Isaiah 38:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.

NIV: For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

NASB: For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

CSB: For Sheol cannot thank you; Death cannot praise you. Those who go down to the Pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

NLT: For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

KJV: For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

NKJV: For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.

When he was given a terminal diagnosis (Isaiah 38:1), king Hezekiah responded with normal human emotions such as discouragement (Isaiah 38:10–15). These feelings are recorded in a psalm (Isaiah 38:9) inspired by this unique series of events. Almost as soon as the bad news was delivered, the Lord responded to Hezekiah's sincere prayer with a promise of fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:2–5). One of the main lessons Hezekiah took from this was that his illness brought him a net gain. He became more dependent on the Lord, closer to Him, and more aware of his own blessings.

In this verse, the king notes that the living can still praise God. Since Hezekiah will continue to live, he can bring a renewed joy to worshipping the Lord (Isaiah 38:19–20). The ability to continue in praise of God is one of the main reasons Hezekiah appreciates his rescue.

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 6/2/2026 2:25:59 AM