Isaiah 38:20 kjv
The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 38:20 nkjv
"The LORD was ready to save me; Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life, in the house of the LORD."
Isaiah 38:20 niv
The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.
Isaiah 38:20 esv
The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 38:20 nlt
Think of it ? the LORD is ready to heal me!
I will sing his praises with instruments
every day of my life
in the Temple of the LORD.
Isaiah 38 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 18:46-49 | The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation! ... he delivers me from my enemies... | Salvation leads to praise. |
| Ps 22:22-23 | I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: "You who fear the LORD, praise him!" | Vow of corporate praise after deliverance. |
| Ps 23:6 | ...I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. | Dwelling in God's presence. |
| Ps 27:4-5 | One thing have I asked of the LORD... to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life... | Desire for lifelong presence in God's house. |
| Ps 30:11-12 | You have turned for me my mourning into dancing... that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. | Turning sorrow to praise after deliverance. |
| Ps 66:13-14 | I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you... | Fulfilling vows in God's house. |
| Ps 92:1-3 | It is good to give thanks to the LORD... to declare your steadfast love in the morning... with the lute and the harp. | Musical thanksgiving for God's goodness. |
| Ps 107:21-22 | Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love... and let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving. | Thank offerings for salvation. |
| Ps 116:8-9 | For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling... | Delivery from death leading to walking with God. |
| Exod 15:1-2 | Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD... The LORD is my strength and my song. | Song of praise after miraculous salvation. |
| Judg 5:1-3 | Then sang Deborah and Barak... "Hear, O kings... I will sing to the LORD..." | Corporate song of victory. |
| 1 Sam 2:1-2 | And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD... my mouth derides my enemies... " | Prayer of thanksgiving for answered prayer. |
| 1 Chr 16:7-9 | Then on that day David first appointed that thanks be given to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers... Sing to him, sing praises to him. | Appointing musical praise. |
| 1 Chr 23:5 | ...4,000 praised the LORD with the instruments that I made for praise. | Instruments used for Temple praise. |
| 2 Chr 29:26-30 | The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets... Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced. | Resumption of musical worship in Temple. |
| Job 33:28 | He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light. | Redeemed from death for extended life. |
| John 10:10 | The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. | Christ giving abundant life. |
| Rom 12:1-2 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. | Living life as a spiritual act of worship. |
| Phil 1:20-21 | ...that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. | Life dedicated to glorifying Christ. |
| Heb 2:12 | saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." | Citing Ps 22:22, echoing corporate praise. |
| Rev 5:9-10 | And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you... for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people..." | Eternal song of redemption and praise. |
Isaiah 38 verses
Isaiah 38 20 Meaning
Isaiah 38:20 conveys King Hezekiah's fervent vow and commitment to praise God following his miraculous recovery from a deadly illness. It encapsulates his resolve to dedicate the extended years of his life, along with his people, to worship and celebrate God's saving power within the sacred precincts of the Temple. The verse expresses profound gratitude, a personal pledge transforming into communal worship, and a dedication of future life to God's service.
Isaiah 38 20 Context
Isaiah 38:20 is the culminating verse of King Hezekiah's song of thanksgiving (Isa 38:9-20), penned after his miraculous recovery from a terminal illness. Chapters 36-39 interrupt the prophetic declarations against nations and focus on significant historical events during Hezekiah's reign. Prior to this personal crisis, Jerusalem had been besieged by the Assyrian king Sennacherib, and God had delivered the city (Isa 36-37). Immediately after this national deliverance, Hezekiah fell mortally ill (Isa 38:1-8). The prophet Isaiah declared that he would die, but Hezekiah prayed fervently, pleading for his life. God, in His mercy, heard his prayer and promised him fifteen more years of life, providing a sign involving the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz. Hezekiah's song expresses the deep despair he felt at the brink of death (vv. 10-14) and his subsequent joy and renewed commitment upon experiencing God's life-saving intervention (vv. 15-20). The promise in verse 20 thus represents the king's profound gratitude and a vow to God, signifying a public demonstration of faith and leadership in worship following his personal deliverance.
