Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary
Isaiah 38 · World English Bible
1In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”
2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3and said, “Remember now, 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.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,
5“Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.
7This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.
8Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.
9The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:
10I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
11I said, “I won’t see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.
13I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.
14I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”
15What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.
16Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.
17Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18For Sheol can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.
19The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.
20The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.
21Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”
22Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”
World English Bible · World English Bible; source eBible.org.
Notes on Isaiah 38
1885 (historical English edition; physical printing year uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)
Isa. xxxviii. 21.
Editorial footnote · The Chaplet, or De Corona, Chapter 8, editorial note cite_note-1 · Original source
1894 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)
Isaiah xxxviii. 8.
Editorial footnote · S. Cyril, Chapter uncertain; original source section: Lecture 2, editorial note cite_note-45 · Original source
Date uncertain | Cyril of Jerusalem (historical attribution)
15. Take heed lest without reason thou mistrust the power of repentance. Wouldst thou know what power repentance has? Wouldst thou know the strong weapon of salvation, and learn what the force of confession is? Hezekiah by means of confession routed a hundred and fourscore and five thousand of his enemies. A great thing verily was this, but still small in comparison with what remains to be told: the same king by repentance obtained the recall of a divine sentence which had already gone forth. For when he had fallen sick, Esaias said to him, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. What expectation remained, what hope of recovery, when the Prophet said, for thou shalt die? Yet Hezekiah did not desist from repentance; but remembering what is written, When thou shalt turn and lament, then shalt thou be saved, he turned to the wall, and from his bed lifting his mind to heaven (for thickness of walls is no hindrance to prayers sent up with devotion), he said, “Remember me, O Lord, for it is sufficient for my healing that Thou remember me. Thou art not subject to times, but art Thyself the giver of the law of life. For our life depends not on a nativity, nor on a conjunction of stars, as some idly talk; but both of life and its duration. Then art Thyself the Lawgiver according to Thy Will.” And he, who could not hope to live because of the prophetic sentence, had fifteen years added to his life, and for the sign the sun ran backward in his course. Well then, for Ezekias’ sake the sun turned back but for Christ the sun was eclipsed, not retracing his steps, but suffering eclipse, and therefore shewing the difference between them, I mean between Ezekias and Jesus. The former prevailed to the cancelling of God’s decree, and cannot Jesus grant remission of sins? Turn and bewail thyself, shut thy door, and pray to be forgiven, pray that He may remove from thee the burning flames. For confession has power to quench even fire, power to tame even lions.
Source passage · edition’s verse reference · S. Cyril, Chapter uncertain; original source section: Lecture 2, source paragraph 21 · Original source