Isaiah 38 14

Isaiah 38:14 kjv

Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

Isaiah 38:14 nkjv

Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail from looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed; Undertake for me!

Isaiah 38:14 niv

I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!"

Isaiah 38:14 esv

Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!

Isaiah 38:14 nlt

Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,
and then I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.
I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!"

Isaiah 38 verses

Isaiah 38 14 Meaning

Isaiah 38:14 encapsulates King Hezekiah's deep distress and total helplessness during his mortal illness. He expresses his overwhelming pain and fear through vivid animal metaphors, likening his mournful cries to those of weak, chattering birds. With his physical strength fading, represented by his dimming eyes, he casts his last hope upward to God, acknowledging his severe oppression and pleading for divine security and intervention against the forces threatening his life.

Isaiah 38 14 Context

Isaiah 38:14 is found within the "historical interlude" (Isaiah 36-39) which parallels portions of 2 Kings 18-20. Specifically, this verse is part of King Hezekiah's personal lament and thanksgiving song after the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, grants him an additional fifteen years of life, reversing a death sentence. Hezekiah had fallen gravely ill (vv. 1-6) and was told he would die. In response, he turns to the Lord in fervent prayer. Chapter 38 details his sickness, his prayer, God's merciful response, and Hezekiah's poetic expression of his near-death experience and subsequent recovery. This verse captures the depth of his despair at the height of his illness, expressing the complete vulnerability and physical deterioration that led him to cry out to God from his sickbed. The historical context also includes the recent threat of the Assyrian army, which, though primarily linked to chapters 36-37, informs Hezekiah's gratitude for his extended life as a necessary continuity for his kingdom amidst significant geopolitical turmoil.

Isaiah 38 14 Word analysis

• Like a swift or a swallow (כְּסוּס עָגוּר):

  • Swift (סוּס, sūs): While often translated "horse," in context with עָגוּר (‘āgūr), it refers to a kind of bird, either a swift or a crane. Known for their high-pitched, chirping calls, these birds are associated with migratory movement, making their calls sound fleeting or unsettling.
  • Swallow (עָגוּר, ‘āgūr): More widely translated as "swallow" or "crane." Swallows are noted for their distinctive, sometimes mournful, chattering sounds. The pairing emphasizes a specific type of bird cry—weak, quick, and indicative of distress, rather than melodious song.

• so I chirped (כֵּן אֲצַפְצֵף):

  • Chirped (אֲצַפְצֵף, ‘aṣapṣēp̄): An onomatopoeic Hebrew verb. It describes a faint, twittering, or whispering sound, a feeble murmuring. Hezekiah implies his voice was too weak for a proper cry, reduced to the inarticulate, weak sound of a distressed bird. This contrasts sharply with a strong, confident human voice.

• I moaned like a dove (אֶהְגֶּה כַּיּוֹנָה):

  • Moaned (אֶהְגֶּה, ‘ehgeh): From the verb הָגָה (hāgāh), meaning to utter, growl, mourn, or meditate. It suggests a deep, internal groaning, a lament that comes from profound sorrow and physical pain. It implies a deeper, more resonant sound of distress than 'chirped.'
  • Like a dove (כַּיּוֹנָה, kayyônâ): The dove is a universal biblical symbol of innocence, mourning, gentleness, and distress. Its cooing or moaning sound is frequently associated with lament and sorrow. This metaphor highlights Hezekiah's vulnerability and his lamenting cry of deep anguish.

• My eyes grew weak, looking upward (דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם):

  • My eyes (עֵינַי, ‘ênay): Refers to his physical sight and the window to his soul.
  • Grew weak (דַּלּוּ, dallû): From דָּלַל (dālal), meaning to languish, be faint, diminished, or worn out. It describes the physical exhaustion and near-death state, where even the eyes lose their strength, perhaps blurring, fading, or unable to focus.
  • Looking upward (לַמָּרוֹם, lammārôm): Literally "to the height" or "upward." This posture signifies desperate prayer, a turning away from earthly remedies, and an appeal to God in heaven as his only source of hope and aid. It is a gesture of both physical exhaustion and spiritual desperation.

