Isaiah 38:9

9 This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from 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 is your confirming sign, confirming that I, God, will do exactly what I have promised.
8 Watch for this: As the sun goes down and the shadow lengthens on the sundial of Ahaz, I'm going to reverse the shadow ten notches on the dial.'" And that's what happened: The declining sun's shadow reversed ten notches on the dial.
9 This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from his sickness:
10 In the very prime of life I have to leave. Whatever time I have left is spent in death's waiting room.
11 No more glimpses of God in the land of the living, No more meetings with my neighbors, no more rubbing shoulders with friends.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.