Annotations Upon Isaiah, Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII.
VERSE 1. IN thoſe days was Hezekiah ſick unto death, &c.] See the Notes, 2 King. 20.1. Becauſe ver. 6. there is a promiſe made of delivering the City Jeruſalem from the King of Aſſyria; therefore many learned men think that Hezekiahs ſickneſs was before the ruin that fell upon Sennacherib and his Army. But the ſeries of the Hiſtory is clear; and how that promiſe ver. 6. muſt be underſtood, See the Note, 2 King. 20.6.
Ver. 2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.] To wit, As ſtill truſting in the goodneſs and fatherly love of God to him, notwithſtanding he had heard ſo ſevere a Sentence ſo abſolutely pronounced againſt him from the Lord. But ſee the Note, 2 King. 38.2.
Ver. 3. And ſaid, Remember now, O Lord, I beſeech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy ſight, &c.] As if he had ſaid, And therefore do not cut off my life in the midſt of my days. That this was that which by theſe words of his he intended to beg of God, is evident; becauſe in that promiſe that is afterward made to him, ver. 5. of lengthning out his days, God is ſaid to grant him that which he had prayed for: And therefore we may well think that the reaſon why he did not go on and expreſs this in his Prayer, was, becauſe he was not able to ſpeak any longer for weeping, as it is immediately added in the Text, and Hezekiah wept ſore: And ſo what he could not, or perhaps was afraid to ask in words, becauſe it was contrary to what God had ſaid ſhould be, his tears ſpake, and God heard them. But ſee the Note, 2 King. 20.3.
Ver. 4. Then came the word of the Lord to Iſaiah, ſaying.] To wit, as it is expreſſed in the Book of Kings, afore Iſaiah was gone out into the middle court; (ſo near was the ſick bed of this good King to the Throne of God in Heaven,) even his ſighs and groans God heard, and was preſently careful to have him comforted with a promiſe of longer life; and that for the better ſtrengthning of his faith by the ſame Meſſenger that had made known to him the Sentence of Death, that God had pronounced againſt him. But ſee the Note 2 King. 20.4.
Ver. 5. Go and ſay to Hezekiah, Thus ſaith the Lord God of David thy Father, &c.] By theſe words he makes known to Hezekiah, that he was mindful of the Covenant he had made with David, concerning his continuing of the Kingdom of Judah to his Poſterity; I have heard thy Prayers, I have ſeen thy tears, behold, I will add to thy days fifteen years; that is, To the days thou haſt already lived. In 2 King. there is another particular inſerted in the promiſe here made, to wit, That on the third day he ſhould go up to the Houſe of the Lord. But for this and the following verſe, ſee the Notes, 2. King. 20.6.
Ver. 7. And this ſhall be a ſign unto thee from the Lord, &c.] In 2 King. 20.8. It is ſaid, that Hezekiah deſired a ſign of the Prophet Iſaiah to aſſure him, that this which he had promiſed him ſhould certainly be (which the Prophet hath likewiſe noted in the cloſe of this Chapter) and that hereupon God by the Prophet made him this promiſe of a ſign; for which ſee the Note there.
Ver. 8. Behold, I will bring again the ſhadow of the Degrees which is gone down in the Sun-dial of Ahaz ten degrees backward, &c.] In 2 King. 20.9, 10. it is ſaid, that when Hezekiah deſired a ſign of Iſaiah for the ſtrengthning of his faith, the Prophet tendered to him two different ſigns, leaving him to his choice which of them he would take; namely, That the ſhadow on the Sun-dial ſhould either go forward ten degrees, or go backward ten degrees; and that when Hezekiah anſwered, That it was a light thing for the ſhadow to go down ten degrees; and deſired rather that the ſhadow might return backward ten degrees (for all which ſee the Notes in that place) hereupon this promiſe was made him of bringing back the ſhadow ten degrees; the accompliſhment whereof is related in the next words, ſo the Sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down, to wit, after the Prophet had prayed that it might be ſo; for this is expreſly inſerted, 2 King. 20.11. And Iſaiah the Prophet cried unto the Lord, and he brought the ſhadow ten degrees backward, &c. for all which ſee the Notes there. Yet withal this alſo is here obſervable, that thoſe words, ſo the ſame returned ten degrees, may well induce us to think, that the miracle now wrought, was not, as ſome would have it, in the going back of the ſhadow in the Dial of Ahaz, whilſt the Sun kept on its courſe, but in the retrograde motion of the Sun it ſelf. And indeed how elſe could they in Babylon take notice of this Wonder? See the Note 2 King. 20.12. And beſide, the Analogy between the ſign and the thing ſignified, depends much upon this. Princes are in their Kingdoms as the Sun in the World. The bringing back therefore of the Sun, when it was haſting to its ſetting, and the lengthning of the day thereby beyond its natural time, was moſt fit to ſignifie, that after the ſame manner, how impoſſible it might ſeem, conſidering the deſperateneſs of his diſeaſe, and the Sentence of Death by God himſelf pronounced againſt him, Hezekiah ſhould be brought back from the Grave, whither he was poſting, and his life be lengthned out beyond expectation.
