IsaiahChapter 38

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In those days Hezekiah fell sick and was near death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, for you are going to die; you will not recover."

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:

"Remember, LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you faithfully and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:

"Go and say to Hezekiah: This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I am going to add fifteen years to your life.

And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city.

This will be the sign to you from the LORD that the LORD will do what he has promised:

I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after his illness and recovery:

I said, "In the prime of my life I must pass through the gates of the grave; I am robbed of the rest of my years."

I said, "I will not see the LORD, the LORD, in the land of the living; never again will I look on my fellow man, or be with those who dwell in this world."

My dwelling is pulled up and carried off like a shepherd's tent. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me from the loom. Day and night you bring me to an end.

I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones. Day and night you bring me to an end.

I cried like a swift or a swallow, I moaned like a dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am oppressed, Lord; come to my aid!

But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.

Lord, by such things people live, and my spirit finds life in them too. Restore me to health; let me live!

Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have hurled all my sins behind your back.

For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; a father tells his children about your faithfulness.

The LORD will save me, and we will make music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

Isaiah had said, "Let them bring a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover."

And Hezekiah had asked, "What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?"

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Summary2

Chapter 38

Main Theme: God hears Hezekiah’s prayer and extends his life by fifteen years in response to his faithful appeal.

Content: King Hezekiah becomes gravely ill and is told by the prophet Isaiah that he will die. Hezekiah turns his face to the wall, prays to God, and weeps bitterly as he recalls his faithfulness. God hears his prayer and sends Isaiah back with a promise of fifteen additional years of life, deliverance from Assyria, and protection for Jerusalem. As a sign, the shadow on Ahaz’s sundial moves ten steps backward. Hezekiah expresses his gratitude in a psalm, vowing to praise God for the rest of his life.

Key Words/Images:

The Shadow Moving Backward: A miraculous sign from God confirming the promise of healing and extended life.
Hezekiah’s Prayer and Tears: Expresses his sincere appeal to God in a life-threatening crisis and recalls his faithful walk with Him.
Fifteen Years: The specific period of time God adds to Hezekiah’s life in answer to his prayer.
Sheol/The Realm of the Dead: In Hezekiah’s psalm, the silence of the dead is contrasted with the living singing praises to God.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Isaiah 38

People

King Hezekiah is the main character in this chapter. His illness and healing can be dated to around 701 B.C., the same period as Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem. Hezekiah's additional fifteen years of life (v. 5) align with biblical chronologies for his reign.

Places

"The steps of Ahaz" (מַעֲלוֹת אָחָז, v. 8) refer to a sundial or stair-like device constructed by King Ahaz. This was likely a form of sundial based on the movement of shadows across steps, a technology known in the ancient Near East. Such sundials are documented in both Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures. The location was probably within or near the palace area in Jerusalem.

Events and Customs

Hezekiah's prayer facing the wall (v. 2) reflects a common prayer practice of turning away from surroundings to create an intimate space with God. The use of fig poultices as medical treatment (v. 21) was known in antiquity. Figs were applied to hasten the maturation of boils and as an anti-inflammatory remedy. This illustrates the interplay between divine healing and natural remedies in Israelite thought.

Key Terms

The word "מִכְתָּב" (miktav, v. 9) means "writing" or "document" and introduces Hezekiah's song of thanksgiving—a genre similar to lament psalms. The expression "שְׁאוֹל" (sheol, vv. 10, 18) denotes the realm of the dead, understood as a shadowy existence separated from God and without the ability to praise Him. The phrase "בִּדְמִי יָמַי" (v. 10) means "in the midst of my days" and expresses grief over an untimely death, which was especially tragic in a culture where long life was seen as God's blessing.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The historical framework for this chapter is confirmed by several archaeological discoveries. A bulla (seal impression) with the inscription "Belonging to Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah" was found in Jerusalem in 2015. Sennacherib's prism mentions the siege of Jerusalem and describes how he shut Hezekiah up "like a bird in a cage." These findings confirm the historical setting for the events in Isaiah 36–39, including the Assyrian threat mentioned in verse 6.

People4

David1 Isaiah3 Amoz1 Hezekiah5

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Key words7

Hezekiah — King of Judah who became ill and asked God to extend his life; God answered by adding 15 years.
Illness — A poor state of health, in this case Hezekiah's fatal sickness, which led him to seek God's help.
Prophet — A person who receives and delivers messages from God; here it refers to Isaiah, who brought God's answer to Hezekiah.
Sign — A miracle or event that confirms God's promise or intervention; in this case, the shadow on the sundial moving backward as a sign that God had heard Hezekiah's prayer.
Prayer — Communication with God where people ask for help, give thanks, or seek guidance; here it refers to Hezekiah's prayer for healing and extended life.
Healing — The process of becoming well again after illness or injury; in this context, Hezekiah's recovery following his prayer to God.
Psalm — A song or poem expressing gratitude and honor to God; Hezekiah wrote such a psalm after he was healed and granted additional years of life.