Isaiah 38:4
ESV
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
NIV
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
NASB
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,
CSB
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
NLT
Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord:
KJV
Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
NKJV
And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,
What does Isaiah 38:4 mean?
Isaiah is the prophet used by God to speak to King Hezekiah. Recently, Isaiah was sent to give the king a dire prophecy. Hezekiah's illness was fatal, so the king should be prepared for death (Isaiah 38:1). In response, Hezekiah turned to the Lord in grief and pleading (Isaiah 38:2). He claimed a life of faith and asked the Lord to remember it (Isaiah 38:3).Apparently, Isaiah had left the king in his mourning. He is walking out of the palace when the Lord reaches out with another message. He needs to return with an updated prediction (2 Kings 20:4). Because Hezekiah responded with humility and faith, the Lord will give him more time (Isaiah 38:5). Even better, God will spare Jerusalem from the impending Assyrian invasion (Isaiah 36—37).
While this seems like a reversal, God's knowledge makes it a lesson instead. Without a miracle, Hezekiah's disease was deadly. But death was conditional, and sincere prayer led to divine intervention.