Ver. 9. The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah, when he had been ſick, and was recovered of his ſickneſs.] That is, The Song of Thankſgiving which he compoſed and committed to writing, even as his Father David uſed to do, intending to leave it to poſterity, as a Monument of his own fainting heart in the time of Gods mercy in recovering him out of his ſickneſs, and his hearty thankfulneſs for it.
Ver. 10. I ſaid in the cutting off of my days, &c.] That is, When I perceived partly by the violence of my ſickneſs, but eſpecially by the ſentence of death which the Prophet had pronounced againſt me, that God was now hewing me down in great diſpleaſure; I began to think within my ſelf, or I concluded fully within my ſelf as I lay upon my ſick bed, I ſhall go to the gates of the grave, that is, I am now a dead man. See the Note, Pſal. 9.13. I am deprived of the reſidue of my years, that is, the years I might have lived by the ordinary courſe of nature. Thus in the firſt place he acknowledgeth his own weakneſs, and the terrors wherewith he was ſurprized, when he ſaw himſelf likely to be cut off by an untimely death in the flower of his age (the reaſons whereof ſee before in the Note 2 Kin. 20.3.) the more hereby to magnifie the mercy of God to him in his recovery.
Ver. 11. I ſaid, &c.] See the foregoing Note, I ſhall not ſee the Lord, to wit, in his Temple; See the Notes, Pſal. 27.4. and 42.2. even the Lord; it is twice repeated to ſet forth how vehemently he was afflicted herewith, in the land of the living; ſee the Note, Pſal. 27.13. And indeed his particular expreſſing of this, when he deſired a ſign of his recovery, ver. 22. What is the ſign that I ſhall go up to the houſe of the Lord? doth plainly ſhow, that this was one main thing that troubled him, when he lay under the terrors of Death, I ſhall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the World; that is, I ſhall no longer live amongſt the Children of men here in this World: Or, as I ſhall no more behold God in his Ordinances, ſo I ſhall alſo be cut off from the Communion of the Church of the living; and ſo I ſhall not do that good to the people of God, that were under my charge, that I deſired to do.
Ver. 12. Mine age is departed, &c.] The time of my life and abode here in this World is at an end and gone; and is removed from me as a Shepherds tent, who uſe not to ſtay long in a place, but to remove their tents from one place to another; See the Note, Job 27.18. I have cut off like a Weaver my life; that is, I reſolved with my ſelf that my life was cut off; or by my ſins I have provoked the Lord to cut off my life, even as a Weaver cuts off his web from the Loom when he hath finiſhed it, and ſometimes too (which ſome think is here intended) before he hath made an end of it; he will cut me off with pining ſickneſs; or, as it is in the Margin, from the Thrum (which is the looſe threads of the Woof faſtned to the Weavers beam) that is, God will utterly cut me off; from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me: that is, All the day long from morning even to night thou wilt be hewing me down, ſo that there is not a moment wherein I am not in fear of death: Or, thou wilt ſpeedily and preſently diſpatch me, this very day before night there will be an end of me; See the Note, Job 4.20.
Ver. 13. I reckoned till morning, that as a lion ſo will he break all my bones, &c.] That is, All the night long, from evening even to the morning, I lay thinking with my ſelf, and made full account with my ſelf, that partly by the torturing pain and ſickneſs I endured in my body, and partly by the inward terrors wherewith my mind was perplexed, God would as a lion tear and devour me both fleſh and bones, and ſo make an end of me. This I conceive is the plain meaning of theſe words; yet ſome, I know, think further, and that not improbably, that this is ſpoken with relation to what he had ſaid in the foregoing verſe, and ſo that the meaning is, that though he lived out the foregoing day, which he thought he ſhould not have done, yet when the Evening came, all the Night long he was ſo torn and broken with the extremity he was in, that he reckoned for certain that he ſhould dye before morning, or that he could not hold out another day. And therefore, ſay they, he repeats here that again, which he had ſaid in the foregoing verſe, from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me; and that by reaſon of the extream anguiſh and fear he was in; as if he ſhould have ſaid, I ſhall dye, I ſhall dye, I cannnot long ſubſiſt in this woful plight wherein I now lye.
