you created us, like [MET] a potter creates pottery.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 64:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 64:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אַל
תִּקְצֹ֤ף
יְהוָה֙
עַד
מְאֹ֔ד
וְ/אַל
לָ/עַ֖ד
תִּזְכֹּ֣ר
עָוֺ֑ן
הֵ֥ן
הַבֶּט
נָ֖א
עַמְּ/ךָ֥
כֻלָּֽ/נוּ
אַל
ʼal
H408
not
Part
תִּקְצֹ֤ף
qâtsaph
H7107
be angry
V-Qal-Juss-2ms
יְהוָה֙
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
עַד
ʻad
H5704
till
Prep
מְאֹ֔ד
mᵉʼôd
H3966
much
Adv
וְ/אַל
ʼal
H408
not
Conj | Part
לָ/עַ֖ד
ʻad
H5703
perpetuity
Prep | N-ms
תִּזְכֹּ֣ר
zâkar
H2142
to remember
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
עָוֺ֑ן
ʻâvôn
H5771
iniquity
N-cs
הֵ֥ן
hên
H2005
look!
Part
הַבֶּט
nâbaṭ
H5027
to look
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
נָ֖א
nâʼ
H4994
please
Part
עַמְּ/ךָ֥
ʻam
H5971
Amaw
N-ms | Suff
כֻלָּֽ/נוּ
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 64:8
אַל
ʼal
H408
"not"
Part
Means not or nothing, used to express negation, as in the phrase do not or let not be.
Definition: 1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference) 1a) do not, let not (with a verb) 1b) let there not be (with a verb understood) 1c) not, no (with substantive) 1d) nothing (as substantive) Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Usage: Occurs in 572 OT verses. KJV: nay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than. See also: Genesis 13:8; Joshua 11:6; 1 Chronicles 22:13.
תִּקְצֹ֤ף
qâtsaph
H7107
"be angry"
V-Qal-Juss-2ms
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to be angry or furious, like God's wrath in Psalm 2:12. It describes intense rage or displeasure, often used to warn against provoking God's anger. This word appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: 1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth 1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious 1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger 1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: (be) anger(-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to) wrath (come), be wroth. See also: Genesis 40:2; Esther 1:12; Psalms 106:32.
יְהוָה֙
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
עַד
ʻad
H5704
"till"
Prep
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Definition: prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)
Usage: Occurs in 1128 OT verses. KJV: against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet. See also: Genesis 3:19; Exodus 32:20; Numbers 23:24.
מְאֹ֔ד
mᵉʼôd
H3966
"much"
Adv
Meod means 'much' or 'very' and is used to emphasize something. It can mean 'exceedingly' or 'greatly' and is often used to show strong feelings or actions.
Definition: adv 1) exceedingly, much subst 2) might, force, abundance n m 3) muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly 3a) force, might 3b) exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree) 3b1) exceedingly 3b2) up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly 3b3) with muchness, muchness
Usage: Occurs in 278 OT verses. KJV: diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well. See also: Genesis 1:31; 1 Samuel 11:6; Psalms 6:4.
וְ/אַל
ʼal
H408
"not"
Conj | Part
Means not or nothing, used to express negation, as in the phrase do not or let not be.
Definition: 1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference) 1a) do not, let not (with a verb) 1b) let there not be (with a verb understood) 1c) not, no (with substantive) 1d) nothing (as substantive) Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Usage: Occurs in 572 OT verses. KJV: nay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than. See also: Genesis 13:8; Joshua 11:6; 1 Chronicles 22:13.
לָ/עַ֖ד
ʻad
H5703
"perpetuity"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word means forever or eternity, describing something that has no end, like God's existence. It's used in the Bible to talk about things that last forever. In Genesis, it describes God's eternal nature.
Definition: 1) perpetuity, for ever, continuing future 1a) ancient (of past time) 1b) for ever (of future time) 1b1) of continuous existence 1c) for ever (of God's existence)
Usage: Occurs in 49 OT verses. KJV: eternity, ever(-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, [phrase] world without end. See also: Exodus 15:18; Psalms 111:3; Psalms 9:6.
תִּזְכֹּ֣ר
zâkar
H2142
"to remember"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
To remember means to recall or mark something, like God remembering his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 9:1 and Exodus 2:24.
