Isaiah 38:1-8

1 In those days was Hizkiyahu sick to death. Yesha`yahu the prophet the son of Amotz came to him, and said to him, Thus says the LORD, Set your house in order; for you shall die, and not live.
2 Then Hizkiyahu turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, Remember now, the LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. Hizkiyahu wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the LORD to Yesha`yahu, saying,
5 Go, and tell Hizkiyahu, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will add to your days fifteen years.
6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Ashshur; and I will defend this city.
7 This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken:
8 behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Achaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.

Isaiah 38:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 38

This chapter gives an account of Hezekiah's sickness, recovery, and thanksgiving on that account. His sickness, and the nature of it, and his preparation for it, as directed to by the prophet, Isa 38:1, his prayer to God upon it, Isa 38:2,3 the answer returned unto it, by which he is assured of living fifteen years more, and of the deliverance and protection of the city of Jerusalem from the Assyrians, Isa 38:4-6, the token of his recovery, the sun going back ten degrees on the dial of Ahaz, Isa 38:7,8, a writing of Hezekiah's upon his recovery, in commemoration of it, Isa 38:9, in which he represents the deplorable condition he had been in, the terrible apprehensions he had of things, especially of the wrath and fury of the Almighty, and his sorrowful and mournful complaints, Isa 38:10-14, he observes his deliverance according to the word of God; expresses his faith in it; promises to retain a cheerful sense of it; owning that it was by the promises of God that he had lived as other saints did; and ascribes his preservation from the grave to the love of God to him, of which the forgiveness of his sins was an evidence, Isa 38:15-17, the end of which salvation was, that he might praise the Lord, which he determined to do, on stringed instruments, Isa 38:18-20, and the chapter is closed with observing the means of curing him of his boil; and that it was at his request that the sign of his recovery was given him, Isa 38:21,22.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.