Isaiah 38:5

Go, 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 fifteen years. THE GOD OF DAVID THY FATHER. God remembers the covenant with the father to the children (; ). I HAVE SEEN THY TEARS - (.) I WILL ADD UNTO THY DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS. Man's years, however many (as those of Methuselah), are but as so many days ()....

5._Thus saith Jehovah the God of David thy father. _At first, when he struck terror alone, he reckoned it enough to mention the bare and simple name of God, to whose heavenly judgmentseat he summoned him as a criminal; but now, when he brings consolation, he distinguishes God by a peculiar and honorable title in order to point out the cause and origin of grace; as if he had said that, from a regard to his covenant which he made with David, he is inclined to mercy, so that he does not deal rigorously with Hezekiah. (2 Samuel 7:12.) We know that nothing is more difficult than for hearts that have been greatly alarmed by the conviction of God’s anger to be encouraged to entertain favorable hope, so as to perceive that God is reconciled to them. That confirmation was therefore necessary, that the pious king, who in himself was ruined, might know that he could be again raised up to that l

1-8 When we pray in our sickness, though God send not to us such an answer as he here sent to Hezekiah, yet, if by his Spirit he bids us be of good cheer, assures us that our sins are forgiven, and that, whether we live or die, we shall be his, we do not pray in vain. See 2 Kings 20:1....

THE GOD OF DAVID THY FATHER - David is mentioned here, probably, because Hezekiah had a strong resemblance to him 2 Kings 18:3, and because a long and happy reign had been granted to David; and also because the promise had been made to David that there should not fail a man to sit on his throne (see the note at Isaiah 37:35). As Hezekiah resembled David, God promised that his reign should be lengthened out; and as he perhaps was then without a son and successor, God promised him a longer life, with the prospect that he might have an heir who should succeed him on the throne. BEHOLD, I WILL ADD UNTO THY DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS - This is perhaps the only instance in which any man has been told exactly how long he would live. Why God specified

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

GO AND SAY TO HEZEKIAH,.... Turn again, and tell him, 2 Kings 20:5: THUS SAITH THE LORD THE GOD OF DAVID THY FATHER; this is said, to show that he remembered the covenant he made with David his father, concerning the kingdom, and the succession of his children in it; and that he had a regard to him, as walking in his steps: I HAVE HEARD THY PRAYER; and therefore was not surely a foolish one, as Luther somewhere calls it, since it was heard and answered so quickly: I HAVE SEEN THY TEARS; which he shed in prayer, and so studiously concealed from others, when he turned his face to the wall: BEHOLD, I WILL ADD UNTO THY DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS; that is, to the days he had lived already, and beyond which it was not probable, according to the nature of his disease, he could live; and besides, he had the sentence

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

THE GOD OF DAVID. This Divine title reminds and assures Hezekiah that Jehovah would be faithful to His promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7. See App-67 and note on 2 Kings 20:5. FIFTEEN YEARS. Hence the number of the "Song of the Degrees". See App-67....

The verse is greatly abbreviated from 2 Kings 20:5. After _Hezekiah_the words "the captain of my people" are omitted; and also the sentence "I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord," which follows the word _behold_. It cannot be doubted that the historical book here preserves the original text. _the God of David thy father_ for whose sake this special mercy is vouchsafed to the king (cf. ch. Isaiah 37:35; 2 Kings 20:6). _fifteen years_ That the number was arrived at by calculation on the part of the historian is not to be believed. If there be calculation in the case at all, it is in the date of ch....