Isaiah 38:10
Isaiah 38:10 in Multiple Translations
I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”
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.
I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
I said, In the quiet of my days I am going down into the underworld: the rest of my years are being taken away from me.
I said to myself, “Do I have to go to my death just as my life is going well? Why can't I count on the rest of my years?”
I saide in the cutting off of my dayes, I shall goe to the gates of the graue: I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres.
'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.
I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
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.
I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years.
I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I should live?”
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 38:10
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 38:10 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אֲנִ֣י
אָמַ֗רְתִּי
בִּ/דְמִ֥י
יָמַ֛/י
אֵלֵ֖כָה
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
שְׁא֑וֹל
פֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי
יֶ֥תֶר
שְׁנוֹתָֽ/י
אֲנִ֣י
ʼănîy
H589
I
Pron
אָמַ֗רְתִּי
ʼâmar
H559
to say
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
בִּ/דְמִ֥י
dᵉmîy
H1824
quiet
Prep | N-ms
יָמַ֛/י
yôwm
H3117
day
N-mp | Suff
אֵלֵ֖כָה
yâlak
H3212
to walk
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
shaʻar
H8179
gate
Prep | N-mp
שְׁא֑וֹל
shᵉʼôwl
H7585
hell
N-proper
פֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי
pâqad
H6485
to reckon
V-Pual-Perf-1cs
יֶ֥תֶר
yether
H3499
remainder
N-ms
שְׁנוֹתָֽ/י
shâneh
H8141
year
N-fp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 38:10
אֲנִ֣י
ʼănîy
H589
"I"
Pron
This Hebrew word is a simple way of saying 'I' or 'me', often used for emphasis. It is used by people like David in the Psalms to express their thoughts and feelings. The word is a basic part of the Hebrew language.
Definition: I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Usage: Occurs in 803 OT verses. KJV: I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who. See also: Genesis 6:17; Leviticus 19:36; 1 Samuel 25:24.
אָמַ֗רְתִּי
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
בִּ/דְמִ֥י
dᵉmîy
H1824
"quiet"
Prep | N-ms
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means being quiet or still, like a pause from activity. It first appears in Exodus 14:14, where God tells the Israelites to remain silent and let Him fight for them. This concept is also seen in Psalm 46:10.
Definition: cessation, quiet, rest, silence, pause, peacefulness
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: cutting off, rest, silence. See also: Psalms 83:2; Isaiah 62:6; Isaiah 38:10.
יָמַ֛/י
yôwm
H3117
"day"
N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
אֵלֵ֖כָה
yâlak
H3212
"to walk"
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
To walk or go, this verb means to move from one place to another, used literally or figuratively, as in to live or die, or to lead someone.
Definition: 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Hiphil) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
Usage: Occurs in 936 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. See also: Genesis 3:14; Exodus 5:8; Deuteronomy 28:14.
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
shaʻar
H8179
"gate"
Prep | N-mp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a gate or door, often referring to city entrances or temple doors, like in Genesis and Exodus. It can also symbolize a meeting place or marketplace. The word is used to describe important locations in the Bible.
Definition: : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven
Usage: Occurs in 302 OT verses. KJV: city, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er). See also: Genesis 19:1; 1 Chronicles 9:18; Psalms 9:14.
שְׁא֑וֹל
shᵉʼôwl
H7585
"hell"
N-proper
Sheol refers to the underworld or grave, a place of no return where the dead reside, as seen in the Old Testament. It is often translated as hell or pit in the KJV. This concept is mentioned in various books, including Psalms and Isaiah.
Definition: Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5) of the place of exile (fig) 1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: grave, hell, pit. See also: Genesis 37:35; Psalms 139:8; Psalms 6:6.
פֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי
pâqad
H6485
"to reckon"
V-Pual-Perf-1cs
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Definition: : list/count 1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pay attention to, observe 1a2) to attend to 1a3) to seek, look about for 1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack 1a5) to visit 1a6) to visit upon, punish 1a7) to pass in review, muster, number 1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking 1b2) to be visited 1b3) to be visited upon 1b4) to be appointed 1b5) to be watched over 1c) (Piel) to muster, call up 1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer 1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit 1f) (Hophal) 1f1) to be visited 1f2) to be deposited 1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted 1g) (Hithpael) numbered 1h) (Hothpael) numbered
Usage: Occurs in 269 OT verses. KJV: appoint, [idiom] at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, [idiom] by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, [idiom] surely, visit, want. See also: Genesis 21:1; Numbers 26:47; Psalms 8:5.
יֶ֥תֶר
yether
H3499
"remainder"
N-ms
A cord or rope, also meaning excess or remainder, as seen in the Bible's descriptions of leftovers or abundant resources.
Definition: 1) remainder, excess, rest, remnant, excellence 1a) remainder, remnant 1b) remainder, rest, other part 1c) excess 1d) abundantly (adv) 1e) abundance, affluence 1f) superiority, excellency
Usage: Occurs in 95 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with. See also: Genesis 49:3; 2 Kings 15:26; Psalms 11:2.
שְׁנוֹתָֽ/י
shâneh
H8141
"year"
N-fp | Suff
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Definition: 1) year 1a) as division of time 1b) as measure of time 1c) as indication of age 1d) a lifetime (of years of life) Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)
Usage: Occurs in 647 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly). See also: Genesis 1:14; Genesis 47:28; Numbers 7:35.
Study Notes — Isaiah 38:10
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 38:10 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 38:10
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 38:10
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 38:10
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 38:10
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
- Sermons on Isaiah 38:10
Context — Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving
8I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.
9This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of 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. 12My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 102:24 | I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations. |
| 2 | 2 Corinthians 1:9 | Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. |
| 3 | Psalms 107:18 | They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death. |
| 4 | Job 7:7 | Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness. |
| 5 | Isaiah 38:1 | In 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.’” |
| 6 | Job 6:11 | What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What is my future, that I should be patient? |
| 7 | Job 17:11–16 | My days have passed; my plans are broken off— even the desires of my heart. They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness. If 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? Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?” |
Isaiah 38:10 Summary
[Isaiah 38:10 is about Hezekiah feeling like his life is being cut short, which is a feeling many of us can relate to when faced with serious illness or challenges, reminding us to trust in God's sovereignty as seen in Jeremiah 29:11. Hezekiah was sad because he thought he wouldn't get to do all the things God had planned for him to do, which teaches us to make the most of every opportunity, as advised in Ephesians 5:16. This verse helps us understand that our time on earth is limited, and we should use it to love and serve God and others, as Jesus taught in Matthew 22:37-40, emphasizing the importance of living intentionally and purposefully.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to go through the gates of Sheol?
In Isaiah 38:10, going through the gates of Sheol refers to death, as Sheol was understood as the place of the dead in ancient Israelite belief, similar to what is described in Psalms 9:13 and Psalms 107:18.
Why does Hezekiah say he is in the prime of his life?
Hezekiah's statement about being in the prime of his life indicates he felt his life was being cut short, as he was only 39 years old when he became ill, and he had many years of service to God ahead of him, as seen in Isaiah 38:5 where God adds 15 years to his life.
What is the significance of being deprived of the remainder of my years?
Being deprived of the remainder of his years signifies Hezekiah's fear of not fulfilling his purpose or completing the tasks God had for him, highlighting the importance of making the most of the time we have, as encouraged in Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5.
How does this verse relate to the broader theme of mortality?
Isaiah 38:10 touches on the universal human experience of facing mortality, echoing sentiments found in Psalms 39:4-5, where the Psalmist reflects on the brevity of life, reminding us to prioritize our relationship with God and the impact we have on others during our lifetime.
Reflection Questions
- What are the things in your life that you feel are being cut short, and how can you trust God with those things?
- How does the reality of mortality influence your daily priorities and decisions?
- In what ways can you, like Hezekiah, use your experiences to deepen your faith and dependence on God?
