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Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me.
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Interpretation

The prophet calls a inscribed that is embodied in limits and longings. Isaiah 49:16: trace "behold" and "have". Align inscribed in promises we keep—anchor courage in promise.

Context

In Isaiah (Prophetic Oracle), highlighting inscribed. Within ch. 49, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward prophetic hope & judgment. Watch the terms “behold” and “have”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Isaiah to the prophet Isaiah. A common scholarly view of Isaiah: Often read as a multi‑stage composition (Deutero/Trito‑Isaiah).. Scholars commonly date Isaiah 8th–5th century BC. Here the thread of prophetic hope & judgment comes into view. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). A long compositional arc is often proposed (Proto/Deutero/Trito).

More details
Traditional:Isaiah son of Amoz
Modern scholarship:Multiple authors (Proto‑, Deutero‑, Trito‑Isaiah).
Date:8th–5th century BC
  • Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero).
  • Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
In the Masoretic tradition the Hebrew text is preserved, standardized between the 6th–10th centuries CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-1956 discoveries) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not alter the main meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the most probable original wording text.
Sources & witness notes
MT