Isaiah 38:15
in Isaiah 38What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
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.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 38
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
What shall I say? - This language seems to denote surprise and gratitude at unexpected deliverance. It is the language of a heart that is overflowing, and that wants words to express its deep emotions. In the previous verse he had described his pain, anguish, and despair. In this he records the sudden and surprising deliverance which God had granted; which was so great that no words could express his sense of it.
This site's exposition
I will walk slowly all my years
on Isaiah 38:15-16
The turn comes without transition: He Himself has done this, the God who sent the sentence now credited with the recovery. The king resolves: I will walk slowly all my years. The next verse names the bitterness as part of what taught him, by such things men live.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
What shall I say, as though turned to himself: what can I set against God? Or what shall he answer, when he must respond to my questions, whereas he himself has done it, made me, or my punishment: if he will contend with him (Job …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): " I will go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul, as one in sorrow for my sinful distrusts and murmurings under my affliction, as one in care to make suitable returns for God's favour to me and to make it appear that I have got good by the providences I have been under.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
What shall I say?.... In a way of praise and thankfulness, for the mercies promised and received; I know not what to say; I want words to express the gratitude of my heart for the kindness bestowed. What shall I render to God for all his benefits?
Why should I say so much by way of complaint when this is enough to silence all my complaints-- He has spoken unto me; he has sent his prophet to tell me that I shall recover and live fifteen years yet; and he himself has done it: it is as sure to be done as if it were done already.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The prayer and thanksgiving song of Hezekiah is only given here, not in the parallel passages of Second Kings and Second Chronicles. Isa 38:9 is the heading or inscription.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The second part of the song passes from prayer to thanksgiving at the prayer being heard. What shall I say?--the language of one at a loss for words to express his sense of the unexpected deliverance. both spoken . . . and . . . done it-- (Nu 23:19). Both promised and performed (1Th 5:24;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul “Through the rest of my years will I reflect on this bitterness of my soul” - אדדה eddaddeh; recogitabo, Vulg., reputabo, Hieron. in loc.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מָֽה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֲדַבֵּ֥ר | ʾadaber | will I say | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| וְאָֽמַר־ | veamar- | and he has spoken | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִ֖י | li | to me | ||
| וְה֣וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עָשָׂ֑ה | ʾasah | he has acted | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה | ʾeddadeh | I will walk deliberately | H1718 → | |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׁנוֹתַ֖י | shenotai | years my | H8141 → | 877 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מַ֥ר | mar | [the] bitterness of | H4751 → | 37 times |
| נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | nafshi | self my | H5315 → | 754 times |
מָֽה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
אֲדַבֵּ֥רwill I say
ʾadaberH1696 →1141 times
וְאָֽמַר־and he has spoken
veamar-H559 →5305 times
לִ֖יto me
li
וְה֣וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
עָשָׂ֑הhe has acted
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
אֶדַּדֶּ֥הI will walk deliberately
ʾeddadehH1718 →
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
שְׁנוֹתַ֖יyears my
shenotaiH8141 →877 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מַ֥ר[the] bitterness of
marH4751 →37 times
נַפְשִֽׁי׃self my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 1:10In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
it leads to
- 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 10:1
“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 22:44
And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Job 7:11
Through
Job 7:11Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
it leads to
- Psalms 40:9
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know.
- 1 Samuel 1:10
In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
- Psalms 40:9
Through
Job 10:1“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:4
while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life,…
- 1 Kings 19:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.