Isaiah 38:15 kjv
What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
Isaiah 38:15 nkjv
"What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, And He Himself has done it. I shall walk carefully all my years In the bitterness of my soul.
Isaiah 38:15 niv
But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.
Isaiah 38:15 esv
What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
Isaiah 38:15 nlt
But what could I say?
For he himself sent this sickness.
Now I will walk humbly throughout my years
because of this anguish I have felt.
Isaiah 38 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God's Promises & Actions | ||
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man... Has he said, and will he not do it? | God is faithful to His word and performs it. |
| 1 Kgs 8:56 | "Blessed be the LORD... Not one word has failed of all his good promise..." | God's promises never fail. |
| Ps 66:5 | Come and see what God has done... | Calls to observe God's powerful acts. |
| Ps 118:23 | This was the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. | Acknowledging God's direct agency. |
| Heb 10:23 | Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. | God's reliability in keeping promises. |
| Vows & Resolved Living After Deliverance | ||
| Ps 116:12-14 | What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits...? I will pay my vows... | A commitment of thanksgiving and devotion. |
| Ps 76:11 | Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them... | Exhortation to keep vows made to God. |
| Eccl 5:4 | When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it... | The importance of fulfilling commitments. |
| Walking Carefully / Humbly | ||
| Mic 6:8 | He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require... but to walk humbly...? | A divine command to live humbly. |
| Prov 4:26 | Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. | Thoughtful, deliberate conduct. |
| Eph 5:15-16 | Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time... | Living with spiritual prudence and wisdom. |
| Ps 37:23 | The steps of a man are established by the LORD... | God guiding one's path. |
| Bitterness / Suffering & Transformation | ||
| Job 7:11 | Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. | Describes the depth of anguish. |
| Lam 3:19-21 | Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers... | The enduring memory of suffering. |
| Ps 119:67 | Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. | Suffering as a catalyst for obedience. |
| Ps 119:71 | It was good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. | The redemptive purpose of affliction. |
| Heb 12:11 | For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant... later it yields the peaceful fruit... | The spiritual benefit of hardship. |
| Divine Healing & Life Extension | ||
| Exod 15:26 | "for I am the LORD, your healer." | God as the ultimate source of healing. |
| Ps 103:3 | He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. | God's restorative power. |
| Jas 5:15 | And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick... | Faith-filled prayer for healing. |
| Deut 30:20 | ...loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days... | Life and longevity connected to obedience. |
| Ps 23:6 | Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... | God's continuous preservation of life. |
Isaiah 38 verses
Isaiah 38 15 Meaning
King Hezekiah, having experienced God's miraculous intervention, expresses his profound awe and grateful confusion. He is overwhelmed by God's faithfulness in both promising him healing and life extension and then definitively carrying out that promise. His experience of severe affliction and near-death transformed him, leading to a solemn resolution to live a life of measured devotion and humility for all his remaining years, shaped by the memory and lessons learned from the profound suffering he endured.
Isaiah 38 15 Context
Isaiah chapter 38 records a pivotal moment in the life of King Hezekiah, king of Judah (c. 715–686 BCE). Faced with a mortal illness, the prophet Isaiah informs him of his impending death. Hezekiah responds with fervent prayer to God, weeping bitterly and reminding God of his faithful service. In an extraordinary intervention, God answers Hezekiah's prayer, promising to add fifteen years to his life and deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrians. As a sign, God causes the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz to go back ten steps. This specific verse, Isaiah 38:15, is part of Hezekiah's subsequent "Mictam" or prayer of thanksgiving (Is 38:9-20), recited after his miraculous recovery. It reflects his immediate, deep emotional and spiritual reaction to the profound experience of sickness, divine mercy, and renewed life, shaping his perspective for his remaining days.
Isaiah 38 15 Word analysis
- What shall I say? (מַה־אֲדַבֵּר - mah-adabber): This rhetorical question expresses profound awe, a sense of being overwhelmed, and an inadequacy of words to articulate the depth of God's action and his own gratitude. It's not a question of lacking content but being so moved that conventional speech feels insufficient.
