Isaiah 38:1
in Isaiah 38In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
KJV
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
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This verse in Isaiah 38
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In those days - That is, his sickness commenced about the period in which the army of Sennacherib was destroyed. It has been made a question whether the sickness of Hezekiah was before or after the invasion of Sennacherib. The most natural interpretation certainly is, that it occurred after that invasion, and probably at no distant period. The only objection to this view is the statement in Isa 38:6, that God would deliver him out of the hand of the king of Assyria, which has been understood by many as implying that he was then threatened with the invasion.
This site's exposition
Put your house in order
on Isaiah 38:1-3
Isaiah brings a sentence with no condition attached: Put your house in order, for you are about to die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed, pleading how I have walked before You faithfully. Hezekiah wept bitterly, and the text records his weeping without a word of rebuke.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Chapter 38, Verse 1) In those days, Hezekiah fell sick even unto death. And Isaiah, the son of Amos the prophet, came to him, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. Whom the Lord loves, He corrects and disciplines every son whom He receives (Prov. III). In order that Ezechias' heart would not be lifted up after incredible triumphs, and victory over the midst of captivity, he is visited with infirmity of his body, and hears that he will die, so that, being converted, he may turn to the Lord's judgment. Indeed, we read about this in the prophet Jonah, and in the threats that are said to be future against David, which did not happen, not because God changed His judgment, but because He incited the human race to the knowledge of Himself. For the Lord is remorseful over evils.
But God who, in mercy to man, always works for his salvation, desiring to dispossess Hezekiah of that notion which his erring human judgment had suggested to him, and remembering also his virtues, did not permit him to be deluded to the end, but sent …
The Medieval Church1 voice
771. In those days. In this part, he sets out some things occasioned by the preceding history, namely, the sickness of Ezechias, which he incurred because of his ingratitude, because after such a victory he did not compose a song of thanksgiving, as was the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death,.... This was about the time that Sennacherib invaded Judea, threatened Jerusalem with a siege, and his army was destroyed by an angel from heaven; but, whether it was before or after the destruction of his army, interpreters are not agreed.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Set . . . house in order--Make arrangement as to the succession to the throne; for he had then no son; and as to thy other concerns. thou shall die--speaking according to the ordinary course of the disease. His being spared fifteen years was not a change in God's mind, but an illustration of God's dealings being unchangeably regulated by the state of man in relation to Him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3021: “Landlord and Tenant” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
NOTWITHSTANDING that a thousand voices proclaim our mortality, we are all to apt to put aside the contemplation of it. Since we cannot escape from death, we endeavor to shut our eyes to it, although there is no subject whose consideration would be more beneficial to us. Altering one word of the poet's line, I may say— "'Tis greatly wise to talk with our last hours." To be familiar with the grave is prudence. To prepare for death it is well to commune with death. A thoughtful walk in the cemetery is good for our soul's health. As Jeremy Taylor well observes, "Since a man stands perpetually at the door of eternity and, as did John the Almoner, every day is building his sepulcher, and every night one day of our life is gone and passed into the possession of death, it will concern us to take care that the door leading to Hell does not open upon us, that we are not crushed to ruin by the stones of our grave and that our death become not a consignation of us to a sad eternity." The most of men prefer to cultivate less fruitful fields and turn their thoughts and meditations to subjects trivial for the present—and useless for the future. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Knowing this general aversion to my theme, I shall not treat it in a gloomy and heavy manner, but shall try to allure you to it by the use of pleasant and interesting similitudes. The subject shall supply the solemnity and I hope the metaphor will secure your interest. Forgive me, you spiritual, if I seem too flippant—my words are not for you, but for a class whose souls I trust you love—who cannot, as yet, bear the more serious thoughts of wisdom unless they are clothed in parable and picture. OUR BODY, OUR PROPERTY, OUR FAMILY, THIS PRESENT LIFE AND ALL ITS SURROUNDINGS ARE, IN THE TEXT, DESCRIBED AS A HOUSE.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3021: “Landlord and Tenant” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
NOTWITHSTANDING that a thousand voices proclaim our mortality, we are all to apt to put aside the contemplation of it. Since we cannot escape from death, we endeavor to shut our eyes to it, although there is no subject whose consideration would be more beneficial to us. Altering one word of the poet's line, I may say— "'Tis greatly wise to talk with our last hours." To be familiar with the grave is prudence. To prepare for death it is well to commune with death. A thoughtful walk in the cemetery is good for our soul's health.
In those days - The reader is requested to consult the notes on 2 Kings 20 in reference to the principal parts of this chapter.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In those days Three days before Sennacherib’s downfall, Hezekiah became ill, and the third day, when he went up to the house of the Lord, was the day of Sennacherib’s downfall, and it was the first festive day of Passover.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּיָּמִ֣ים | baiyamim | in the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הָהֵ֔ם | hahem | <the> those | H1992 → | 553 times |
| חָלָ֥ה | chalah | he became sick | H2470 → | 76 times |
| חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ | chizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| לָמ֑וּת | lamut | to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיָּב֣וֹא | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵ֠לָיו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְשַׁעְיָ֨הוּ | yesha'yahu | Isaiah | H3470 → | 39 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָמ֜וֹץ | ʾamotz | Amoz | H531 → | 13 times |
| הַנָּבִ֗יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֜יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֤ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צַ֣ו | tzav | command | H6680 → | 494 times |
| לְבֵיתֶ֔ךָ | leveitekha | to household your | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֵ֥ת | met | [are] about to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִֽחְיֶֽה׃ | tichyeh | you will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
בַּיָּמִ֣יםin the days
baiyamimH3117 →2304 times
הָהֵ֔ם<the> those
hahemH1992 →553 times
חָלָ֥הhe became sick
chalahH2470 →76 times
חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּHezekiah
chizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
לָמ֑וּתto die
lamutH4191 →839 times
וַיָּב֣וֹאand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֵ֠לָיוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
יְשַׁעְיָ֨הוּIsaiah
yesha'yahuH3470 →39 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אָמ֜וֹץAmoz
ʾamotzH531 →13 times
הַנָּבִ֗יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֜יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֤רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צַ֣וcommand
tzavH6680 →494 times
לְבֵיתֶ֔ךָto household your
leveitekhaH1004 →2046 times
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֵ֥ת[are] about to die
metH4191 →839 times
אַתָּ֖הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִֽחְיֶֽה׃you will live
tichyehH2421 →282 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
Jonah 3:10When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 18:8
But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.
- 1 Kings 21:27–29
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
- Exodus 32:14
So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.
- Luke 11:32
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.
- Amos 7:6
So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen either,” said the Lord GOD.
- Jeremiah 18:8
Through
2 Samuel 17:23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he…
it leads to
- Matthew 27:5
So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
- Matthew 27:5
Through
2 Chronicles 32:24In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
it leads to
- Isaiah 38:1–8
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- 2 Kings 20:1–11
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- Isaiah 38:1–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonLate 8th century BCE / Divided KingdomIsaiahEighth-century BCE prophet of Judah whose oracles make up the book of Isaiah; a central voice for messianic prophecy.
- PersonDivided kingdomHezekiahThe reforming king of Judah who trusted Jehovah against Sennacherib, spread the Assyrian letter before the LORD, was granted fifte…
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3021: “Landlord and Tenant” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 8; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.