Isaiah 38:18

18 People in the place of the dead cannot praise you; those who have died cannot sing praises to you; those who die don't trust you to help them.

Isaiah 38:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 38:18

For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate
thee
That is, they that are in the grave, and under the power of death, they cannot celebrate the praises of God with their bodily organs; their souls may praise him in heaven, but they in their bodies cannot till the resurrection morn, or as long as they are under the dominion of the grave; so the Targum,

``they that are in the grave cannot confess before thee, and the dead cannot praise thee;''

in like manner the Septuagint and Arabic versions: this shows the design of God in restoring him from his sickness, and the view he himself had in desiring life, which was to praise the Lord; and which end could not have been answered had he died, and been laid in the grave: they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth:
for the performance of promises, in which the truth and faithfulness of God appear; or for the Messiah, the truth of all the types of the former dispensation; those that go down to the pit of the grave, or are carried and laid there, can have no exercise of faith and hope concerning these things.

Isaiah 38:18 In-Context

16 Lord, because of you, people live. Because of you, my spirit also lives; you made me well and let me live.

17 It was for my own good that I had such troubles. Because you love me very much, you did not let me die but threw my sins far away.

18 People in the place of the dead cannot praise you; those who have died cannot sing praises to you; those who die don't trust you to help them.

19 The people who are alive are the ones who praise you. They praise you as I praise you today. A father should tell his children that you provide help.

20 The Lord saved me, so we will play songs on stringed instruments in the Temple of the Lord all the days of our lives.