Isaiah 38:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

NIV: And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

NASB: And I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city.'?’

CSB: And I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city.

NLT: and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

KJV: And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

NKJV: I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’

Hezekiah's healing (Isaiah 38:5) aligns with God's promise to preserve David's line and ultimately bring the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Without an heir, the royal line would have ended. This does not make God's earlier statement false (Isaiah 38:1–3). The unexplained disease was fatal; without a miracle, Hezekiah was going to die. His prayer affirmed a humble faith, as God expected, and earned the king fifteen more years.

God also wants Hezekiah to trust Him during the coming Assyrian threat. He promises not only to heal the king but also to defend Jerusalem. Earlier chapters recorded this series of events (Isaiah 36—37). King Sennacherib of Assyria sent his undefeated army to conquer every city in Judah, leaving only Jerusalem. Despite threats and insults, the Assyrians never even fired a single arrow against Jerusalem. The Lord obliterated their army, sending Sennacherib back home in defeat.

Isaiah explains Hezekiah's sickness and recovery after the Assyrian incident to make a clearer transition to prophecies about the Messiah.

Isaiah 38:4–8 records the Lord's reaction to Hezekiah's faithful humility. The prophet Isaiah passed along Gods message that King Hezekiah should expect to die from his severe illness. When the king appeals to the Lord, God promises to give him another fifteen years to live. God also vows to preserve Israel from invading Assyrians. To prove that this will happen, God offers a miraculous sign: moving the shadow of a sundial so that the sun appears to be moving backwards.

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 4:44:12 AM