Isaiah 38:19

19 The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.

Isaiah 38:19 in Other Translations

KJV
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
ESV
19 The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
NLT
19 Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.
MSG
19 It's the living - live men, live women - who thank you, just as I'm doing right now. Parents give their children full reports on your faithful ways.
CSB
19 The living, only the living can thank You, as I do today; a father will make Your faithfulness known to children.

Isaiah 38:19 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 38:19

The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this
day
Every one of the living, or such who are both corporeally and spiritually alive; and therefore the word is repeated; none but such who are alive in a corporeal sense can praise the Lord in this world; and none but such who are spiritually alive can praise him aright, and such do under a true sense of the greatness of his mercies, and of their own unworthiness; and such a one was Hezekiah; for the words may be rendered, "as I am this day F24"; that is, alive in both the above senses; and so did he praise God, in such a spiritual manner, even on the day he committed this to writing, and was now in the temple offering up this thanksgiving: the father to the children shall make known thy truth:
not meaning himself, for at this time he had no children; though, no doubt, when he had any, as he afterwards had, particularly Manasseh, he took care to acquaint him with the truth and faithfulness of God in the fulfilling of his promises to him; and which every religious parent would do, and so transmit the memory thereof to future ages.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 (Mwyh ynmk) "quails ego sum hodie", Syr.

Isaiah 38:19 In-Context

17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.
20 The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.
21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

Cross References 2

  • 1. Deuteronomy 6:7; Psalms 118:17; Psalms 119:175
  • 2. S Deuteronomy 11:19
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