Isaiah 38:13 kjv
I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Isaiah 38:13 nkjv
I have considered until morning? Like a lion, So He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me.
Isaiah 38:13 niv
I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.
Isaiah 38:13 esv
I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.
Isaiah 38:13 nlt
I waited patiently all night,
but I was torn apart as though by lions.
Suddenly, my life was over.
Isaiah 38 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 38:14 | Like a crane or a swallow, I clamored; I moaned like a dove | Isa 59:11 (troubled voice) |
| Ps 119:121 | I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. | Ps 38:11 (accusers) |
| Ps 102:24 | I say, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; your years endure throughout all generations.” | Ps 42:3 (crying by day and night) |
| Job 30:27-31 | My insides writhe and groan; my bones ache. I walk about dejected, in dark despair. I pace mournfully, my lyre silenced. I am a brother to jackals, a companion to ostriches. My skin has blackened, my bones are burning with fever. | Job 3:24 (anguish) |
| Lam 1:14 | My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were knit together, they gsank into my neck; my strength was broken. | Lam 3:7 (trapped) |
| Hab 3:2 | O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. | Ps 77:3 (trouble, remembering) |
| Ps 38:8 | I am numb and smitten to the core; I groan because of the outcry of my heart. | Ps 38:10 (strength failed) |
| Jer 8:6 | I listened and heard, but they did not speak rightly, no man repented of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Every one turned to his own course, like a horse rushing headlong into battle. | Jer 50:6 (lost sheep) |
| Isa 38:3 | “Remember, I pray, how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” | 2 Chr 31:20 (wholehearted service) |
| Ps 6:6 | I am weary with my groaning; every night I flood my bed; I drench my couch with my tears. | Ps 39:12 (patience) |
| Prov 18:14 | A man's spirit will endure his infirmities, but a broken spirit who can bear? | Prov 17:22 (broken spirit) |
| Jer 17:14 | Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. | Jer 17:18 (prayer in trouble) |
| 2 Cor 4:8-9 | We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. | 2 Cor 1:3-4 (comfort in affliction) |
| Ps 30:2 | O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. | Ps 30:11 (turned my mourning to dancing) |
| Isa 26:16 | O LORD, in distress they sought you; they cried out in suffering when your discipline was upon them. | Isa 9:13 (afflicted) |
| Phil 3:10 | that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, | Gal 2:20 (live by faith) |
| Matt 26:38 | Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with me.” | John 12:27 (anguish in Gethsemane) |
| Rom 8:18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. | Rom 8:26 (groaning for adoption) |
| Acts 14:22 | strengthening the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. | Acts 14:2 (perseverance) |
| Ps 13:1 | How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? | Ps 13:3 (God hiding face) |
| Nah 3:5 | “Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts...” | Nah 2:11 (Nineveh's plight) |
Isaiah 38 verses
Isaiah 38 13 Meaning
This verse reflects Hezekiah's desperate cry to God during his severe illness. He compares his condition to a lion's broken leg, signifying utter weakness and helplessness. His lament expresses the agony and hopelessness he felt, expecting death and recounting his troubles as if speaking his final words.
Isaiah 38 13 Context
This verse is found within Isaiah chapter 38, which recounts King Hezekiah's serious illness and subsequent miraculous recovery, including the sign of the sun dial moving backward. Hezekiah was facing a life-threatening sickness, likely a severe abscess or boil, as indicated by the medical detail later in the chapter. He had just received a death sentence from Isaiah the prophet. This verse captures Hezekiah's internal lament and his plea to God as he faced the immediate prospect of death and the end of his days. The historical context is Hezekiah's reign in Judah, a time of both faith and facing significant external threats from Assyria. This personal crisis, however, leads to a national and theological interaction.
Isaiah 38 13 Word Analysis
- Hebrew text (likely context for Isaiah): "אָדֹּנָי, מָצַר לִי."
- אָמַר (amar): "He said" or "He spoke." This indicates the communication of his inner state.
- כְּיָמַי (k'yomai): "As my days" or "like my days." This refers to the measurement of his lifespan.
- כְּשָׁנַי (k'shannai): "As my years" or "like my years." This further emphasizes the temporal aspect and the entirety of his life lived so far.
- הָשַׁנִּי (hashanih): "Shall pass away." The verb "shanah" (שָׁנָה) means to change or pass, suggesting the swift departure of his time.
- צָרָה (tzarah): "Distress," "trouble," "adversity," "narrow place," "anguish." This multifaceted word conveys his acute suffering and entrapment.
- כַּיּוֹנָה (ki-yonah): "Like a dove." The dove is often associated with innocence, mourning, and helplessness, particularly when in distress or lost (Ps 55:6-8, Jer 8:7). This simile vividly illustrates his internal distress.
- אֶפְרֶה (efreh): "I will mourn" or "I will cry out." From the root "pa'ar" (פָּעַר), meaning to open the mouth wide, expressing a cry of distress or supplication.
- נְצָרָה (netzrah): "Grieved" or "oppressed." Related to the root "natzar" (נָצַר), implying being shut in or afflicted.
- לְאִישׁ (l'ish): "like a man," indicating he was approaching human limitations, or possibly that he felt forsaken as a man might feel forsaken. Some scholars also see this as emphasizing his individual humanity in suffering.
- בִּישְׁרוּעָה (b'yshua'ah): "in pain" or "with moaning." The term "yshua'ah" (ישועה) normally means salvation, but here in the context of suffering, it points to a painful cry, or perhaps a distorted echo of "salvation" now reversed to agony. This could be a wordplay or a stark contrast to his expected deliverance.
- בִּכְאִי (b'chi): "in weeping." The fundamental expression of sorrow and grief.
Isaiah 38 13 Bonus Section
This lament can be seen as an example of honest prayer. Hezekiah doesn't try to hide his fear or despair from God. The imagery used reflects the intense suffering he felt, moving from a position of kingly strength to one of extreme frailty. His appeal is not merely an expression of self-pity, but a deeply personal moment of existential dread, laid bare before the Lord. It demonstrates the raw emotional state a person can experience when faced with life's ultimate challenge. The chapter, overall, is a narrative of God's intervention in response to sincere pleas for mercy in times of extreme trial.
Isaiah 38 13 Commentary
Hezekiah expresses the deep despair of a man confronting his mortality. The comparison to a dove suggests not just pain but a vocal, emotional distress. The feeling of "distress" (צָרָה) is overwhelming, like being confined in a narrow space with no escape. His life's measured days feel like they are swiftly slipping away, with nothing to look forward to but sorrow. This cry highlights the human experience of facing death with fear and grief, and the vulnerability of even kings. His illness is presented as a crushing weight, from which he anticipates no relief, hence his lament. This moment underscores the gravity of his sickness and his reliance on God amidst utter weakness.