Isaiah 38:9-22

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanks

38:9 This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:

38:10 “I thought, ¹ 

‘In the middle of my life ²  I must walk through the gates of Sheol,

I am deprived ³  of the rest of my years.’

38:11 “I thought,

‘I will no longer see the Lord ⁴  in the land of the living,

I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. ⁵ 

38:12 My dwelling place ⁶  is removed and taken away ⁷  from me

like a shepherd’s tent.

I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; ⁸ 

from the loom he cuts me off. ⁹ 

You turn day into night and end my life. ¹⁰ 

38:13 I cry out ¹¹  until morning;

like a lion he shatters all my bones;

you turn day into night and end my life. ¹² 

38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,

I coo ¹³  like a dove;

my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ¹⁴ 

O sovereign master, ¹⁵  I am oppressed;

help me! ¹⁶ 

38:15 What can I say?

He has decreed and acted. ¹⁷ 

I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. ¹⁸ 

38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life;

may years of life be restored to me. ¹⁹ 

Restore my health ²⁰  and preserve my life.’

38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. ²¹ 

You delivered me ²²  from the pit of oblivion. ²³ 

For you removed all my sins from your sight. ²⁴ 

38:18 Indeed ²⁵  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ²⁶  praise you.

Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,

as I do today.

A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, ²⁷ 

and we will celebrate with music ²⁸ 

for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” ²⁹ 

38:21 ³⁰  Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.” 38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”

Isaiah 38:1

The Lord Hears Hezekiah’s Prayer

38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. ³¹  The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”

Isaiah 25:1

25:1 O Lord, you are my God! ³² 

I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. ³³ 

For you have done extraordinary things,

and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. ³⁴ 

Isaiah 30:6

30:6 This is a message ³⁵  about the animals in the Negev:

Through a land of distress and danger,

inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ³⁶ 

by snakes and darting adders, ³⁷ 

they transport ³⁸  their wealth on the backs of donkeys,

their riches on the humps of camels,

to a nation that cannot help them. ³⁹ 

Psalms 31:7-8

31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,

because you notice my pain

and you are aware of how distressed I am. ⁴⁰ 

31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;

you enable me to stand ⁴¹  in a wide open place.

Psalms 31:22

31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, ⁴² 

“I am cut off from your presence!” ⁴³ 

But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

Psalms 71:20

71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, ⁴⁴ 

revive me once again! ⁴⁵ 

Bring me up once again ⁴⁶  from the depths of the earth!

Psalms 71:2

71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! ⁴⁷ 

Listen to me! ⁴⁸  Deliver me! ⁴⁹ 

Colossians 1:8-10

1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁵⁰  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁵¹  to fill ⁵²  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live ⁵³  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁵⁴  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

Colossians 1:2

1:2 to the saints, the faithful ⁵⁵  brothers and sisters ⁵⁶  in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you ⁵⁷  from God our Father! ⁵⁸ 

Colossians 3:11

3:11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave ⁵⁹  or free, but Christ is all and in all.

[38:10]  ¹ tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:10]  ² tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).

[38:10]  ³ tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”

[38:11]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text has יָהּ יָהּ (yah yah, the abbreviated form of יְהוָה [yÿhvah] repeated), but this is probably a corruption of יְהוָה.

[38:11]  ⁵ tc The Hebrew text has חָדֶל (khadel), which appears to be derived from a verbal root meaning “to cease, refrain.” But the form has probably suffered an error of transmission; the original form (attested in a few medieval Hebrew mss) was likely חֶלֶד (kheled, “world”).

[38:12]  ⁶ tn According to HALOT 217 s.v. דּוֹר this noun is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:679, n. 4.

[38:12]  ⁷ tn The verb form appears to be a Niphal from גָּלָה (galah), which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the Niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to וְנָגַל, a Niphal from גָלָל (galal, “roll”) and translate “is rolled [or “folded”] up.”

[38:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life” (so ASV).

[38:12]  ⁹ sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:684.

[38:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[38:13]  ¹¹ tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.

[38:13]  ¹² tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[38:14]  ¹³ tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”

[38:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”

[38:14]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[38:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.

[38:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”

[38:15]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”

[38:16]  ¹⁹ tn The translation offered here is purely speculative. The text as it stands is meaningless and probably corrupt. It reads literally, “O lord, on account of them [the suffix is masculine plural], they live, and to all in them [the suffix is feminine plural], life of my spirit.”

[38:16]  ²⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as indicative, “you restore my health,” but the following imperatival form suggests it be understood as an imperfect of request.

[38:17]  ²¹ tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter”; NAB “thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.”

[38:17]  ²² tc The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul,” but this does not fit syntactically with the following prepositional phrase. חָשַׁקְתָּ (khashaqta, “you loved”), may reflect an aural error; most emend the form to חָשַׂכְת, (khasakht, “you held back”).

[38:17]  ²³ tn בְּלִי (bÿli) most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”

[38:17]  ²⁴ tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”

[38:18]  ²⁵ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ²⁶ tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[38:20]  ²⁷ tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC 348-49 §114.i, and IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.

[38:20]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”

[38:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.”

[38:21]  ³⁰ tc If original to Isaiah 38, vv. 21-22 have obviously been misplaced in the course of the text’s transmission, and would most naturally be placed here, between Isa 38:6 and 38:7. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8, where these verses are placed at this point in the narrative, not at the end. Another possibility is that these verses were not in the original account, and a scribe, familiar with the 2 Kgs version of the story, appended vv. 21-22 to the end of the account in Isaiah 38.

[38:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”

[25:1]  ³² sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.

[25:1]  ³³ tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.

[25:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’omen, “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’aman), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.

[30:6]  ³⁵ tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”

[30:6]  ³⁶ tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.

[30:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.

[30:6]  ³⁸ tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:6]  ³⁹ sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.

[31:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”

[31:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “you cause my feet to stand.”

[31:22]  ⁴² tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

[31:22]  ⁴³ tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

[71:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”

[71:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[71:20]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[71:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”

[71:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[71:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”

[1:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁵¹ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁵² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[1:10]  ⁵³ tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁵⁴ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[1:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.

[1:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”

[1:2]  ⁵⁸ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these mss would surely have deleted the phrase in the rest of the corpus Paulinum), it is surely authentic.

[3:11]  ⁵⁹ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.