Isaiah 38:17 kjv
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
Isaiah 38:17 nkjv
Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
Isaiah 38:17 niv
Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
Isaiah 38:17 esv
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
Isaiah 38:17 nlt
Yes, this anguish was good for me,
for you have rescued me from death
and forgiven all my sins.
Isaiah 38 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 38:17 | "Indeed, it was for my welfare that I had such bitterness; But you have affection for my soul from the pit of destruction; For you have cast all my sins behind Your back." | God's turning sins away (Psa 103:12) |
| Psalm 30:3 | "O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I might not go down to the pit." | God rescues from death |
| Psalm 40:2 | "He also brought me up out of that dreadful pit, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." | God secures and stabilizes |
| Psalm 116:8 | "For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling." | God's deliverance and protection |
| Psalm 130:1 | "Out of the depths, O LORD, I cry to You;" | Cries from the depths |
| Jonah 2:6 | "To the very mouths of the belly of Sheol I sank down; yet You, O LORD my God, brought up my life from the pit." | Deliverance from death’s grip |
| 1 Corinthians 15:4 | "that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" | Resurrection from death |
| 1 Peter 2:24 | "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." | Bearing sins for healing |
| Hebrews 12:2 | "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the Father." | Looking to Jesus for salvation |
| Romans 5:8 | "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's love in Christ's death |
| 1 John 1:7 | "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." | Cleansing from sin |
| Ephesians 2:5 | "even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—" | Made alive in Christ |
| Colossians 1:13 | "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son," | Delivered from darkness |
| Revelation 1:5 | "and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" | Freed from sin by His blood |
| Proverbs 5:11-13 | "lest you waste away at your final end, when your flesh and body are consumed," | Consequence of straying |
| Psalm 16:10 | "For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your faithful servant see decay." | God preserves from the grave |
| Psalm 86:13 | "For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of Sheol." | Great love and deliverance |
| Nahum 1:7 | "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." | God as refuge |
| 2 Samuel 22:6 | "The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of perdition surged around me;" | Ensnared by death's cords |
| Isaiah 25:8 | "He will swallow up death forever; the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken." | God will abolish death |
Isaiah 38 verses
Isaiah 38 17 Meaning
You have preserved my life from the pit, my feet from falling. This verse expresses deep gratitude for deliverance from death or ruin, acknowledging God's active role in salvation and protection. It reflects a personal testimony of experiencing God's mercy.
Isaiah 38 17 Context
This verse is part of a psalm of thanksgiving by King Hezekiah after he was healed from a fatal illness. Hezekiah had been informed by the prophet Isaiah that he would die (2 Kings 20:1-7). In his distress, Hezekiah wept and prayed to the LORD, recalling his faithful service and God's promise to protect him and his city, Jerusalem. God heard his prayer, added fifteen years to his life, and sent Isaiah back with a message of healing and a sign (a shadow on the sun-dial). This psalm, found in Isaiah 38:10-20, is Hezekiah's response to this miraculous intervention. The verse specifically reflects on the temporal suffering and bitterness Hezekiah experienced during his illness, and how God's mercy turned it into a source of salvation and spiritual cleansing.
Isaiah 38 17 Word Analysis
- Indeed (ken): Literally "so" or "thus." It affirms the truth of the following statement, acting as a confirmatory particle.
- it was (hayah): The verb "to be." Indicates existence or reality.
- for (le): A preposition often translated as "for," "to," or "on account of." Here, it signifies the purpose or benefit.
- my welfare (shalom li): "Shalom" means peace, well-being, wholeness, and prosperity. The phrase signifies that the hardship was ultimately for his good.
- that (ki): A conjunction, often translated as "that," "for," "because." Here, it introduces the reason or explanation for his welfare.
- I had (heve'ti): A form of the verb "to bring" or "to have."
- such bitterness (mar li meroth): "Mar" means bitter. "Meroth" is the plural form of bitterness. This emphasizes the depth and intensity of his suffering and anguish.
- But (we'g'am): A conjunction indicating contrast or addition. Here, it shifts from the personal suffering to God's gracious action.
- You have affection (ahtahet): From the root "chashak," meaning to love, to prize, to delight in. It conveys a deep, tender, and possessive love or concern.
- for my soul (lenephesh): "Nephesh" means soul, life, or person. It signifies Hezekiah's very being, his inner life.
- from (me'al): A preposition meaning "from above" or "from upon." In this context, it suggests being lifted or delivered from the state of being in the pit.
- the pit (shuachat): A deep hole, cistern, or well. In biblical Hebrew, it often symbolizes the grave, Sheol, or a state of utter destruction and helplessness.
- of destruction (me'ebhath): From the root "abad," meaning to perish, to be lost, to be destroyed. It emphasizes the finality and totality of the ruin from which he was saved.
- For (ki): Again, a conjunction explaining the reason for God's affection.
- you have cast (bagata): From the root "atalaf," meaning to cast behind. It conveys a complete dismissal or discarding.
- all my sins (kol khatha'ai): "Kol" means all. "Chet'ah" means sin or transgression. This refers to the totality of his wrongdoing.
- behind Your back (achareika): Literally, "behind you." It implies complete separation and no longer looking at or regarding the sins.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "such bitterness...my soul from the pit of destruction": This contrast highlights how his deepest personal suffering (bitterness) led to God's most profound act of love (saving his soul from complete ruin).
- "affection for my soul": This phrase emphasizes God's tender and personal care for Hezekiah's innermost self, not just his physical life.
- "cast all my sins behind Your back": This powerful idiom signifies God's complete forgiveness and remission of sins. His past transgressions are no longer a barrier between Him and the penitent soul.
Isaiah 38 17 Bonus Section
This verse, in its heartfelt expression of recovery from sickness and perceived impending death, is often seen as a beautiful foreshadowing of Christ's victory over death. Just as Hezekiah was raised from a state of near-certain doom, Jesus, through His atoning sacrifice, conquered death and the grave, delivering believers from the ultimate "pit of destruction." The assurance of sins being cast "behind God's back" finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Covenant, where Christ's blood cleanses believers from all sin, enabling complete reconciliation with God (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 10:17). The "pit" can be understood as the state of separation from God due to sin, from which Christ's resurrection provides the only true escape.
Isaiah 38 17 Commentary
Hezekiah's profound gratitude stems from experiencing a life-threatening illness, which he interprets as a direct consequence of his "bitterness"—his inner anguish and perhaps his sinfulness. However, God's mercy intervened, not just physically restoring him, but also assuring him that his sins were completely forgiven, metaphorically cast behind God's back. This signifies complete removal and unremembering. The salvation was not just from physical death, but from the spiritual pit of destruction caused by sin. This verse echoes the broader biblical theme of God's faithfulness to those who trust Him, providing not only temporal relief but also the assurance of complete pardon. It is a testament to God's sovereign plan of salvation, which extends beyond physical health to spiritual restoration and forgiveness.