Definition: 1) to remember, recall, call to mind 1a) (Qal) to remember, recall 1b) (Niphal) to be brought to remembrance, be remembered, be thought of, be brought to mind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to remember, remind 1c2) to cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance 1c3) to mention 1c4) to record 1c5) to make a memorial, make remembrance
Usage: Occurs in 223 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well. See also: Genesis 8:1; Psalms 74:2; Psalms 8:5.
עָוֺ֑ן
ʻâvôn
H5771
"iniquity"
N-cs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means moral evil or sin, like the kind God sees in people's hearts. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms. This concept is key to understanding human nature.
Definition: : crime 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
Usage: Occurs in 215 OT verses. KJV: fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin. See also: Genesis 4:13; Psalms 107:17; Psalms 18:24.
הֵ֥ן
hên
H2005
"look!"
Part
An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.
Definition: interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)
Usage: Occurs in 311 OT verses. KJV: behold, if, lo, though. See also: Genesis 3:22; Job 2:6; Psalms 51:7.
הַבֶּט
nâbaṭ
H5027
"to look"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
This verb means to look or regard something carefully. It can also mean to show favor or care for someone. In the Bible, it is used to describe how God looks at his people with favor and care, as seen in Psalm 138:6.
Definition: 1) to look, regard 1a) (Piel) to look 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) tolook 1b2) to regard, show regard to, pay attention to, consider 1b3) to look upon, regard, show regard to
Usage: Occurs in 67 OT verses. KJV: (cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see. See also: Genesis 15:5; Psalms 104:32; Psalms 10:14.
נָ֖א
nâʼ
H4994
"please"
Part
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Definition: 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation
Usage: Occurs in 374 OT verses. KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh. See also: Genesis 12:11; Judges 4:19; 1 Kings 13:6.
עַמְּ/ךָ֥
ʻam
H5971
"Amaw"
N-ms | Suff
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Definition: This name means nation, people
Usage: Occurs in 1655 OT verses. KJV: folk, men, nation, people. See also: Genesis 11:6; Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 17:9.
כֻלָּֽ/נוּ
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms | Suff
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
Study Notes — Isaiah 64:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 64:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 64:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 64:8
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 64:8
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 64:8
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
- Sermons on Isaiah 64:8
Context — A Prayer for God’s Power
6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
7No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
8But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
9Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people! 10Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ephesians 2:10 | For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. |
| 2 | Psalms 119:73 | Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 18:2–6 | “Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will reveal My message to you.” So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel. But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. |
| 4 | Psalms 138:8 | The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever— do not abandon the works of Your hands. |
| 5 | Psalms 100:3 | Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. |
| 6 | Isaiah 44:24 | Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth, |
| 7 | Isaiah 29:16 | You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”? |
| 8 | Isaiah 45:9 | Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? |
| 9 | Isaiah 63:16 | Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. |
| 10 | Isaiah 43:7 | everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.” |
Isaiah 64:8 Summary
This verse means that God is our loving Father and Creator, and we are His children, completely dependent on Him. Just like clay is shaped by a potter, we need to be submissive to God's will and allow Him to shape us into the people He wants us to be (Romans 9:21). We are all created by God and are His workmanship, designed to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). By recognizing God as our Father and Creator, we can trust in His love and care for us, and surrender our lives to His guidance and direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be 'clay' in God's hands?
To be clay in God's hands, as mentioned in Isaiah 64:8, means to be completely pliable and submissive to His will, allowing Him to shape and mold us as He sees fit, much like a potter shapes clay into a vessel (Jeremiah 18:6, Romans 9:21).
Is God really our Father?
Yes, according to Isaiah 64:8, God is our Father, and this is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing God's loving and paternal relationship with His people (Psalm 103:13, Matthew 6:9).
What does it mean to be 'the work of His hand'?
To be the work of God's hand means that we are created and formed by Him, and our lives are a reflection of His craftsmanship and design (Psalm 119:73, Ephesians 2:10).
How can we apply this verse to our lives?
We can apply Isaiah 64:8 to our lives by recognizing our complete dependence on God and submitting to His will, allowing Him to shape and mold us into the people He wants us to be (Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 12:2).
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I allow God to shape and mold me like clay, surrendering my will to His?
- How does recognizing God as my Father impact my daily life and relationship with Him?
- What are some areas of my life where I need to submit to God's hand and allow Him to work?
