Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 38 records HEZEKIAH'S ILLNESS, divine-15-year-life-extension, and the SUNDIAL-SIGN (the shadow-going-back-ten-degrees on Ahaz's-sundial). The chapter contains a unique-poetic Hezekiah's-prayer (vv. 9–20) absent-from-2-Kings 20.
Notable Variants
38:1 'set your house in order' — proverbial-deathbed-counsel; 38:5 'fifteen years' added to Hezekiah's life; 38:8 SUNDIAL-OF-AHAZ shadow-back-ten-degrees miracle; 38:9–20 Hezekiah's-poetic-psalm (LXX-distinctive — only-here, not-in-2-Kings).
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 38 = LXX Isaiah 38. 22 verses. // 2 Kings 20:1–11.
In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill. Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, came to him and said, 'This is what the LORD says: Set your house in order, for you are going to die — you will not recover.'
'In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. 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, you shall not recover' tracks MT. SET-YOUR-HOUSE-IN-ORDER deathbed-counsel.
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
'Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD' tracks MT. TURNED-HIS-FACE-TO-WALL — private-grief-and-prayer posture.
'Please, LORD, remember how I have walked before You in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
'And said: Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly' tracks MT.
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
'Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah' tracks MT.
'Go and say to Hezekiah: This is what the LORD, the God of David your father, says — I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. I am adding fifteen years to your life.
'Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life' tracks MT. FIFTEEN-YEARS extension. Prayer-changes-divine-decree (within-divine-foreordained-mystery).
I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.'
'I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city' tracks MT.
This is the sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:
'This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised' tracks MT.
I am going to make the shadow that has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz retreat ten steps backward by the sun.' And the sunlight went back ten steps on the stairway where it had gone down.
'Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps. So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined' tracks MT. SUNDIAL-OF-AHAZ shadow-reversal. The-most-physically-extraordinary miracle in-Isaiah. Joshua's-sun-standing-still (Josh 10:13) parallels.
A written prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah, after his illness and recovery:
'A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness' tracks MT. HEZEKIAH'S PSALM begins (vv. 9–20). Unique-to-Isaiah, absent-from-2-Kings parallel-account.
I said: In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the rest of my years.
'I said: In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years' tracks MT. GATES-OF-SHEOL — Matt 16:18's 'gates of hell' parallel.
I said: I will not see the LORD — Yah! Yah! — in the land of the living. I will look on humankind no more among the inhabitants of this fleeting world.
'I said: I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world' tracks MT. LAND-OF-THE-LIVING (eretz chayyim) — Pss 27:13, 116:9 parallels.
My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom. From day to night You bring me to an end.
'My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end' tracks MT. WEAVER-IMAGERY for-life. // Job 7:6's 'days swifter than weaver's shuttle.'
I waited until morning — like a lion, He crushes all my bones. From day to night You bring me to an end.
'I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end' tracks MT.
Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed — be my pledge of safety!
'Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!' tracks MT. BE-MY-PLEDGE — surety-cry. Hebrews 7:22 ('Jesus has become the GUARANTOR of a better covenant') Christologically-extends.
What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I will walk humbly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
'What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul' tracks MT.
O Lord, by these things people live, and in all of them is the life of my spirit. Restore me to health — let me live!
'O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!' tracks MT.
Truly, it was for my well-being that I suffered such bitterness. But You have loved my soul back from the pit of destruction, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
'Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back' tracks MT. CAST-SINS-BEHIND-YOUR-BACK. Forgiveness-imagery. Micah 7:19 ('cast all our sins into the depths of the sea') parallel.
For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope in Your faithfulness.
'For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness' tracks MT. PRE-RESURRECTION SHEOL theology. // Pss 6:5, 30:9, 88:10–12. The book-of-Isaiah elsewhere transcends-this in-26:19.
The living — the living — they praise You, as I do this day! A father makes Your faithfulness known to his children.
'The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness' tracks MT. LIVING-LIVING DOUBLED. Inter-generational-faithfulness.
The LORD is ready to save me! We will play our songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.
'The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD' tracks MT.
Isaiah had said, 'Let them take a lump of figs and apply it as a poultice to the boil, and he will recover.'
'Now Isaiah had said: Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover' tracks MT. FIG-CAKE remedy — Isaiah-as-physician.
Hezekiah had said, 'What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?'
'Hezekiah also had said: What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?' tracks MT.