By these things ; i.e. "the things which thou speakest and doest" ( Isaiah 38:15 ). Man does not "live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" ( Deuteronomy 8:3 ). And in all these things . This rendering is against the laws of grammar. Translate, and wholly in them. read more
The life of our life. This verse is pregnant with suggestive truth, and finds fulfilment in Christian as well as in Jewish experience. I. THAT THE LIFE OF OUR SPIRIT IS THE VERY LIFE OF OURSELVES . It is no uncommon thing for ungodly men, when they are pressed to give attention to the claims of their spirit, to excuse their negligence by contending that "they must live." By this they mean that the necessities of the body will excuse their want of concern for the... read more
What shall I say? - This language seems to denote surprise and gratitude at unexpected deliverance. It is the language of a heart that is overflowing, and that wants words to express its deep emotions. In the previous verse he had described his pain, anguish, and despair. In this he records the sudden and surprising deliverance which God had granted; which was so great that no words could express his sense of it. Nothing could be more natural than this language; nothing would more appropriately... read more
O Lord, by these things men live - The design of this and the following verses is evidently to set forth the goodness of God, and to celebrate his praise for what he had done. The phrase ‘these things,’ refers evidently to the promises of God and their fulfillment; and the idea is, that people are sustained in the land of the living only by such gracious interpositions as he had experienced. It was not because people had any power of preserving their own lives, but because God interposed in... read more
Isaiah 38:15. What shall I say? I want words sufficiently to express my deep sense of God’s dealings with me; he hath spoken, &c. He foretold it by his word, and effected it by his hand. In this verse he seems to make a transition into the thanksgiving, which is undoubtedly contained in the following verses, and so the sense is, He hath sent a gracious message to me, by his prophet, concerning the prolongation of my life, and himself hath made good his word. Thus the words are... read more
Isaiah 38:16. By these things men live By virtue of thy gracious word, or promise, and powerful work; or, by thy promises, and thy performance of them: and therefore it is not strange that one word of God hath brought me back from the jaws of death. And in all these things is the life of my spirit As all men’s lives are thy gift, so I shall always acknowledge the preservation of mine to be owing to thy goodness in promising, and thy faithfulness in fulfilling thy promise. So wilt thou... read more
Hezekiah’s illness and recovery (38:1-22)The events recorded in Chapters 38 and 39 probably happened before those of the previous chapters. Hezekiah was about to die (38:1), but in answer to his prayer God gave him an extension of life. It seems that the reason for preserving Hezekiah’s life was to enable him to bring Judah through the time of conflict with Assyria (2-6). God gave Hezekiah a miraculous sign to confirm that this extension of life was according to the divine will (7-8).Hezekiah... read more
softly = slowly. Hebrew. dadah. Only here and in Psalms 42:4 ("went"). soul. Hebrew. nephesh . App-13 . read more
by these, &c. = upon these [Thy doings (Isaiah 38:15 ) men] revive (Psalms 104:29 , Psalms 104:30 ), and the reviving of my spirit [is] altogether in them. spirit. Hebrew. ruach . read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 38:15-16
Going softly after sickness. We usually notice in persons who have passed through serious illness which has brought them to the "border-land," and made the things of the other and eternal world familiar, a gracious loosening from this world, a maturing of character, a mellowness, a sacred seriousness, which may well gain poetical form in the expression of Hezekiah, "going softly." We ought to regard all life as a gift, a trust, from God; but in a very special sense it comes home to us that... read more