- What does it mean for you to make the most of the time you have, and how can you apply that principle in your current circumstances?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 38:10
I said, in the cutting off of my days,.... When he was told that he should die, and he believed he should; this he calls a "cutting off" in allusion to the weaver's web, Isaiah 38:12 and a cutting
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 38:10
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: -The prayer and thanksgiving song of Hezekiah is only given here, not in the parallel passages of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Verse 9.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
I said, to and within myself, I concluded it. In the cutting off of my days; when my days were cut off by the sentence of God, related here, . I shall go to the gates of the grave; I perceive that I must die without any hopes of prevention. The grave is called a man’ s long home, , and the house appointed for all living men, , and death opens the gates of this house. We read also of the gates of death, 107:18. I am deprived of the residue of my years; which I might have lived, according to the common course of nature, and of God’ s dispensations; and which I expected and hoped to live, for the service of God and of my generation.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
Isaiah 38:10 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.Ver. 10. I said in the cutting off of my days.] When I looked upon myself as a dead man. Here he telleth us what passed between God and him while he lay desperately sick. The utmost of a danger escaped is to be recognised and recorded. This will both instruct the judgment, enlarge the heart, and open the mouth. I shall go to the gates of the grave.] He maketh the grave to have gates, either by a poetic fiction, or else by a proverbial expression. So "the gates of death." I am deprived of the residue of my years,] sc., That I might have lived in a natural course. Vox haec queritantis quidem est: Quis enim vult mori? prorsus nemo. Nature shunneth death as its slaughter man.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
(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 (Psalms 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 the Inferno of 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” in Job 38:17; Psalms 9:18; Psalms 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.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 38:10
10. in the cutting off of my days] R.V. In the noontide of my days (lit. “in the stillness of my days”). The phrase has been variously interpreted; but the best sense is that given by the R.V., whether the noon be conceived as the time of rest, or (as in an Arabic idiom) the time when the sun seems to stand still in the heavens. Hezekiah was at the time in his thirty-ninth year. (Cf. “in the midst of my days,” Psalms 102:24.) the gates of the grave (lit. of Sheol)] Cf. Job 38:17; Psalms 9:13; Psalms 107:18. I am deprived (lit. “punished”) of the residue of my years] The verb for “be punished” does not elsewhere bear the sense of “be mulcted” as it must do in this translation. Duhm, with a different division of the verse, renders as follows:— “I said, In the noon-tide of my days I must depart; I am consigned (cf. Jeremiah 37:21) to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.”
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 38:10
I said - Probably the words ‘I said’ do not imply that he said or spoke this openly or audibly; but this was the language of his heart, or the substance of his reflections.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 38:10
10, 11. I said — In my heart, my thought. In the cutting off of my days — Of all the opinions on these very perplexing words, that seems the best which renders them, In the meridians, in the high
Sermons on Isaiah 38:10
| Sermon | Description | |
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Attributes of God - Immutability, Faithfulness, Wisdom and Love by William MacDonald | In this sermon, the speaker marvels at the complexity and design of the human body, particularly the eyes and the brain. He questions how understanding is placed in the mind of man |
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The Attributes of God - Part 4 by William MacDonald | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of worshiping God for his unchangeable character and faithfulness. He highlights the need for believers to bear the family res |
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(Biographies) John Bunyan by John Piper | In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a family who recently joined their church. The family had faced difficulties in their previous church but had learned about the sov |
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Suffering for the Sake Of by Joni Eareckson Tada | This sermon emphasizes the importance of finding joy and hope in God, even in the midst of suffering and trials. It shares powerful stories of individuals facing challenges, highli |
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(Men of Whom the World Was Not Worthy) Bunyan, John to Live Upon God That Is Invisible by John Piper | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the life and sufferings of John Bunyan, a 17th-century English writer and preacher. Bunyan experienced numerous hardships, including the death |
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Suffering - Part 1 by Norman Grubb | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of not forgetting who we truly are in Christ. He highlights the reality of Satan's attempts to distract and deceive us, but e |
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Paradoxes of the Spiritual Life by Stephen Kaung | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the paradox of brokenness leading to release. He refers to the Apostle Paul's experiences in Second Corinthians, where Paul opens up about hi |