Isaiah 63:16

כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אָבִ֔ינוּ כִּ֤י אַבְרָהָם֙ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֔נוּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֣א יַכִּירָ֑נוּ אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אָבִ֔ינוּ גֹּאֲלֵ֥נוּ מֵֽעֹולָ֖ם שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

For You are our Father. For Avraham does not know us, and Yisraʾel does not recognize us. You, YHWH, are our Father, our Redeemer—Your name is from everlasting.

Morphology

1. כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a causal or explanatory statement.
2. אַתָּ֣ה (attah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Subject of the clause, emphasized by position.
3. אָבִ֔ינוּ (avinu) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our Father”; Notes: Expresses intimate covenantal relationship with YHWH.
4. כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “though”; Notes: Used here to explain or contrast what follows.
5. אַבְרָהָם֙ (Avraham) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avraham”; Notes: Patriarch of Yisraʾel, invoked to contrast human ancestry with divine Fatherhood.
6. לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “does not”; Notes: Negates the verb “know.”
7. יְדָעָ֔נוּ (yedaʿanu) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “know us”; Notes: Suggests personal recognition or covenant acknowledgment.
8. וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (ve-Yisraʾel) – Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yisraʾel”; Notes: Likely a reference to the patriarch Yaʿaqov (Israel), not the nation.
9. לֹ֣א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “does not”; Notes: Repeated parallel construction for emphasis.
10. יַכִּירָ֑נוּ (yakkiranu) – Root: נכר (nakar); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “recognize us”; Notes: Stronger than “know”—implies formal or legal recognition.
11. אַתָּ֤ה (attah) – Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Repeated for emphatic contrast with Avraham and Yisraʾel.
12. יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal covenantal name of God.
13. אָבִ֔ינוּ (avinu) – Form: Noun + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our Father”; Notes: Reaffirming the unique role of YHWH as Father in contrast to the patriarchs.
14. גֹּאֲלֵ֥נוּ (goʾalenu) – Root: גאל (gaʾal); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our Redeemer”; Notes: YHWH as the one who rescues from bondage, especially in covenantal context.
15. מֵֽעֹולָ֖ם (me-ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿalam); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from everlasting”; Notes: Denotes God’s eternal role as Redeemer.
16. שְׁמֶֽךָ (shmecha) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “is Your name”; Notes: “Redeemer from of old” is the essence of YHWH’s name.