Ver. 14. Like a Crane or a Swallow, ſo did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove, &c.] Some take the meaning of this to be, that he was ſo weakned and perplexed in mind, that he could hardly ſpeak, and did therefore pour out his complaints and prayers before God with a low, muttering hoarſe and interrupted voice; much to the ſame purpoſe with that of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 77.4. I am ſo troubled, that I cannot ſpeak. But the meaning rather ſeems to be, that the violence of the pain and ſickneſs he endured in his body, and the terrors he endured in his ſpirit through the fear of preſent death, made him lye groaning, and ſighing, and ſobbing, the confuſed noiſe whereof was much like that of the fowls here mentioned, eſpecially when the young ones do want their meat, or when the Dams have their young ones taken from them: mine eyes fail with looking upward, to wit, with looking up to God for help; See the Notes, Pſal. 119.82. and Job 11.20. O Lord, I am oppreſſed, that is, ſo heavily overpreſſed, that I am not able to endure it any longer: undertake for me, to wit, as a ſurety; as if he ſhould have ſaid, This ſickneſs hath arreſted me to carry me to deaths Priſon-houſe; reſcue me out of its power, as ſureties do thoſe they engage for; See the Note, Pſal. 119.22.
Ver. 15. What ſhall I ſay? he hath both ſpoken unto me, and himſelf hath done it, &c.] Many learned Expoſitors hold, that Hezekiah doth ſtill here proceed in bewailing himſelf, and ſetting forth the hopeleſneſs of his Condition; What ſhall I ſay? that is, What ſhall I ſay further? What need I ſay any more? he hath both ſpoken unto me, and he alſo hath done it; that is, It was God that ſaid to me by his Prophet, Thou ſhalt die and not live; and what he hath ſaid, he hath done; it is he that hath brought me to this extremity, that I am now no better than a dead man; and therefore it is in vain for me thus to complain, to mutter againſt, and ſtrive with my Judge; yea, to what purpoſe is it to call upon God to undertake for me, to eaſe and help me? if he have reſolved that I muſt dye, there's no ſeeking to have it otherwiſe, I muſt ſtoop and yield; See Pſal. 39.9. And indeed ſuch Expreſſions of impatience and deſpair, That it is in vain to pray to God, and to hope for any favour from him, may ſometimes flip from the beſt of Gods ſervants in deſperate dangers, and great diſcompoſures of ſpirit. Thus, I ſay, many do underſtand theſe words. But indeed I ſee not how this can ſuit with the following clauſe, I ſhall go ſoftly all my years in the bitterneſs of my ſoul, if we take it as they do, as a complaint that he ſhould go drooping (ſoftly, that is, Mournfully; See the Note 1 King. 21.27.) all his years; for how could he ſpeak of living years in that condition wherein he concluded that he ſhould not live a day to an end? Rather therefore we may think that Hezekiah, having in the foregoing verſes ſet forth the low and hopeleſs Condition wherein he lay for a while, doth at theſe words begin to relate the wonderful mercy of God to him in his recovery. What ſhall I ſay? as if he had ſaid, But alas! how ſhall I be able to expreſs the wonder of Gods love to me, in reſcuing me out of this danger? Sure I ſhall never know how to ſhew my ſelf thankful enough for ſuch a mercy: he hath both ſpoken unto me, and himſelf hath done it; that is, He was pleaſed by the ſame Prophet, by whom he pronounced the ſentence of Death againſt me, to ſend me a promiſe that I ſhould recover out of this ſickneſs; and what he hath promiſed, he hath accordingly done: I ſhall go ſoftly all my years; that is, Deliberately and conſiderately, ſay ſome, or gently and eaſily, ſay others; in the bitterneſs of my ſoul; that is, In the conſtant remembrance of that bitterneſs of ſoul, which I have undergone in this time of my ſickneſs. So that the meaning may be, either 1. That he would be all the remainder of his life often and ſeriouſly calling to mind the bitterneſs of this his late condition, that he might be the more thankful to God for his deliverance: Or, 2ly. That being comforted with the experience of Gods favour to him, he would go on quietly, fearleſly and chearfully all his life long, though he ſhould be aſſailed ſometimes with the fear of death, or any other bitter affliction, as not queſtioning but that God would out of his wonted love be a ſure refuge to him. Or, 3ly. That by the remembrance of that bitterneſs he had been in, and Gods great goodneſs to him in raiſing him upon his Prayers to him ſo ſpeedily out of ſo ſad a Condition, he would be careful to walk all his days as became a true Penitent, ſoftly, that is, Penſively and mournfully as to his bewailing the ſins wherewith he had diſpleaſed God; or ſoftly, that is, Warily and circumſpectly as to his care for the avoiding of every thing whereby he might offend and diſpleaſe him for the time to come. Neither indeed can I ſee how this laſt clauſe, as it is in our Tranſlation, can be any other way probably underſtood.
