Movatterモバイル変換

Psalm 6:5
For in deaththere is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Psalm 30:9
What profitis there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

Psalm 88:11
Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?or thy faithfulness in destruction?

they that

Numbers 16:33
They, and all thatappertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

Proverbs 14:32
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

Matthew 8:12
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Death cannot praise You.
Death is personified here, emphasizing its power to silence the living. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, praising God was a central aspect of life, and death was seen as an interruption to this vital activity. This phrase highlights the finality and separation that death brings, a theme echoed inPsalm 115:17, which states that the dead do not praise the Lord. The emphasis on praising God during one's lifetime is a call to live a life of worship and gratitude.

Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
"The Pit" is another term for the grave or Sheol, reinforcing the idea of a place where the dead reside. In the biblical context, God's faithfulness is often associated with His covenant promises and acts of deliverance. The inability to hope for God's faithfulness in the Pit suggests a separation from the living relationship with God that is possible on earth. This reflects the belief that God's covenantal faithfulness is experienced in the land of the living, as seen inPsalm 27:13. The phrase serves as a reminder of the urgency to trust and rely on God's faithfulness during one's lifetime.

Hezekiah’s poem flows from relief after God added fifteen years to his life. By saying, “For Sheol cannot thank You,” he contrasts the living and the dead:

• Sheol is the realm of the departed. In that shadowy place there is no public, audible gratitude offered to God.Psalm 6:5 echoes, “For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?”

• The statement is not a denial of life after death but a simple fact that thanksgiving is voiced on earth, not from the grave.Ecclesiastes 9:10 reminds us that “there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol.”

• Hezekiah reasons that preserving his life allows continued testimony. LikePsalm 30:9 pleads, “Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?” he wants more years to testify publicly to the Lord’s greatness.

The next line intensifies the thought: “Death cannot praise You.”

• Praise in Scripture is an active, vibrant response.Psalm 115:17 observes, “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence.”

• Hezekiah is not claiming that souls are extinguished; rather, once body and tongue are stilled, earthly praise meetings cease.Psalm 88:10-12 asks, “Do You work wonders for the dead? … Is Your loving devotion declared in the grave?”

• The verse also underlines how precious every breathing moment is for honoring God. Paul carries the idea forward inPhilippians 1:20-21: living means fruitful labor and magnifying Christ, while death is gain—but only life lets us praise aloud before a watching world.

The “Pit” pictures the grave itself. Hezekiah adds a third layer: when a person slips below ground, there is no further expectation of experiencing God’s covenant acts in this present age.

• Jonah used the same word when he cried, “You raised my life from the pit, O LORD my God!” (Jonah 2:6), grateful for deliverance that restored his hope.

• For Hezekiah, being spared from the Pit meant seeing God’s “faithfulness” (ḥesed) in real time—watching Passover celebrations, leading reforms, telling the next generation.Psalm 88:4-5 laments, “I am counted among those who go down to the Pit … You remember them no more,” highlighting that earthly opportunities cease at burial.

• Yet Scripture also hints at ultimate triumph beyond the grave.Psalm 16:10 promises, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,” a prophecy fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection, assuring believers that God’s faithfulness ultimately pierces even the Pit.

Isaiah 38:18 voices a life-and-death contrast: once a person enters the grave, he can no longer lift public thanks, shout praise, or experience fresh displays of God’s covenant love in this world. Hezekiah, freshly healed, treasures extended years so he can keep doing those very things. The verse urges us to seize every heartbeat for gratitude, praise, and testimony, confident that God’s faithfulness will outlast the grave yet eager to honor Him while we live.