This verse is one of several in the passage that challenges translators. The object of the statement appears to be the words of God (Isaiah 38:15). Every life is begun, guided, and ended by the will of the Lord. He may also be referring to the praise and remembrance of God depicted in the surrounding verses.

Hezekiah is recording a psalm of praise to the Lord (Isaiah 38:9). The king was given a fatal diagnosis (Isaiah 38:1). He responded with humble prayer and the Lord granted him fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:2–5). In the first half of the psalm, Hezekiah explains his feelings of despair over the prospect of dying so young (Isaiah 38:10–15). This verse marks a shift as the subject turns to God's gracious answer to prayer. Hezekiah is either expressing his request to be healed or stating that God sent healing.

In any case, the psalm continues with a realization: the experience was a benefit to Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:17). This illness drove him closer to the Lord with a better appreciation for the blessings of his life (Isaiah 38:18–20).

Isaiah 38:9–20 is King Hezekiah's triumphant praise for God. The first half depicts Hezekiah's despair at facing a fatal disease. The second half is his joy at learning that his life would be spared. Though Isaiah arranges his book by theme, this healing and psalm appear to come before the Assyrian threat to Jerusalem recorded in the prior chapters.

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).

Accessed 6/7/2026 7:11:12 PM

© Copyright 2002-2026 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved.

Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.

www.BibleRef.com