- How can I trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom, even when I don't understand what He's doing in my life?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father,.... Notwithstanding all that we have done against thee, and thou hast done to us, the relation of a father continues; thou art our Father by creation and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; an argument or pathetical plea for pity; or, Notwithstanding all this, thou art our Father, both by creation and by adoption, therefore pity us thy children. We are the clay; a metonymy of the matter, clay for the vessels made of clay; or, we are clay, pointing at our original matter; or it may relate to their state, that God framed them in a body civil and ecclesiastical, out of a confused multitude; they plead at the same time their own frailty, why they would be pitied; and God’ s covenant interest in them, why he should pity them. We all are the work of thy hand; another argument of the same nature with the former, , not only as men, but as a body of men made thy peculiar.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.Ver. 8. But now, O Lord, thou art our father.] Or, Yet now, O Lord, thou art our father; therefore "we shall not die," say they, boldly, but warrantably. See on Isaiah 63:16. We are the clay, and thou art our potter.] This was grown to a proverb among the heathens also, Kεραμοςοανθρωπος, Man is a clod of clay; πηλοςκομψωςπεφυραμενος, A piece of clay neatly made up, saith Arian upon Epictetus. Fictus ex argilla et luto homulus, saith Cicero. And Nigidius was surnamed Figulus, or the Potter, saith Augustine, because he used to say that man was nothing else but an earthen vessel. See 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:1. We are all the work of thy hands.] Both as made and remade by thee; therefore despise us not. Look upon the wounds of thy hands, and forsake not the work of thine hands, prayed Queen Elizabeth. Orat. ad Pison.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
(8) We are the clay, and thou our potter . . .—Commonly, partly, perhaps, from St. Paul’s application of the image in Romans 9:20-21, and Isaiah’s own use of it in Isaiah 29:16, we associate the idea of the potter with that of simple arbitrary sovereignty. Here, however (as in Jeremiah 18:6), another aspect is presented to us, and the power of the Great Potter is made the ground of prayer. The “clay” entreats Him to fashion it according to His will, and has faith in His readiness, as well as His power, to comply with that prayer. The thought of the “potter” becomes, in this aspect of it, one with that of the Fatherhood of God.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
Verse 8. But, now, O Lord, thou art our Father - "But thou, O JEHOVAH, thou art our Father"] For ועתה veattah, and now, five MSS., one of them ancient, and the two oldest editions, 1486 and 1488, have ואתה veattah, and thou; and so the Chaldee seems to have read. The repetition has great force. The other word may be well spared. "But now, O Lord, thou art our Father." How very affectionate is the complaint in this and the following verses! But how does the distress increase, when they recollect the desolations of the temple, and ruin of public worship, Isaiah 64:11: "Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire," &c. We all are the work of thy hand] Three MSS. (two of them ancient) and the Septuagint read מעשה maaseh, the work, without the conjunction ו vau prefixed. And for ידך yadecha, thy hand, the Bodleian, and two others MSS., the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read ידיך yadeycha, thy hands, in the plural number. - L.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 64:8
8–12. The prayer now ends in a direct and touching supplication, supported by various pleas, that Jehovah will at last cause His wrath against His people to cease.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our Father - (See the notes at Isaiah 63:16).
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 64:8
8. Thou art our Father — To the very few thou art the spiritual Father. The confession here reaches the point when God accepts, and becomes a heavenly Father.
Sermons on Isaiah 64:8
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
"His Plan for Me" by Leonard Ravenhill | This sermon reflects on the poem 'His Plan for Me' and delves into the concept of surrendering to God's will. It explores the idea of standing before Christ at the judgment seat an |
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(First Baptist Church) #4 - the Welsh Revival of 1904-05 by J. Edwin Orr | In this sermon transcript, the speaker discusses the impact of a revival on the community and the role of the police during this time. The speaker shares that before the revival, t |
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In the Potters Hands by Steve Hill | This sermon emphasizes how God works uniquely in each of our lives according to His purpose, even when we struggle with the trials and challenges He allows. It highlights the analo |
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Full Surrender by Keith Daniel | This sermon is about the importance of surrendering to God, highlighting the struggle to let go of our troubles and the unknown hindrances that hold us back. It emphasizes the need |
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Lessons From the Potters House by Chuck Smith | This sermon focuses on the analogy of God as the potter and us as the clay, emphasizing the importance of yielding to God's shaping and molding in our lives. It highlights how God' |
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How the Spirit Leads Us - Part 4 by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of depending on God to fulfill His promises in the New Covenant, contrasting it with the limitations of the Old Covenant. It highlights the ne |
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Lessons From the Potter's House by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker uses the analogy of a potter and clay to illustrate how God shapes and molds our lives. The speaker emphasizes the importance of patience and perseveran |