New International VersionI said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?”
New Living TranslationI said, “In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”
English Standard VersionI said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.
Berean Standard BibleI said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”
King James BibleI said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
New King James VersionI said, “In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”
New American Standard BibleI said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I have been deprived of the rest of my years.”
NASB 1995I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”
NASB 1977I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”
Legacy Standard BibleI said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”
Amplified BibleI said, “In mid-life I am to go through the gates of Sheol (the place of the dead), I am to be summoned, deprived of the remainder of my years.”
Christian Standard BibleI said: In the prime of my life I must go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the rest of my years.
Holman Christian Standard BibleI said: In the prime of my life I must go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the rest of my years.
American Standard VersionI said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
Contemporary English VersionI thought I would die during my best years and stay as a prisoner forever in the world of the dead.
English Revised VersionI said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationI thought that in the prime of my life I would go down to the gates of Sheol and be robbed of the rest of my life.
Good News TranslationI thought that in the prime of life I was going to the world of the dead, Never to live out my life.
International Standard VersionI said, "Must I leave in the prime of my life? Must I be consigned to the control of Sheol? Bitter are my years!"
NET Bible"I thought, 'In the middle of my life I must walk through the gates of Sheol, I am deprived of the rest of my years.'
New Heart English BibleI said, "In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years."
Webster's Bible TranslationI said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleI said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”
World English BibleI said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.” Literal Translations Literal Standard Version“I said in the cutting off of my days, "" I go to the gates of Sheol, "" I have numbered the remnant of my years.
Young's Literal Translation 'I -- I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years.
Smith's Literal TranslationI said in the quiet of my days, I shall go to the gates of hades: I was missed the remainder of my years. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleI said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years.
Catholic Public Domain Version“I said: In the middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought the remainder of my years.
New American BibleIn the noontime of life I said, I must depart! To the gates of Sheol I have been consigned for the rest of my years.
New Revised Standard VersionI said: In the noontide of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleI said, In the midst of my days I shall die, at the gates of Sheol I am deprived of the rest of my years.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedI have said: "In the middle of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol. I have departed from the remainder of my years OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917I said: In the noontide of my days I shall go, Even to the gates of the nether-world; I am deprived of the residue of my years.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationI said in the end of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I shall part with the remainder of my years.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Hezekiah's Song of Thanksgiving9This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: 10Isaid,“In the primeof my lifeI must gothrough the gatesof Sheoland be deprivedof the remainderof my years.”11I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.…
Cross References Psalm 6:5For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
Psalm 30:9“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?
Job 17:13-16If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, / and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’ / where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? ...
Psalm 88:10-12Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah / Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? / Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
Job 10:21-22before I go—never to return—to a land of darkness and gloom, / to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
Psalm 115:17It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence.
Psalm 39:13Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”
Psalm 49:14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.
2 Kings 20:1In 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.’”
2 Kings 20:3“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
2 Kings 20:5“Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will surely heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 20:6I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. / And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
2 Timothy 1:10And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,
Treasury of Scripture I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. Isaiah 38:1 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. Job 6:11 Whatis my strength, that I should hope? and whatis mine end, that I should prolong my life? Job 7:7 O remember that my lifeis wind: mine eye shall no more see good. Jump to Previous ConsignedCuttingDeathDepartDeprivedEnterGatesGraveLifeMiddleNether-WorldNoontideNumberedPrimeQuietRemnantResidueRestRobbedSheolUnderworldJump to Next ConsignedCuttingDeathDepartDeprivedEnterGatesGraveLifeMiddleNether-WorldNoontideNumberedPrimeQuietRemnantResidueRestRobbedSheolUnderworldIsaiah 38 1.Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer has his life lengthened8.The sun goes ten degrees backward, for a sign of that promise9.His song of thanksgiving.I said,This phrase introduces a personal lament, indicating a direct speech from Hezekiah, the king of Judah. It reflects a moment of introspection and personal expression, common in biblical poetry and lamentations. Hezekiah's words are recorded in a historical context where personal prayers and reflections were often documented, as seen in the Psalms. “In the prime of my life
