The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 38:9-149A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:10I said, "In the middle of my lifeI am to enter the gates of Sheol;I am to be deprived of the rest of my years."11I said, "I will not see the LORD,The LORD in the land of the living;I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.12Like a shepherd's tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;As a weaver I rolled up my life.He cuts me off from the loom;From day until night You make an end of me.13I composed my soul until morning.Like a lion — so He breaks all my bones,From day until night You make an end of me.14Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;I moan like a dove;My eyes look wistfully to the heights;O LORD, I am oppressed, be my security.38:10-20 This is a psalm written by Hezekiah. He was well aware of wisdom literature and he promotedthe use of Psalms (cf. II Chr. 29:25-30). However, it does not appear in the parallel of II Kgs. 20:1-11.38:10NASB “In the middle of my life”NKJV, TEV,REB “in the prime of my life”NRSV “in the noontide of my days”NJB “in the noon of my life”LXX “in the height of my days”Peshitta “in the midst of my days”The MT has */$ (BDB 198, KB 226 II), which means “cessation,” “pause,” “rest,” or “quiet.”Some scholars see this as referring to a mid-day time of rest. KB 226 I asserts there is another form ofthe same root that means “half” (NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 972). The LXX translates it as “height of mydays,” which assumes a similar reading.} “the gates of Sheol” See Special Topic: Where Are the Dead? at 5:14.The “gates of death” are mentioned in Job 38:17; Ps. 9:13; 107:18; and Matt. 16:18 (where “Sheol”is called “hades”). This is metaphorical of death as a prison.} “deprived of the rest of my years” The age of one’s life was seen as a marker of God’s approval(i.e., Moses, cf. Deut. 34:7; Joshua, cf. Josh 24:29). For one to die before having a child would be seenas a judgment of God (cf. Ps. 55:23; 89:45,46-48; Pro. 10:27).38:11 The ancient Hebrews did not see death as a reunion and fellowship with God, but a separationfrom life and the God of life. The OT has little light to shine on the afterlife. Even the NT is somewhatveiled in this area, though it does give more information.368