Isaiah 38:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

NASB: In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, 'This is what the Lord says: 'Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.'

CSB: In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’"

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.’'

KJV: In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

NKJV: In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ”

Isaiah describes Hezekiah's illness and recovery after explaining the rescue of Jerusalem (Isaiah 36—37). The illness seems to have happened first, but Isaiah arranges his records to make a smoother transition into discussion of the Messiah starting in chapter 40. Hezekiah began to reign around 727 BC at age twenty five (2 Kings 18:1–2). If these events occurred about 711 BC, his death in 696 BC would fit the added fifteen years. Some scholars place the timing closer to 701 BC.

Hezekiah becomes sick with a terminal condition. Later verses note the presence of a "boil" (Isaiah 38:21), which may indicate an infected abscess or large tumor. Isaiah delivers God's message: the king should prepare for death. Hezkiah should be ready to name a successor, arrange for distributing inheritances, and so forth. The news is dire, but Hezekiah's response is both humble and faithful (Isaiah 38:2–3).

Isaiah 38:1–3 explains that King Hezekiah is seriously ill. Later verses mention the presence of a "boil" (Isaiah 38:21), which may mean a large tumor. The prophet visits the king with a message: Hezekiah should expect to die. He responds with mourning, turning away from Isaiah to weep. Hezekiah prays in desperation, noting his faithfulness to the Lord. God will reward that humility with fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:4–6).

Hezekiah becomes gravely ill. The only description given mentions a sort of "boil," so this may have been an aggressive tumor. Isaiah tells Hezekiah he will die, so the king prays and weeps. The Lord rewards Hezekiah's faithful dependence with a promise to add fifteen years to his life. God gives a miraculous sign by making the shadow on a staircase-like sundial move backward. After his recovery, Hezekiah writes a psalm describing his grief when he expected death and his joy after the Lord saved him. He commits to worshiping God in the temple for the rest of his life.

The events recorded here most likely happen before the Assyrian invasion described in the previous chapter. Isaiah is arranging his records to smoothly transition into later discussion of the Messiah. The Lord tells King Hezekiah to expect to die from an illness. When the king prays in grief, the Lord grants him fifteen more years and a miraculous sign. Hezekiah responds with a psalm describing both his despair and his renewed praise for the God who saves. Next, Isaiah records a visit from Babylonian messengers and God's prediction that peace will last until after Hezekiah has died.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).