Isaiah 38:13
ESV
I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.
NIV
I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.
NASB
I composed my soul until morning. Like a lion—so He breaks all my bones, From day until night You make an end of me.
CSB
I thought until the morning: He will break all my bones like a lion. By nightfall you make an end of me.
NLT
I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over.
KJV
I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
NKJV
I have considered until morning— Like a lion, So He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me.
What does Isaiah 38:13 mean?
Ancient Hebrew is not always easy to translate. Compared to other languages, Hebrew has a relatively small inventory of words. Context is crucial to knowing which meaning is in play. Even then, figures of speech can be hard to untangle. When different translations of a verse show large variations, it's a sign that the original language is obscure. This verse is one such example. The comment which began at the end of the prior verse (Isaiah 38:12) continues here in an unclear expression.Hezekiah is writing about his encounter with a terminal illness (Isaiah 38:1) and divine healing (Isaiah 38:5). His early reaction was to mourn everything he would miss because of dying young (Isaiah 38:10–12). Here, he expresses something about a nighttime experience. This might imply that God is testing or disciplining Hezekiah until the evening. Or, that the king suffers overnight anticipating what is happening. It might also mean that he spends the night soothing himself against fears.
In any of these situations, the is a feeling of defeat. Hezekiah expects to be crushed like bones in the mouth of a powerful lion. The same obscure phrase from the end of verse 12 is repeated to emphasize this feeling. The second half of this psalm (Isaiah 38:17) expresses the new perspective which Hezekiah found.
