Isaiah 64:8
New International Version
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

New Living Translation
And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.

English Standard Version
But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

New American Standard Bible
But now, LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter, And all of us are the work of Your hand.

NASB 1995
But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

NASB 1977
But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father, We are the clay, and Thou our potter; And all of us are the work of Thy hand.

Legacy Standard Bible
But now, O Yahweh, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

Amplified Bible
Yet, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our Potter, And we all are the work of Your hand.

Christian Standard Bible
Yet LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we all are the work of your hands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of Your hands.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
You, LORD, are our Father. We are nothing but clay, but you are the potter who molded us.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.

Good News Translation
But you are our father, LORD. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,

International Standard Version
But as for you, O LORD, you are our Father; and we are clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hands.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Yet, LORD, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor.

New Heart English Bible
But now, LORD, you are our Father, and we are clay, and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hands.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And now, O YHWH, You [are] our Father, "" We [are] the clay, and You [are] our Framer, "" And the work of Your hand—all of us.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And now, O Jehovah, thou our Father; we the clay and thou forming us; and we all the work of thy hand.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And now, O Lord, you are our Father, yet truly, we are clay. And you are our Maker, and we are all the works of your hands.

New American Bible
Yet, LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you our potter: we are all the work of your hand.

New Revised Standard Version
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But now, O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thy hand.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Now, LORD JEHOVAH, you are our Father, we are clay, and you are our potter and we are, all of us, the work of your hands
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And now, O Lord, thou art our Father, and we are clay, all of us the work of thine hands.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for God's Power
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!…

Cross References
Jeremiah 18:6
“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.

Romans 9:20-21
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?” / Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

Job 10:8-9
Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me? / Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?

Psalm 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.

2 Corinthians 4:7
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

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.

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”?

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’?

Lamentations 4:2
How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!

1 Corinthians 15:47-49
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. / As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. / And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

Job 33:6
I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.

Psalm 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.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.


Treasury of Scripture

But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

thou art

Isaiah 63:16
Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

Exodus 4:22
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Deuteronomy 32:6
Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

are the clay

Isaiah 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Isaiah 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Jeremiah 18:2-6
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words…

all are

Isaiah 43:7
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Isaiah 44:21,24
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me…

Job 10:8,9
Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me…

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Isaiah 64
1. The church prays for the illustration of God's power
4. Celebrating God's mercy, it makes confession of their natural corruptions
9. It complains of their afflictions














But now, O LORD
The phrase "But now, O LORD," marks a transition and a direct address to God, emphasizing a personal and covenantal relationship. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "Yahweh," the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses. This name signifies God's eternal presence and faithfulness. Historically, this invocation reflects the Israelites' understanding of God as their covenant partner, who has been with them through their history, guiding and sustaining them.

You are our Father
The term "Father" in this context is deeply relational and signifies a sense of belonging and identity. In Hebrew, "Father" is "Ab," which denotes not only a biological relationship but also a protector, provider, and authority figure. This reflects the intimate relationship between God and His people, where God is seen as the originator and sustainer of life. The use of "Father" also implies trust and dependence, acknowledging God's role in shaping and guiding His people.

we are the clay
The imagery of "clay" is rich with meaning, symbolizing malleability and potential. In Hebrew, "clay" is "ḥomer," which is used in pottery to describe a substance that can be shaped and formed. This metaphor highlights human frailty and the need for divine intervention. It suggests that humans, like clay, are in the hands of the Creator, who molds them according to His purpose. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages that describe God's creative power and authority over His creation.

and You are the potter
The "potter" is a powerful metaphor for God as the sovereign Creator. In Hebrew, "potter" is "yotzer," which means one who forms or fashions. This term emphasizes God's active role in shaping the destiny and character of His people. The potter has complete control over the clay, deciding its form and function. This reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty and His right to shape His creation according to His will and purpose.

we are all the work of Your hand
This phrase underscores the idea of divine craftsmanship and intentionality. The "work of Your hand" implies that humanity is not a random occurrence but a deliberate creation by God. In Hebrew, "work" is "ma'aseh," which denotes an action or deed, emphasizing the intentional and purposeful nature of God's creation. This phrase reassures believers of their value and purpose, as they are crafted by the hands of a loving and purposeful Creator. It also calls for humility and submission to God's will, recognizing that their lives are in His hands.

(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.

Verse 8. - But now, O Lord, thou art our Father (see the comment on Isaiah 63:16). We are the clay, and thou our Potter (comp. Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9). Thy hands have made us and fashioned us, both as individuals and as a nation. Thou hast lavished thy labour and thy skill upon us. Surely thou wilt not "forsake the work of thine own hands" (Psalm 138:8).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But now,
וְעַתָּ֥ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

O LORD,
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

You
אָ֑תָּה (’āt·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are our Father;
אָבִ֣ינוּ (’ā·ḇî·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1: Father

we
אֲנַ֤חְנוּ (’ă·naḥ·nū)
Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

are the clay,
הַחֹ֙מֶר֙ (ha·ḥō·mer)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2563: A bubbling up, of water, a wave, of earth, mire, clay, a heap, a chomer, dry measure

and You
וְאַתָּ֣ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are the potter;
יֹצְרֵ֔נוּ (yō·ṣə·rê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

we are all
כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃ (kul·lā·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the work
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (ū·ma·‘ă·śêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

of Your hand.
יָדְךָ֖ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 64:8 But now Yahweh you are our Father (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 64:7
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