Isaiah 38:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

NIV: I said, "I will not again see the Lord himself in the land of the living; no longer will I look on my fellow man, or be with those who now dwell in this world.

NASB: I said, 'I will not see the Lord, The Lord in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.

CSB: I said: I will never see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I will not look on humanity any longer with the inhabitants of what is passing away.

NLT: I said, 'Never again will I see the Lord GOD while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world.

KJV: I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

NKJV: I said, “I shall not see YAH, The Lord in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

Facing death often sharpens a person's awareness of how precious relationships and experiences can be. This is true even for those who cherish life and appreciate their situation. Here, Hezekiah mourns news that his illness is fatal (Isaiah 38:1). Beyond his own death, this means he will no longer be able to worship the Lord in the temple. Nor can he fellowship with others who also love God. To him, "seeing the Lord" means joining in temple worship, where God's presence was symbolized above the ark. Death would end these experiences.

However, this is the early part of a psalm written to celebrate God's miraculous intervention (Isaiah 38:5). The angst Hezekiah experienced at first will be replaced with gratitude. In fact, Hezekiah will realize that this experience brought him closer to the Lord (Isaiah 38:17).

Isaiah 38:9–20 is King Hezekiah's triumphant praise for God. The first half depicts Hezekiah's despair at facing a fatal disease. The second half is his joy at learning that his life would be spared. Though Isaiah arranges his book by theme, this healing and psalm appear to come before the Assyrian threat to Jerusalem recorded in the prior chapters.

Hezekiah becomes gravely ill. The only description given mentions a sort of "boil," so this may have been an aggressive tumor. Isaiah tells Hezekiah he will die, so the king prays and weeps. The Lord rewards Hezekiah's faithful dependence with a promise to add fifteen years to his life. God gives a miraculous sign by making the shadow on a staircase-like sundial move backward. After his recovery, Hezekiah writes a psalm describing his grief when he expected death and his joy after the Lord saved him. He commits to worshiping God in the temple for the rest of his life.

The events recorded here most likely happen before the Assyrian invasion described in the previous chapter. Isaiah is arranging his records to smoothly transition into later discussion of the Messiah. The Lord tells King Hezekiah to expect to die from an illness. When the king prays in grief, the Lord grants him fifteen more years and a miraculous sign. Hezekiah responds with a psalm describing both his despair and his renewed praise for the God who saves. Next, Isaiah records a visit from Babylonian messengers and God's prediction that peace will last until after Hezekiah has died.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/10/2026 7:13:04 AM