- For He has promised me, (וְאָמַר לִי - ve'amar li): "He" refers implicitly to God. "Promised/spoken" signifies a divine oracle or direct word, here through the prophet Isaiah, assuring Hezekiah of life extension (Is 38:5). This highlights the divine initiative and faithfulness.
- and He Himself has done it. (וְהוּא עָשָׂה - ve'hu asah): The emphatic "He Himself" underscores God's personal, direct, and powerful agency in bringing about the healing and the fulfillment of the promise. It attributes the miracle solely to God, leaving no room for doubt or other explanations.
- I will walk carefully (אֶתְהַלֵּךְ לְאַט - ethallech le'at): Ethallech (I will walk/live) denotes one's conduct or manner of life. Le'at signifies "slowly," "gently," or "carefully," implying a measured, deliberate, and humble approach to life, a stark contrast to any past heedlessness or royal pride. This denotes a life lived with heightened awareness, circumspection, and submission to God's will.
- all my years (כָּל־שְׁנוֹתַי - kol-shenotai): This refers to the entirety of his remaining life, the fifteen years God added. It indicates a permanent, lifelong commitment to this new mode of living, not just a temporary reaction.
- because of the bitterness of my soul. (עַל־מַר נַפְשִׁי - al-mar nafshi): Mar nafshi means "bitterness of my soul" or "anguish of my being." This refers to the profound emotional and physical suffering Hezekiah experienced during his mortal illness. This bitterness was not just sorrow, but the existential dread and agony of facing death, which proved to be a powerful crucible shaping his resolve.
- "What shall I say? For He has promised me, and He Himself has done it.": This phrase captures Hezekiah's overwhelmed state of grateful worship. It juxtaposes his speechlessness with God's clear word and decisive action, emphasizing God's complete control and unwavering reliability. It is an affirmation of faith born from experience.
- "I will walk carefully all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.": This constitutes Hezekiah's post-suffering vow and transformed resolve. His suffering, though bitter, served as a profound lesson, compelling him to a life of humility and deliberate devotion, recognizing the preciousness and precariousness of life. It connects spiritual change directly to lived experience.
Isaiah 38 15 Bonus section
The "bitterness of my soul" (מר נפשי, mar nafshi) directly relates to ancient Near Eastern expressions of intense grief, sorrow, and deep suffering. It evokes not just emotional pain but an existential agony where the very life-force feels threatened. This concept appears in various parts of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Job, Lamentations) to describe utter despair. Hezekiah's psalm, therefore, provides a theological understanding of suffering as a potentially transformative, rather than merely punitive, experience, which can deepen one's resolve for obedient living. His vow also hints at a tension for kings; to "walk carefully" can imply shedding some royal hubris for a humbler posture before God. While this experience profoundly shaped Hezekiah, it is important to note that later in his life, Hezekiah demonstrates pride (Is 39:1-8) when he foolishly shows all his treasures to Babylonian envoys, leading to a prophecy of future exile. This illustrates the continuous human struggle, even for the most devoted, to maintain spiritual vigilance despite profound divine encounters.
Isaiah 38 15 Commentary
Isaiah 38:15 captures Hezekiah's deeply personal and profound response to God's miraculous healing and the extension of his life. It reflects a heart moved from despair to speechless gratitude. The rhetorical question "What shall I say?" reveals an overflowing sense of divine mercy that defies adequate expression. His declaration that God "has promised me, and He Himself has done it" testifies to God's unfailing faithfulness and direct, sovereign power in a deeply personal way. This divine intervention precipitates a solemn life-vow: "I will walk carefully all my years." This is not merely a verbal pledge but a commitment to a reformed way of living – a life characterized by humility, measured steps, and heightened spiritual attentiveness, precisely because of the refining and humbling experience of his intense, "bitter" affliction. His suffering was a spiritual catalyst, not merely an end, leading to a profound re-evaluation of life's purpose and a deeper commitment to God.