Ver. 16. O Lord, by theſe things men live, &c.] This verſe is ſeveral ways tranſlated by Interpreters. But according to our Tranſlation the meaning is clearly this, O Lord, by thy favour, and promiſes, by the word of thy command, and by thy providence accompliſhing what thou haſt ſpoken, is the life of men continued to them, or prolonged as thou pleaſeſt, yea, even to thoſe that were at the brink of the Grave, or that haply had before the ſentence of Death pronounced againſt them (for this is ſpoken with reference to that in the foregoing verſe, he hath both ſpoken unto me, and himſelf hath done it) See the Note, Deut. 8.3. and in all theſe things is the life of my ſpirit; that is, And by theſe things doth my ſoul ſtill continue within me, chearfully and comfortably enlivening my body; ſo wilt thou recover me, and make me to live; that is, And ſo by thy will it is that I am recovered and do live; or ſo thou wilt perfect the work of my recovery which thou haſt begun, and make me to live that remainder of years thou haſt appointed for me.
Ver. 17. Behold, for peace I had great bitterneſs, &c.] Or, on my peace came great bitterneſs; that is, When I was healthful and well, and had not the leaſt fear of any diſtemper of ſickneſs that was coming upon me; yea, when by Gods miraculous deſtroying the Aſſyrian Army, both my ſelf and the whole Kingdom ſeemed to be in a way of ſetled peace; and thereupon I began to promiſe my ſelf, that I ſhould now live the remainder of my days in proſperity and peace, on a ſudden I was ſurprized with this bitter affliction; but thou haſt in love to my ſoul, delivered it from the pit of corruption; that is, Out of thy fatherly love to me (See the Note, Pſal. 3.2.) thou wert pleaſed to recover me, even from the very grave; for thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy back, to wit, as things loathſome to thee, which yet thou wert pleaſed to forget and forgive, ſo as never to charge them upon me. And Hezekiah that had before alledged, that he had walked before God in truth, and with a perfect heart, and done that which was good in his ſight, ver. 3. doth yet withal acknowledg here, That his ſins had been many, and the cauſe why God had viſited him with his late dangerous ſickneſs; and doth not ſo much rejoyce in his recovery, as in Gods love and pardoning mercy, which was better than a thouſand lives to him.
Ver. 18. For the grave cannot praiſe thee, death cannot celebrate thee, &c.] See the Notes, Pſal. 6.5. and 30.9. and 115.17. Hereby Hezekiah intends to intimate, that he knew that Gods end in reſtoring him to his former health, was, That here in this World he might ſet forth his praiſe; and that this therefore he would certainly do, yea, that upon this account he chiefly rejoyced in his recovery.
Ver. 19. The living, the living, he ſhall praiſe thee, as I do this day, &c.] The repetition of this word, the living, the living, is very Emphatical, and amongſt other things doth clearly diſcover how full of joy his heart was upon the thought of this, that by his recovery he ſhould have ſo fair a ſeaſon afforded him to ſpeak good of Gods name; the fathers to the children ſhall make known thy truth, that is, Thy faithfulneſs in performing thy promiſes, as thou haſt now done unto me; they ſhall teach their Children what great things thou haſt done, and how they ought upon ſuch occaſions to extol thy name; and ſo thy Praiſes ſhall be continued from Generation to Generation: yea, theſe words may ſeem probably to imply, that Hezekiah had it now in his thoughts, that by Gods gracious lengthning out of his days, he might come to have a Son to ſucceed him in his Throne, whom he might inſtruct to live to Gods praiſe and glory.
Ver. 20. The Lord was ready to ſave me, therefore we will ſing my ſongs to the ſtringed inſtruments, &c.] That is, I will do it with and in the publick Aſſemblies of thy people (as indeed Hezekiahs recovery was a great bleſſing and a juſt cauſe of thankfulneſs to all the people) and he ſaith, we will ſing my ſongs, either as intending the Pſalms which he meant to compoſe, or elſe thoſe Pſalms of Thankſgiving which he and the people uſed to ſing upon ſuch occaſions.
Ver. 21. For Iſaiah had ſaid, Let them take a lump of figs, &c.] See the Note, 2 King. 20.7.
Ver. 22. Hezekiah alſo had ſaid, What is the ſign that I ſhall go up to the houſe of the Lord?] See the Note above, ver. 7. In 2 King. 20.8. it is, What ſhall be the ſign that the Lord will heal me, and that I ſhall go up into the houſe of the Lord the third day? But the laſt clauſe is here only mentioned, becauſe this implies how earneſt his deſires were, that he might go up to the Temple to praiſe God for his recovery.