Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 49:16

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." — Isaiah 49:16 (ASV)

Behold, I have graven thee ... —The words point to the almost universal practice of tattooing. A man thus “engraved” the name of his god, or the outlines of his home, or the face of her he loved, upon his hands or arms. So, by a boldly anthropomorphic figure, Jehovah had “graven” Jerusalem on His hands. He could not open them, that is, could not act, without being reminded of her. The “walls” may be either those of the earthly city lying in ruins, or those of the heavenly Jerusalem.