Isaiah 38 20 Word analysis
The LORD: Hebrew YHWH (יְהוָה). This is God's covenant name, signifying His eternal, self-existent, and relational nature. It emphasizes His faithful intervention in the lives of His people and specifically Hezekiah's recognition of the personal covenant relationship.
will save me: Hebrew l'hoshienī (לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי). Literally "for my salvation" or "to save me." The future tense in English translations (like "will save") captures the vow-like intent: "It is YHWH to save me, and (therefore) we will..." It highlights the certainty and divine source of the life extension, compelling a response of gratitude.
and we will play: Hebrew v'nagen (וְנִגֵּן). The verbal form means "and we shall play [stringed instruments]" or "sing music." The first common plural implies a corporate act, not solely Hezekiah's individual praise. As king, Hezekiah pledges to lead the nation in this worship.
our stringed instruments: Hebrew nginotay (נְגִינֹותָ֑י). Derived from a root meaning "to play on a stringed instrument," also "a song set to stringed music" or simply "melody." Though my (singular) in form ("my stringed instruments" or "my melodies"), in context with "we will play," it means the king's designated musical expressions of praise, implying a shared, collective use as a community led by him.
all the days: Hebrew kol-y'mē (כָּל־יְמֵ֥י). "All the days of," emphasizing the totality and perpetuity of the dedication. It refers to the entirety of his supernaturally extended life.
of our lives: Hebrew ḥayenū (חַיֵּֽינוּ׃). "Our lives." The plural again underscores the communal aspect and includes Hezekiah, his family, and his people, joining him in this sustained period of worship and service.
in the house: Hebrew bēṯ (בֵּ֣ית). Literally "in the house of," referring to a specific building or dwelling place.
of the LORD: Hebrew YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה). Again, emphasizing God's personal covenant name.
the house of the LORD: Bēṯ YHWH is a technical term for the Jerusalem Temple, the central sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant resided, and formal worship and sacrifices were offered. It signifies God's dwelling place among His people and the designated arena for public, corporate worship.
"The LORD will save me, and we will play": This phrase captures the immediate causal link between divine intervention (salvation from death) and the grateful human response (communal worship). Hezekiah acknowledges God as the source of his renewed life and pledges a public, enduring commitment.
"our stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD": This full expression of worship includes the chosen mode (music), the duration (lifelong), the participants (king and people), and the location (Temple). It portrays a picture of a life dedicated wholly to giving God glory in the proper context of corporate worship, which God himself had instituted. The mention of stringed instruments underscores a joyful and celebrative form of praise.
Isaiah 38 20 Bonus section
- The shift from the singular "me" (will save me) to the plural "we" (we will play... our lives) is highly significant. It reveals Hezekiah's role as king, seeing his personal deliverance as intrinsically linked to the welfare and spiritual life of his nation. His vow is not isolated but has communal implications, establishing a precedent for national thanksgiving.
- The "House of the Lord" (Temple) represents more than just a physical building; it symbolizes God's tangible presence among His people and the place where a unique communion could occur through instituted worship. For Hezekiah, returning there was a return to normalcy and a recommitment to the spiritual center of Israel.
- Hezekiah's pre-recovery lament (Isa 38:10-19) includes a lament over not being able to praise God among the living. This verse (38:20) marks the full reversal of that lament, fulfilling his deepest desire to participate in living, active praise, confirming that praise requires life.
Isaiah 38 20 Commentary
Isaiah 38:20 serves as a profound testimony to King Hezekiah's gratitude and an enduring model for responsive faith. After experiencing a dramatic intervention from imminent death, Hezekiah's personal lament transforms into a communal pledge of thanksgiving. The verse underscores that divine salvation naturally evokes a joyous and public response of worship. It's not just a private vow but a commitment to lead his people in continual praise in the divinely appointed sanctuary, the Temple. This commitment extends for the entire duration of his extended life, signifying a life truly consecrated to God. The choice of "stringed instruments" suggests deliberate, organized, and celebrative praise, reflecting a heart overflowed with relief and joy. Hezekiah's experience thus illustrates the core biblical truth that life, especially renewed life, is a gift from God that should be lived out in gratitude and devotion, actively participating in His worship, in the community of faith, for as long as one draws breath. This paradigm highlights that our ultimate response to God's saving acts should be an enduring dedication to Him in communal praise.