Isaiah 38 Commentary

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Isaiah 38:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”

NLT About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: "This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness."

Isaiah 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

NLT  When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

Isaiah 38:3 and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  

NLT  "Remember, O LORD, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight." Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

Isaiah 38:4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

NLT  Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD:

Isaiah 38:5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

NLT  "Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life,

Isaiah 38:6“ I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’  

NLT  and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:7 “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken:

NLT  "'And this is the sign that the LORD will give you to prove he will do as he promised:

Isaiah 38:8 “Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.  

NLT I will cause the sun's shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!'" So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

Isaiah 38:9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:  

NLT When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem about his experience:

Isaiah 38:10 I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”  

NLT  I said, "In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of my normal years?"

Isaiah 38:11 I said, “I will not see the LORD, The LORD in the land of the living; I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.  

NLT  I said, "Never again will I see the LORD GOD while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or laugh with those who live in this world.

Isaiah 38:12 “Like a shepherd’s tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me; As a weaver I rolled up my life. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me.  

NLT My life has been blown away like a shepherd's tent in a storm. It has been cut short, as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom. Suddenly, my life was over.

Isaiah 38:13 “I composed my soul until morning. Like a lion–so He breaks all my bones, From day until night You make an end of me. 

NLT  I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over.

Isaiah 38:14 “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.  

NLT  Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!"

Isaiah 38:15 “What shall I say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it; I will wander about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.  

NLT  But what could I say? For he himself had sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt.

Isaiah 38:16 “O Lord, by these things men live, And in all these is the life of my spirit; O restore me to health and let me live!  

NLT  Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You have restored my health and have allowed me to live!

Isaiah 38:17 “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.  

NLT   Yes, it was good for me to suffer this anguish, for you have rescued me from death and have forgiven all my sins.

Isaiah 38:18 “For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. 

NLT  For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to destruction can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

Isaiah 38:19 “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.  

NLT  Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation can make known your faithfulness to the next.

Isaiah 38:20 “The LORD will surely save me; So we will play my songs on stringed instruments All the days of our life at the house of the LORD.”  

NLT Think of it--the LORD has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD.

Isaiah 38:21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”

NLT  Isaiah had said to Hezekiah's servants, "Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover."

Isaiah 38:22 Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”

NLT   And Hezekiah had asked, "What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?"