Isaiah 38
DortHezekiah being very sick, is told by the Prophet Isaiah that be shall Die, vers.1. But upon his mournful prayer he obtaineth a lengthening of fifteen years, which God confirmeth by a special miracle, 4, etc. Hezekiahs prayer and song of praise unto God, 9, etc. Compare 2 Kings chap.20. and 2 Chron.32.24.
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death: and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him: Thus saith the LORD, give command unto thine house, for thou shalt die, and not live. [That which is related here, happened shortly after that the camp of the Assyrians was smitten of God by the Angel.]
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face about toward the wall, and he prayed unto the Lord, [His prayer followeth here presently in vers.3. See 2 Kings 20:1, &c.]
3. And he said, O LORD, remember, I beseech thee, that I have walked before thy face in truth, and with a perfect heart, and (have) done that which is good in thine eyes: [This is as it were a testimony of a good conscience, resting and relying onely on the mercy of God, without any presumption of a mans own righteousness. See below vers.17. and Eccles.48.25,26. See also 2 Kings 18:3, &c.] and Hezekiah wept very sore. [Heb. Wept a great weeping.]
4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying:
5. Go thy ways, and say to Hezekiah, thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold I will add unto thy days [That is unto the days of thy life] fifteen years.
6. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the King of Assyria, together with this city, and I will defend this city. [The Lord promiseth to this King, besides the lengthening out of his life, also rest and peace in his kingdom, and defence against the mighty Assyrians, which might again have raised an army to fight against him, and to besiege Jerusalem.]
7. And this shall be a token unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do the word, [Or this thing] that be he hath spoken.
8. Behold, I will cause the shadow of the degrees that is gone down with the sun in the degrees of (the sun-dial of Ahaz,) to return ten degrees of (the sun-dial of Ahaz,) to return ten degrees backward: so the sun turned back ten degrees, in the degrees which was gone down. [See the Annot. Sitting this eighteth verse, 2 Kings 20.vers.9,10,11.]
9. (This) is the writing of Hezekiah King of Juda, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness, [Heb. Was made alive, as vers.21.]
10. I said, [That is, I thought and pondered with my self thus] because of the cutting off of my days, [or in the cutting off of my days; that is, when my days were cut off or shortened: or when it was told me, that my days should be quickly cut off; that is, that I should die quickly. It is a similitude borrowed from weavers, that having woven off their web, they do then cut it off] I shall go to the gates of the grave, [that is, I must die quickly] I am deprived of the residue of my years, [that is, the remainder of my years is taken away from me; or they cause me to want the remainder or the residue of my days, that is, that which is lacking of my years; to wit, of those years which by the course of nature I might yet live, or ought yet to live, as I persuade my self.]
11. I said, I shall not see the LORD (any more.) [That is, appear no more before the LORD in the sanctuary, and be present at divine service, which was performed when the godly went together in the Temple] the LORD in the land of the living: [that is, in this world, or in this life. See this phrase also Job 28:13. Psal.27.13. with the Annotat, as also Psal.142.6. and below chap.53.8.] I shall behold men no more with the inhabitants of this world, [that is, among them that dwell in the world, among men that are now alive. See Psal.27.13. and 116.9.]
12. The time of my life [Or my life-time. Others, mine habitation, my abiding time. Heb. Dor. See Psal.27.13. and 116.9.] is departed, [or pulled away] and carried away, as a shepherds hut: [which abideth not firm and constant in one place, but is removed from one place to another, as occasion serveth. See Job 27:18.] I have cut off, [or, clipt off, torn off, broken off] my life, the meaning is, I have by my sins given the Lord cause to cut off my life before natures time become] as a weaver (his web): [to wit, when he hath woven it off] be, [to wit, the Lord. Here is a change of person; for he speaketh sometimes of God in the third person, and sometimes to God in the second person] will cut me off, (as) from the thrum, [This word signifieth also with the Hebrews an hair-lace, Cant.7.5. See the Annotat. There. Others, as a thin thred] from day to night [that is, quickly, in a short time, before the day be spent, and the evening become. So also vers.13.] shalt thou (O LORD) have brought me to an end, [or, weave me off, and then cut me off, as vers.13.]
13. I propounded to me; [To wit, in my thoughts; that is, I thought: Others; I reckoned] till morning, [To wit, I may live: or that I might live till morning. Some take that which followeth thus; (but) he brake all my bones like a lion] like lion so will he [to wit, God: to it, to wit, the sickness, or the misery. See Job 10:16.] break all my bones. Others, I reckoned till morning, that he as a lion would break all my bones. Or thus, I set my self before him till morning, as a lion that he should break all my bones, etc. See of the word bones, Job 7. On ver.15.] from day to night [that is, yet this day before night come] shalt thou have brought me [that is, my life, mine age, or years] to an end.