• O Lord (אֲדֹנָי, ’ăḏōnāy):

  • Lord: The respectful address for God, signifying His sovereignty and Hezekiah's humble submission. It's a plea to the divine Master.

• I am oppressed (עָשְׁקָה לִּי, ‘āšəqâ lî):

  • Oppressed (עָשְׁקָה, ‘āšəqâ): From עָשַׁק (‘āšaq), meaning to oppress, exploit, or defraud. Here, it refers to being crushed or overwhelmed, not necessarily by human enemies, but by the relentless force of the illness, which is metaphorically oppressing his very life. It's a vivid description of the sickness as a hostile, overpowering agent.

• be my security! (עָרְבֵנִי, ‘ārəbēnî):

  • Security (עָרְבֵנִי, ‘ārəbēnî): From עָרַב (‘ārab), meaning to pledge, guarantee, or act as surety. It's a legal or commercial term implying one person taking responsibility for another, especially regarding debt or safety. Hezekiah is asking God to guarantee his life, to stand as a guarantor against death, to secure his existence. It’s an appeal for divine protection and rescue from death's grasp, acting as his shield and assurance of continued life.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Like a swift or a swallow, so I chirped; I moaned like a dove": This imagery establishes Hezekiah's deep distress and inability to articulate his suffering in strong, coherent speech. His communication is reduced to weak, animalistic cries, underscoring his physical and emotional breakdown. The birds represent not only mournful sounds but also vulnerability and fear, possibly even loneliness.
  • "My eyes grew weak, looking upward": This phrase eloquently captures Hezekiah's last remaining act of hope and faith amidst physical collapse. His eyes, failing him in every other sense, still fixate on the only source of potential help: God in the heavens. It is a visual representation of turning from utter desperation to divine reliance.
  • "O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!": This is the heart of Hezekiah's plea. He transitions from lamenting his state to a direct petition. "Oppressed" highlights the overwhelming and aggressive nature of his sickness, while "be my security" is a profound request for God to literally take his life into His hands, to guarantee his well-being against the threat of death, essentially asking God to step in as his protector and redeemer.

Isaiah 38 14 Bonus section

The concept of God acting as a "surety" or "guarantor" (עָרְבֵנִי) is significant. In ancient Near Eastern law, a guarantor placed himself between a person and a debt or consequence, taking responsibility for the individual. Hezekiah is asking God to assume this role for his very life—to stand between him and the debt of death, vouching for his continued existence. This demonstrates a sophisticated theological understanding of God's role not merely as a distant helper but as an intimate intervenor in human affairs, capable of securing one's future. It anticipates the ultimate guarantor provided in Jesus Christ, who acts as the "surety of a better covenant" (Heb 7:22), guaranteeing eternal life and redemption from the ultimate oppression of sin and death. Hezekiah's prayer foreshadows the ultimate hope of securing one's life in the hands of God.

Isaiah 38 14 Commentary

Isaiah 38:14 reveals the raw, unfiltered anguish of King Hezekiah at death's door. Stripped of his royal authority and physical strength, he identifies with the lowliest, most vulnerable creatures—chattering birds and a cooing dove—to convey his despair. His feeble chirping and mournful groans communicate an inability to even utter a strong, human cry for help. His physical deterioration is starkly drawn with his "weak eyes," yet even this weakness turns into an act of profound faith as he lifts them "upward," indicating his sole reliance on divine intervention. His final cry, "O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!" encapsulates his recognition of his dire circumstances and his absolute surrender to God's sovereign power. He is not just asking for healing but for God to stand as guarantor of his very life, an ultimate act of trust in God as his ultimate redeemer and protector against the clutches of death. This prayer of utter dependence becomes the channel through which divine mercy is received.