Isaiah 38:9

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

Isaiah 38:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 38:9

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah
The Septuagint and Arabic versions call it a "prayer": but the Targum, much better,

``a writing of confession;''
in which the king owns his murmurings and complaints under his affliction, and acknowledges the goodness of God in delivering him out of it: this he put into writing, as a memorial of it, for his own benefit, and for the good of posterity; very probably he carried this with him to the temple, whither he went on the third day of his illness, and hung it up in some proper place, that it might be read by all, and be sung by the priests and the Levites; and the Prophet Isaiah has thought fit to give it a place among his prophecies, that it might be transmitted to future ages: when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness;
or, "on his being sick F5"; on his sickness and recovery, which were the subject matter of his writing, as the following show; though it is true also of the time of writing it, which was after he had been ill, and was well again.
FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wtwlxb) "in aegrotando ipsum", Montanus.

Isaiah 38:9 In-Context

7 And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:
8 behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.
9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
10 I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see Jehovah, [even] Jehovah in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.