14. Like a Crane (or) a swallow so did I chatter, I did mourn [Or sigh, groan] as a Dove: mine eyes did lift up themselves on high, [to wit, toward heaven; or unto God, whom I called upon. Others, were consumed, or plucked out: that is, powers of mine eyes were wasted and destroyed. Or they fail; to wit, with looking toward heaven] I am oppressed, [Heb. Oppression is unto me; to wit, by this sickness of mine, which doth so violently oppress me, as that I shall not be able to finish my course, unless thou Lord have mercy on me] be thou my surety, [that is, setteth himself between the creditor and the debtor, to free and secure him from being cast into prison. See Psal.119.vers.122. Others, he pleasant unto me. Others, weave me off, that is, stretch out my life, until I grow old and feeble, and die through natural weakness and infirmity, and cut not off the thred of my life, until it be run to an end. A phrase borrowed of weavers.]
15. What shall I say? As he said it to me, so hath he sufficiently for his great mercy, he hath indeed cause death to be denounceth unto me, but when I prayed unto him, hath graciously granted me life again. Others, what I spake that he said unto me; to wit, by the prophet Isaiah ver.5. The meaning is, when I prayed unto the Lord that he would be my surety, or that he would weave me off (ver.14.) that is, he would suffer me to live yet some years longer, he presently yielded, and granted my request] I will now go on gently, [or softly. See Psal.42.on vers.5. Some conceive that it signifieth a soft progress; or going on, as when a mother leadeth her babe or young child forward and that the meaning here is this, my former distress shall make me walk more warily and circumspectly for time to come. So on the contrary, rashness is put for headleness and imprudence, above chap.32.4.] all my years, [that is, all my life time] because of the bitterness of my soul,] because I have endured the deadly and bitter pangs of that painful disease.]
16. LORD, by these things [Or, in, or through things; or (as some) words; that is, through the loving kindness, promises, and the ratification and sealing of thy promises and mercies] men live, and in all these (things) is the life of my spirit: [that is, of my soul; and the life of my soul that is, a merry & quiet life] for thou hast made me whole, and cured me, [or refreshed me and made me alive. Heb. Making me alive or keeping me alive, which according to the nature of the Hebrew language, is as much as, thou hast kept me alive, or cured me; that is, thou hast restored unto me my former strength, which I had utterly lost in that grievous fit of sickness. Others render this dark verse thus, they shall live, for whom (or toward whom) the Lord is, that is, whose protector the Lord is, and all that are therein, (or, and all that are in those things; which is, that live in such a condition, that they have God with them) they shall obtain the same life which my spirit now hath. That this may appear, make me whole, and cure me.]
17. Behold, in peace bitterness was bitterness was bitter unto me, [To wit, after that thou hadst given me peace, namely, by destroying the Assyrians, a bitterness happened unto me, to wit, this grievous sickness. Others, upon peace; that is, immediately after that I had peace. Others for peace, that is, that it might be for the best, a bitter bitterness came upon me, to wit, that sore malady] but thou hast sweetly embraced my soul, that it came not into the pit of consumption: [that is, into the grave, Wherein the dead body is eaten up and consumed by worms. Others, but it hath pleased thee (to deliver) my soul, that is, me from the pit of consumption] for thou hast cast all my sins [Whereby I have deserved this sickness, and other judgements besides. If he had not sinned, he should have had no sickness, nor have died. For death and all adhering miseries have their original from sin. Therefore saith our Saviour Christ, son, thy sins are forgiven thee, arise, etc.] behind thy back, [that is, thou hast forgiven them unto me, so that they shall come no more before thine eyes.]
18. For the grave shall not praise, [That is, the dead that are in the grave cannot declare and set forth thy praise here in this world among the living. See Psal.6.6. and 30.10. and 88.11. and that is, those that are in hell, or, in the grave] shall that is, those that are in hell, or, in the grave] shall (not) celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit, shall not hope [or, wait, or, trust] in thy truth.
19. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I (do) this day; the father to the children shall make known thy truth. [or, cause them to have knowledge of thy truth. The Hebrew practical is also taken forth. And thy truth, that is, that thou hast made me whole, as thou had promised me.]
20. The Lord was (ready) to deliver me: [Or, is come to deliver me, or will deliver me or, hath delivered me] therefore we will play upon my stringed instrument, all the days of our life, in the house of the LORD.
21. Now Isaiah had said, let them take a lump of figs, and make (it) for a plaster upon the swelling, [or, upon the boil, or, sore, to wit of King Hezekiah] and he shall recover. See 2 Kings 20:7.]
22. And Hezekiah had said, what shall be the token that I shall go up to the house of the LORD? [He asked this not out of unbelief or distrust of Gods promises, but that his faith might be strengthened thereby, in regard that promise did seem utterly to thwart the threatening of God, ver.1. (that I shall go up, etc.) that is, that I shall recover and go into the house of the Lord, to bless and praise him in the midst of his congregation for my recovery. This happened the third day, according to the promise of God by Isaiah, 2 Kings 20:5.]