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.

I said {H559} in the cutting off {H1824} of my days {H3117}, I shall go {H3212} to the gates {H8179} of the grave {H7585}: I am deprived {H6485} of the residue {H3499} of my years {H8141}.

"I once said: 'In the prime of life I am going off to the gates of Sh'ol. I am being deprived of living out the full span of my life.'

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 noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

This verse expresses the deep despair of King Hezekiah when he was told he would die from his illness.

Context

In Isaiah 38:1, the prophet Isaiah brings a message to King Hezekiah that he should set his house in order because he is going to die. Verses 9-20 of this chapter contain Hezekiah's personal writing, a psalm or prayer, reflecting his thoughts and feelings during this crisis. Verse 10 is the beginning of this lament, expressing his immediate reaction to the death sentence – a profound sense of loss and a premature end to his life.

Key Themes

  • Mortality: Hezekiah confronts the unavoidable reality of his own death.
  • Loss and Deprivation: He feels robbed of the remaining years he expected to live.
  • The Grave (Sheol): The reference to "the gates of the grave" (Sheol) signifies the descent into the realm of the dead, seen in the Old Testament context as an inescapable and undesirable end to earthly life.
  • Despair: The verse captures the feeling of hopelessness when facing imminent death and the end of one's earthly existence.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "in the cutting off of my days" highlights the abrupt and untimely nature of the death Hezekiah faced, emphasizing that his life was being shortened, not ending naturally after a full span. "The gates of the grave" (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי שְׁאוֹל, sha'arei she'ol) is a common Old Testament metaphor for entering Sheol, the collective underworld or state of the dead, suggesting a passage from which there is no return in this life.

Reflection and Application

Hezekiah's words resonate with the human fear of death and the sadness of a life potentially cut short. It reminds us of the fragility of life and our own mortality (Psalm 90:12). While Hezekiah's specific situation led to God extending his life by fifteen years in response to his fervent prayer, the verse universally speaks to the feeling of facing an end before one feels ready. For believers today, while we still face physical death, the hope of resurrection through Christ transforms the meaning of "the grave," as the "gates of hell" (referring to Hades/Sheol) will not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18) and death's sting has been removed for those in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 102:24

    I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years [are] throughout all generations.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:9

    But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

  • Job 7:7

    ¶ O remember that my life [is] wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

  • Psalms 107:18

    Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

  • Job 17:11

    My days are past, my purposes are broken off, [even] the thoughts of my heart.

  • Job 17:16

    They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when [our] rest together [is] in the dust.

  • Job 6:11

    What [is] my strength, that I should hope? and what [is] mine end, that I should prolong my life?

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