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 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 38:14 | Like a crane or a swallow I chatter; I moan like a dove. | Isaiah 38:14 (Theme: Lament) |
| Psalm 12:5 | "For the sighing of the needy, now I will arise," says the LORD. | Psalm 12:5 (Theme: God hears) |
| Psalm 42:3 | My tears were my food day and night, while they said to me daily, “Where is your God?” | Psalm 42:3 (Theme: Despair) |
| Psalm 55:4-5 | My heart quakes within me; the fear of death falls upon me. | Psalm 55:4-5 (Theme: Fear) |
| Psalm 56:8 | You have kept count of my wanderings; put all my tears in your bottle. | Psalm 56:8 (Theme: God's care) |
| Psalm 69:3 | I am weary with my crying; my throat is dried up. | Psalm 69:3 (Theme: Exhaustion) |
| Psalm 77:2-3 | In my distress I sought the Lord; in the night I stretched out my hands without being shut off. | Psalm 77:2-3 (Theme: Seeking God) |
| Psalm 142:2-3 | I pour out before him my trouble; before him I tell my distress. | Psalm 142:2-3 (Theme: Revelation of distress) |
| Lamentations 3:8 | Though I cry and call for help, he shuts out my prayer. | Lam 3:8 (Theme: Prayer unanswered) |
| Job 7:2-4 | As a servant pants for shade, and as a laborer waits for his wages, so I have been allotted months of futility. | Job 7:2-4 (Theme: Weariness of life) |
| Job 30:26-28 | But when I looked for good, then evil came, and when I waited for light, then darkness came. | Job 30:26-28 (Theme: Unexpected suffering) |
| Matthew 27:46 | And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) | Matt 27:46 (Theme: Divine abandonment) |
| 2 Corinthians 5:2 | For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be further clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. | 2 Cor 5:2 (Theme: Groaning in the present) |
| Philippians 2:26 | Because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was ill. | Phil 2:26 (Theme: Concern for others) |
| Genesis 43:31 | Then Joseph made a great display of grief; he turned away from them. | Gen 43:31 (Theme: Intense emotion) |
| Psalm 102:11 | My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither like the grass. | Psalm 102:11 (Theme: Fleeting life) |
| Psalm 119:147 | I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. | Psalm 119:147 (Theme: Hope in God's Word) |
| Isaiah 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. | Isaiah 53:3 (Theme: Suffering Servant) |
| Isaiah 38:10 | I said, "In the middle of my days I must depart; I must go into the gates of Sheol." | Isaiah 38:10 (Theme: Facing death) |
| Isaiah 38:15 | What shall I say? He spoke to me, and He Himself has done this. I shall have to pass all my years in bitterness of soul. | Isaiah 38:15 (Theme: Resignation and questioning God) |
Isaiah 38 verses
Isaiah 38 14 Meaning
This verse captures King Hezekiah's heartfelt lament and desperate cry to God during a severe illness, likening his situation to a crane or bird in mournful flight, and expressing his deep sorrow and self-reproach. He feels as if he is being oppressed and cut off from life.
Isaiah 38 14 Context
This verse is found within the narrative account of King Hezekiah's illness and miraculous recovery in Isaiah chapter 38, which is also recounted in 2 Kings 20 and 2 Chronicles 32. Hezekiah has received a death sentence from the prophet Isaiah. He responds with intense grief and prayer. This particular verse is a part of his prayer or lament during this desperate time. Hezekiah's illness occurs during a period of great upheaval for Judah, following the Assyrian invasion. His prayer is a turning point, leading to God extending his life. The chapter begins with Isaiah giving Hezekiah a stark message of impending death.
Isaiah 38 14 Word analysis
- כְּסוּס וְכַיָּעֶן (kə-sūs wə-ḵə-yā‘ēn): "Like a crane and like a swallow."
- כְּ (kə): "like" or "as." Indicates comparison.
- סוּס (sūs): Crane. A large, long-legged, long-necked bird, often associated with migrations and specific calls.
- וְ (wə): "and." Connects the two birds.
- כָּ (kā): "like."
- יָעֶן (yā‘ēn): Swallow. A swift-flying bird known for its migratory habits and often making chattering or twittering sounds. The imagery evokes sounds of distress, restlessness, or incessant complaint.
- אֶגְאָה (’ə-gōh): "I mooed," "I cried out," or "I chirped."
- From the root גהה (gāhâ), meaning to mourn, sigh, or cry out with a pained sound. The sound is drawn-out and mournful, like the call of a dove.
- כְּיוֹנָה (kə-yōnâ): "like a dove."
- כְּ (kə): "like."
- יוֹנָה (yōnâ): Dove. Often symbolizes gentleness, innocence, or sorrow (when paired with mourning). Its cooing sound can also convey sadness.
- אֶהְגֶּה (’əh-geh): "I moped," "I brooded," or "I mourned."
- From the root גהה (gāhâ). It signifies a prolonged, introspective sound of sorrow or pain. It emphasizes the internal, drawn-out nature of his grief.
- – "– –": (Ellipsis) indicates continuation of thought, though not explicitly in the Hebrew words themselves, but in the translation's attempt to convey continuous distress.
- This part reflects a deep inner turmoil. The choice of birds is significant, suggesting sounds that are repetitive, mournful, and indicative of distress or impending doom. The dove's coo can be soft and sad, while the crane and swallow can signal migratory flights or urgent calls, suggesting a sense of being out of place or in transit to an undesirable destination.
Isaiah 38 14 Bonus section
Hezekiah’s lament in Isaiah 38, particularly verses 10-14, serves as a powerful testament to human vulnerability and the raw emotion of facing mortality. This passage is echoed in many psalms of lament, where the psalmists pour out their souls to God, detailing their pain and perceived abandonment. The comparison to the crane, swallow, and dove reflects an intimate knowledge of the natural world and its sounds, attributing to them expressions of human emotion. This act of naming the sounds is an attempt to give voice to an overwhelming, wordless sorrow. The prophet's willingness to record such a personal, emotional plea highlights the biblical assurance that God hears and responds to the innermost feelings of His people, even their most despairing cries.
Isaiah 38 14 Commentary
Hezekiah expresses his profound suffering through avian imagery, portraying his voice as a lament. The repeated, drawn-out sounds of the crane, swallow, and dove emphasize his deep emotional anguish and the pervasive nature of his grief. This is not a quick outburst, but a prolonged state of sorrow. He feels his life is ending, and his distress manifests as a constant, mournful vocalization, similar to the calls these birds make, perhaps reflecting their migration or their sounds of distress. It speaks to the human tendency to cry out to God in times of extreme trial, even when feeling close to death. He compares his speech pattern in distress to the sounds made by these birds. Hezekiah's prayer shows deep personal suffering.