Isaiah 38:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

NIV: A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

NASB: This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

CSB: A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:

NLT: When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:

KJV: The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

NKJV: This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

Hezekiah was given a terminal diagnosis for his illness (Isaiah 38:1). The Bible doesn't say whether this was an infection, tumor, or some other condition. In response to prayer, the Lord granted Hezekiah an additional 15 years (Isaiah 38:2–6). The grateful king composes a psalm of praise (Isaiah 38:10). This song begins in the next verse and continues for most of the remainder of this chapter (Isaiah 38:20).

The psalm's first half expresses Hezekiah's anguish at hearing that he would die. In dramatic terms, the king mourns that he will die in the prime of his life. The second half (Isaiah 38:16–20) explains a new perspective: that God used the illness for Hezekiah's good. The disease led him to deeper dependence on the Lord. This was God's main desire for His chosen people (Isaiah 2:7–8; 30:12–13; 50:10). The most powerful interventions in Isaiah's records happen when the people abandon every hope but the Lord God (Isaiah 37:1–7).

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 5/26/2026 12:02:08 AM