Isaiah 38:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

NIV: Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.

NASB: Behold, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; But You have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have hurled all my sins behind Your back.

CSB: Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such intense bitterness; but your love has delivered me from the Pit of destruction, for you have thrown all my sins behind your back.

NLT: Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.

KJV: Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

NKJV: Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

Hezekiah now celebrates healing. His earlier angst came from the idea of dying young (Isaiah 38:10) of a terminal disease (Isaiah 38:1). Scripture is not specific about the condition, though it refers to something resembling a boil (Isaiah 38:21) which may indicate a tumor. Even those who sincerely trust in God can be discouraged when life and health are in decline (Isaiah 38:11–14). The Lord responded to Hezekiah's humble prayer (Isaiah 38:2–5) which inspired the king to write this psalm (Isaiah 38:9).

Here, the king expresses something non-believers find impossible to understand (1 Corinthians 2:14). Hardship and suffering can be for our good. In this case, impending death drove Hezekiah to deeper dependence on the Lord. It clarified the immense blessings which God had given to him up to that point. Rather than feeling entitled, Hezekiah responds with gratitude and a renewed commitment to praising the Lord (Isaiah 38:18–20). Similar themes are seen in Psalm 103:2–5 as expressed by David.

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).