Hezekiah refers to the "prime of my life," suggesting he was at an age where he expected to have many more years ahead. Historically, Hezekiah was around 39 years old at this time, which was considered relatively young, especially for a king. This phrase underscores the tragedy of his impending death, as he feels his life is being cut short prematurely. I must go through the gates of Sheol
"Sheol" in ancient Hebrew culture was understood as the abode of the dead, a shadowy place where all went after death, regardless of their moral standing. The "gates of Sheol" metaphorically represent the entrance to this realm. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of the afterlife, which was less developed than later Jewish and Christian concepts of heaven and hell. and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”
Hezekiah laments the loss of potential future years, highlighting the human desire for longevity and fulfillment of life. This sentiment is echoed in other biblical passages where individuals express sorrow over untimely death (e.g.,Job 14:1-2). Theologically, this phrase can be seen as a reflection on the sovereignty of God over life and death, and the human struggle to understand divine will. Persons / Places / Events 1. HezekiahThe king of Judah who is the speaker in this verse. Hezekiah was known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to restore proper worship in Judah. 2. SheolIn Hebrew thought, Sheol is the realm of the dead, a place of darkness and silence where the deceased reside. It is often depicted as a shadowy existence rather than a place of punishment or reward. 3. IsaiahThe prophet who delivered God's message to Hezekiah. Isaiah played a crucial role in advising and guiding the king during his reign. 4. JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, where Hezekiah reigned and where these events took place. 5. God's DeliveranceThe broader context of this chapter includes God's miraculous healing of Hezekiah and the extension of his life by fifteen years. Teaching Points The Reality of MortalityHezekiah's lament reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. As believers, we should live with an awareness of our mortality, using our time wisely for God's purposes. God's Sovereignty Over Life and DeathHezekiah's experience demonstrates that God holds the power over life and death. We can trust in His timing and purposes, even when faced with our own mortality. Prayer and Divine InterventionHezekiah's earnest prayer and God's response encourage us to bring our deepest fears and needs before the Lord, trusting in His ability to intervene in miraculous ways. Hope Beyond SheolWhile Hezekiah feared Sheol, Christians have the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. This hope should transform our perspective on death and motivate us to share the gospel. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 38
How can Isaiah 38's account of God extending Hezekiah's life align with other biblical teachings on divine decrees?
What does "The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail" mean?
Proverbs 15:11: How do ancient concepts of Sheol and Abaddon align with modern historical or archaeological findings on the afterlife?
Psalm 139:8: Is there any historical or archaeological evidence for the biblical concept of “Sheol,” or is it purely metaphorical?(10) I said in the cutting off of my days . . .--The words have been very differently interpreted--(1) "in the quietness," and so in the even tenor of a healthy life. As a fact, however, the complaint did not, and could not, come in the "quiet" of his life, but after it had passed away; (2) "in the dividing point," scil.,the "half-way house of life." Hezekiah was thirty-nine, but the word might rightly be used of the years between thirty-five and forty, which were the moieties of the seventy and eighty years of the psalmist ( Psalm 90:10). We are reminded of Dante's " Nel mezza del cammin di nostra vita" ( Inf.i. 1). The gates of the grave.--The image is what we should call Dantesque. Sheol, the Hades of the Hebrews, is, as in the Assyrian representations of the unseen world, and as in theInfernoof Dante (iii. 11, vii. 2, x. 22), a great city, and, therefore, it has its gates, which again become, as with other cities, the symbol of its power. So we have "gates of death" inJob 38:17;Psalm 9:18;Psalm 107:18. The residue . . .--The words assume a normal duration, say of seventy years, on which the sufferer, who had, as he thought, done nothing to deserve punishment, might have legitimately counted. Verse 10. - In the cutting off of my days; literally, in the pausing of my days - which is taken by some to mean "the noon-tide of my life" - when my sun had reached its zenith, and might have been expected to begin to decline; by others to signify "the still tranquillity of my life," when it was gliding quietly and peacefully along without anything to disturb it. Ver. 6 is against this latter view. I shall go to the gates of the grave; rather, I shall enter in at the gates of hell (or, Hades) - the place of departed spirits (see the comment on Isaiah 14:9). Hezekiah bewails his fate somewhat as Antigone: Ἀλλ ἔμ ὁ παγκοίτας Αἴδης ζῶσανἄγει τὰν Ἀχέροντος ἀκτάν (Soph., 'Ant.,' 11. 810-813).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew “Iאֲנִ֣י(’ă·nî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Isaid thatאָמַ֗רְתִּי(’ā·mar·tî)Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559:To utter, sayin the primeבִּדְמִ֥י(biḏ·mî)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1824:Cessation, a pause, a quiet, a restof my lifeיָמַ֛י(yā·may)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3117:A dayI must goאֵלֵ֖כָה(’ê·lê·ḵāh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 1980:To go, come, walkto the gatesבְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י(bə·ša·‘ă·rê)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8179:An opening, door, gateof Sheol;שְׁא֑וֹל(šə·’ō·wl)Noun - common singular
Strong's 7585:Underworld (place to which people descend at death)I will be deprivedפֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי(puq·qaḏ·tî)Verb - Pual - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6485:To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, depositof the remainderיֶ֥תֶר(ye·ṯer)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499:An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small ropeof my years.שְׁנוֹתָֽי׃(šə·nō·w·ṯāy)Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8141:A year
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 38:10 I said In the middle of my (Isa Isi Is) |
