Isaiah 38:16

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: -The prayer and thanksgiving song of Hezekiah is only given here, not in the parallel passages of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Verse 9. THE WRITING OF HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH, WHEN HE HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS RECOVERED OF HIS SICKNESS, is the heading or inscription. Verse 10. CUTTING OFF OF MY DAYS. Rosenmuller translates, 'the meridian;' when the sun stands in the zenith: Verse 10. CUTTING OFF OF MY DAYS. Rosenmuller translates, 'the meridian;' when the sun stands in the zenith: so "the perfect day," Proverbs 4:18. Or, 'in the tranquillity [ bidmiy (H1824), from daamah ...

16._O Lord, even to all who shall live after them. _The concise style of the Prophet has given rise to various interpretations. The interpretation most commonly received is “O Lord, they shall live beyond those years, (90) ” that is, “they shall lengthen their life.” This is equivalent to saying, “When thou shalt have lengthened my life, thou wilt grant that others also shall enjoy the same favor.” But that meaning does not agree with the text, and I look upon it as forced. I rather think that Hezekiah’s meaning was this_” O Lord, whosoever shall live beyond those years, to them also will the life of my spirit be known.” _We must therefore supply the relative אשר,_(asher,) who, _as the Hebrew writers frequently do, and there will be nothing forced in this interpretation; for there can be no doubt, and nobody denies it, that he speaks of the years which the Lord had

9-22 We have here Hezekiah's thanksgiving. It is well for us to remember the mercies we receive in sickness. Hezekiah records the condition he was in. He dwells upon this; I shall no more see the Lord. A good man wishes not to live for any other end than that he may serve God, and have communion with him. Our present residence is like that of a shepherd in his hut, a poor, mean, and cold lodging, and with a trust committed to our charge, as the shepherd has. Our days are compared to the weaver's shuttle, Job 7:6, passing and repassing very swiftly, every throw leaving a thread behind it; and when finished, the piece is cut off, taken out of the loom, and showed to our Master to be judged of. A good man, when his life is cut off, his cares and fatigues are cut off with it, and he rests from his labours. But our times are in God's hand; he has appointed what shall be the length of the pie...

Verse Isaiah 38:16. _BY THESE_ THINGS MEN _LIVE_ - "For this cause shall it be declared"] Περι αυτης γαρ ανηγγελη σοι, και εξηγειρας μου την πνοην, Sept. They read in their copies עליה יחוו לך ותחיי רוחי not very different from the present text, from which all the ancient Versions vary. They entirely omit two words, ולכל בהן _ulecol_ _bahen_; as to which there is some variation in the MSS. One MS. has ובכל _ubechol, and in all_; two others וכל _vechol, and all_, and ten MSS. have בהם _bahem, in them_, in the masculine gender. Taking this as in the common Version, we may observe, it is not an unfrequent case, that afflictions, and especially such as tend to a speedy death, become the means, not only of saving the _soul_, but also of lengthening the _life_. _MAKE ME TO LIVE_ - "Hast prolo

O LORD, BY THESE THINGS MEN LIVE - The design of this and the following verses is evidently to set forth the goodness of God, and to celebrate his praise for what he had done. The phrase ‘these things,’ refers evidently to the promises of God and their fulfillment; and the idea is, that people are sustained in the land of the living only by such gracious interpositions as he had experienced. It was not because people had any power of preserving their own lives, but because God interposed in time of trouble, and restored to health when there was no human prospect that they could recover. AND IN ALL THESE THINGS - In these promises, and in the divine interposition. IS THE LIFE OF MY SPIRIT - I am alive in virtue only of these things. SO WILT THOU RECOVER ME - Or so hast thou recovered me; that is, thou hast restored me

SECTION II.—HEZEKIAH'S ILLNESS, AND THE EMBASSY OF MERODACH-BALADAN (Isaiah 38:1; Isaiah 39:1.). EXPOSITION The present chapter is parallel with 2 Kings 20:1, but contains some marked differences from that passage, both in what it omits and in what it inserts. The general narrative (2 Kings 20:1, and 2 Kings 20:21, 22) is greatly condensed, and in part disarra

O LORD, BY THESE THINGS MEN LIVE,.... Not by bread only, but by the word of God: by the promise of God, and by his power performing it; and by his favour and goodness continually bestowed; it is in him, and by his power and providence, that they live and move, and have their being, and the continuance of it; and it is his lovingkindness manifested to them that makes them live comfortably and go on cheerfully: AND IN ALL THESE THINGS IS THE LIFE OF MY SPIRIT; what kept his soul in life were the same things, the promise, power, and providence of God; what revived his spirit, and made him comfortable and cheerful, was the wonderful love and great goodness of God unto him, in appearing to him, and for him, and delivering him out of his sore troubles. Ben Melech renders and gives the sense of the words thus; "to all will I declare and say, that in these", in the years of addition (the fiftee...

CHAPTER 38 Hezekiah's Sickness and Healing 1. _Isaiah's startling message (Isaiah 38:1)_ 2. _Hezekiah's prayer (Isaiah 38:2)_ 3. _The prayer heard and the sign (Isaiah 38:4)_ 4. _The king's sorrow and joy, a psalm of praise (Isaiah 38:9)_ 5. _The remedy for the recovery (Isaiah 38:21)_ The message of approaching death startled the king because at that time he had no son. If he had died what then would have become of the Messianic hope through the house of David? Beautiful it is to hear the Lord say through Isaiah, “Thus

ISAIAH 36-39. This section has been extracted from 2 Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 20:19, and the Song of Hezekiah has been added. For an exposition see the notes on 2 K.; here we have simply to deal with the Song of Hezekiah. ISAIAH 38:10. THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE FROM IMMINENT DEATH. This is now generally regarded as a post-exilic psalm. Its absence in the parallel narratine in Kings is significant. Apparently it was inserted here by an editor who thought it suitable to Hezekiah's circumstances. If, as seems likely, it has been influenced by the Book of Job, it must be post-exilic. The title cannot, any more than the Psalm titles, weigh against internal evidence. Hezekiah's writing after his recov

BY THESE, &C.. upon these [Thy doings (Isaiah 38:15) men] revive (Psalms 104:29; Psalms 104:30), and the reviving of my spirit [is] altogether in them. SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach_....