Graven

Written by Julie

On February 13, 2020

In Isaiah 49, God is speaking to the people of Israel. They’re saying (in verse 14), “God’s forgotten us; He’s left us all alone.” God replies:

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands…

Isaiah 49:15-16 (KJV)

The word graven comes from the Hebrew word chaqaq (khaw-kak’). The word properly means “to hack,” but also has the idea of writing, inscribing, etc.

Matthew Henry, in commenting on the phrase I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, said:

This…allude[s]…to the custom of those who tie a string upon their hands or fingers to put them in mind of things which they are afraid they shall forget, or to the wearing of signet or locket-rings in remembrance of some dear friend. His setting them thus as a seal upon his arm denotes his setting them as a seal upon his heart, and his being ever mindful of them and their interests… Some apply his engraving his church on the palms of his hands to the wounds in Christ’s hands when he was crucified; he will look on the marks of them, and remember those for whom he suffered and died.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

I read somewhere that graven gives the idea of being carved or something, like Jesus had holes “graven” into His hands when He was nailed to the cross. It said that sometimes servants would have the name of their master graven/etched/carved into their hands. But for the master to have the servant’s name on his hand? Unheard of.

That’s how much God loves us! He’s the Master, we’re the servants, but He wrote our names in His hands! He won’t ever, ever forget us!

But speaking of the master’s name being written on the servants’ hands…

…[God’s people] will write [God’s] name on the backs of their hands.

Isaiah 44:5 (CEV)

The King James Version uses the word subscribe, which in Hebrew is kathab (kaw-thab’), meaning “to grave” (and we know what graven means).

So is this saying we should go get a knife or something and carve His name into our hands? Or at least get it tattooed on our hands?

I don’t think so. Leviticus 19:28 says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh…nor print any marks upon you…”

“So what does it mean?” I’m not entirely sure, but I think it has the idea of having some mark or sign on us that shows we are Christians, belong to God, etc. For women, that could be modest clothing, head covering/veil, submission to men as leaders (and ultimately submission to God), etc. Also our daily lives, the way we act, the things we say… In other words, just being different from the world, obeying God–that’s like having His name on our hand, telling everybody who sees that we are His.

What do you all think about all this? And what do you think Isaiah 44:5 is saying? I’d love to hear your input and thoughts! 🙂

		
Julie

Julie

Hi, I'm Julie, a 18-year-old lover of books, music, and Jesus. I'm a senior in high school (Abeka Academy) and have been blogging for three years. I also co-publish a digital magazine called Priceless geared toward teen girls. My desire is to use my words to glorify my Saviour and to encourage you in your walk with God. I'd love to hear from you!

You May Also Like…

Good God and Good Gifts

Good God and Good Gifts

His goodness sweeps over me like a tidal wave and I am drowned, I am overwhelmed, I am washed new and clean, I am refilled. I am dying and resurrecting.

Spring Is Coming

Spring Is Coming

We spoke in Sunday school of Job, of how he knew that his Redeemer lived and would come and would reign and would make all things new and right.

Christmas, Storms, and No Fear

Christmas, Storms, and No Fear

Life is full of so many different storms.
But because of God–because of Christ’s coming–we don’t have to fear.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments