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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 38:9-22

We have here Hezekiah's thanksgiving-song, which he penned, by divine direction, after his recovery. He might have taken some of the psalms of his father David, and made use of them for his purpose; he might have found many very pertinent ones. He appointed the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, 2 Chron. 29:30. But the occasion here was extraordinary, and, his heart being full of devout affections, he would not confine himself to the compositions he had, though of divine... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:13

I reckoned till morning ,.... Or, "I set my time till the morning F13 שויתי עד בקר "statui, vel posui usque ad mane", Pagninus, Montanus; "constitui rursum terminum usque mane", Vatablus. "; he fixed and settled it in his mind that he could live no longer than to the morning, if he lived so long; he thought he should have died before the night came on, and, now it was come, the utmost he could propose to himself was to live till morning; that was the longest time he could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:14

Like a crane, or a swallow, so did I chatter ,.... Rather, "like a crane and a swallow", like both; sometimes loud and clamorous, like a crane F15 So it is said in the Talmud, "Resh-Lakish cried like a crane", T. Bab. Kiddushin, col. 42. 1. , when the pain was very acute and grievous; and sometimes very low, through weakness of body, like the twittering of a swallow; or the moan he made under his affliction was like the mournful voices of these birds at certain times. Some think he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:15

What shall I say ?.... In a way of praise and thankfulness, for the mercies promised and received; I know not what to say; I want words to express the gratitude of my heart for the kindness bestowed. What shall I render to God for all his benefits? So the Targum, "what praise shall I utter, and I will say it before him?' for here begins the account of his recovery, and his thanksgiving for it: he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it ; the Lord had sent him a message by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:16

O Lord, by these things men live ,.... Not by bread only, but by the word of God: by the promise of God, and by his power performing it; and by his favour and goodness continually bestowed; it is in him, and by his power and providence, that they live and move, and have their being, and the continuance of it; and it is his lovingkindness manifested to them that makes them live comfortably and go on cheerfully: and in all these things is the life of my spirit ; what kept his soul in life... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:17

Behold, for peace I had great bitterness ,.... Meaning not that instead of peace and prosperity, which he expected would ensue upon the destruction of Sennacherib's army, came a bitter affliction upon him; for he is not now dwelling on that melancholy subject; but rather the sense is, that he now enjoyed great peace and happiness, though he had been in great bitterness; for the words may be rendered, "behold, I am in peace, I had great bitterness"; or thus, "behold my great bitterness is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 38:13

The last line of the foregoing verse תשלימני לילה עד מיום miyom ad layelah tashlimeni , "In the course of the day thou wilt finish my web; "or, as the common version has it, "From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me, "is not repeated at the end of this verse in the Syriac version; and a MS. omits it. It seems to have been inserted a second time in the Hebrew text by mistake. I reckoned till morning, etc. "I roared until the morning like the lion" - For שויתי shivvithi ,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 38:14

Like - a swallow "Like the swallow" - כסיס kesis ; so read two MSS., Theodot., and Hieron. Mine eyes fail - For דלו dallu the Septuagint read כלו calu , εξελιπον . Compare Psalm 69:4 ; Psalm 119:82 , Psalm 119:123 ; Lamentations 2:11 ; Lamentations 4:17 , in the Hebrew and in the Septuagint. O Lord "O Lord" - For יהוה Jehovah , thirty MSS. and eight editions read אדני Adonai . Undertake for me "Contend for me" - עשקה ashekah , with ש shin ,... read more

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