Isaiah 38:17

KJV

Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul [delivered it] from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold, for peace {H7965} I had great bitterness {H4751}{H4843}: but thou hast in love {H2836} to my soul {H5315} delivered it from the pit {H7845} of corruption {H1097}: for thou hast cast {H7993} all my sins {H2399} behind {H310} thy back {H1460}.

Complete Jewish Bible

though instead of peace, I felt very bitter. You desired my life and preserved it from the nothingness pit; for you threw all my sins behind your back.

Berean Standard Bible

Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

American Standard Version

Behold, it wasformypeacethatI had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 38:17 captures King Hezekiah's profound transformation from the brink of death and despair to a state of divinely granted peace and spiritual renewal. Following his miraculous recovery from a terminal illness, Hezekiah articulates a deep understanding of God's character, recognizing that his physical healing was inextricably linked to God's compassionate love and the complete, decisive forgiveness of his sins. This verse stands as a powerful testament to God's holistic redemption, turning overwhelming bitterness into a profound experience of grace and restoration.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a pivotal declaration within King Hezekiah's "writing when he had been sick and was recovered from his sickness," recorded in [Isaiah 38:9-20](/isaiah/38-9-20 "Isaiah 38:9-20 - Hezekiah's Prayer and Song of Thanksgiving"). It immediately follows the narrative of his fatal illness and God's miraculous intervention, adding fifteen years to his life in response to his fervent prayer, marked by the sign of the sundial's shadow retreating ten degrees ([Isaiah 38:1-8](/isaiah/38-1-8 "Isaiah 38:1-8 - Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery")). Hezekiah's preceding verses (Isaiah 38:10-14) vividly portray his deep anguish, lamenting the premature end of his life and the inability to praise God among the living. Verse 17 represents the climax of his thanksgiving, articulating the profound spiritual insight gained through his suffering: God's deliverance was not merely physical but comprehensive, encompassing the forgiveness of sins, which is the ultimate source of true peace.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** King Hezekiah reigned over Judah during a period of intense geopolitical instability, primarily facing the formidable threat of the Assyrian Empire. His reign (c. 715-686 BC) was marked by significant religious reforms, purging idolatry and centralizing worship at the Jerusalem Temple, aligning Judah more closely with the Mosaic covenant (see [2 Kings 18:3-6](/2_kings/18-3-6 "2 Kings 18:3-6 - Hezekiah's Righteous Reign")). In the ancient Near East, severe illness, especially one unto death, was often interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure or as a consequence of sin. Conversely, recovery was seen as a clear indication of divine favor and forgiveness. The "pit of corruption" (or Sheol/the grave) represented the universal, inescapable destination of all humanity, a shadowy realm from which return was generally not expected. Hezekiah's lament in the preceding verses reflects a common Old Testament perspective that death meant a cessation of active praise and communion with God in the land of the living ([Psalm 6:5](/psalm/6-5 "Psalm 6:5 - For in death there is no remembrance of thee")). Thus, his miraculous recovery was not just a physical reprieve but a profound spiritual restoration, confirming God's active and merciful involvement in the lives of His covenant people.
* **Key Themes:** Isaiah 38:17 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Isaiah and broader biblical theology. It highlights the theme of **Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death**, demonstrating God's absolute power to extend life and rescue from the very brink of the grave, a truth echoed in [Deuteronomy 32:39](/deuteronomy/32-39 "Deuteronomy 32:39 - I kill, and I make alive"). The verse also profoundly underscores **God's Compassionate Love and Personal Engagement**, revealing a God who hears the cries of His people and responds with tender, intimate care, specifically "in love to my soul." Crucially, it emphasizes the theme of **Complete Forgiveness and Restoration**, portraying God's radical act of casting sins away, a promise that resonates throughout prophetic literature (e.g., [Micah 7:19](/micah/7-19 "Micah 7:19 - God will cast our sins into the depths of the sea")). Hezekiah's personal experience serves as a microcosm of God's grand redemptive plan, where physical healing is inextricably intertwined with spiritual cleansing, leading to profound and lasting peace.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Bitterness (Hebrew, _mar'_ H4751; _mârar'_ H4843):** The KJV translates two related Hebrew words here, emphasizing the intensity and pervasive nature of Hezekiah's suffering. _Mar'_ (H4751) denotes a state of deep sorrow, anguish, or discontent, literally or figuratively bitter. _Mârar'_ (H4843), the root, means "to be bitter" or "to make bitter," often implying a state of being grieved or vexed. Together, they convey the profound, soul-wrenching distress Hezekiah experienced at the prospect of death, transforming his expectation of "peace" (wholeness, well-being) into a reality of intense, overwhelming "great bitterness."
* **Love (Hebrew, _châshaq'_ H2836):** This verb means "to cling," "to join," or figuratively, "to love" or "to delight in." When applied to God, as in this verse, it signifies His deep affection, strong attachment, and benevolent desire for His people. It's not merely a passive feeling but an active, decisive inclination towards Hezekiah's well-being, leading directly to his deliverance. This word highlights the personal and intimate nature of God's intervention, motivated by His profound care for Hezekiah's "soul" (his very life and being).
* **Sins (Hebrew, _chêṭᵉʼ'_ H2399):** This noun refers to a crime, an offense, or its penalty; it denotes a deviation from God's standard, a "missing of the mark." In the context of Hezekiah's illness, while not explicitly stated as a direct punishment for a specific sin, the Old Testament often linked suffering to sin. Hezekiah's recognition of God casting his "sins" behind His back indicates a profound understanding that God's forgiveness was integral to his holistic restoration, both physically and spiritually. It speaks to the comprehensive nature of God's grace, addressing the spiritual root of human brokenness and alienation from God.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness":** Hezekiah begins with an exclamation of wonder and profound realization ("Behold!"). He reflects on the stark contrast between his hopeful expectation of "peace" (Hebrew: _shalom_ – wholeness, well-being, a normal, flourishing life) and the grim reality of his severe illness, which brought him "great bitterness" – intense physical pain, emotional anguish, grief, and despair at the thought of imminent death. This clause vividly sets up the dramatic reversal wrought by God's intervention.
* **"but thou hast in love to my soul [delivered it] from the pit of corruption":** This clause marks the dramatic turning point, attributing the deliverance directly and solely to God. The phrase "in love to my soul" profoundly emphasizes God's deep affection, personal care, and benevolent desire as the motivation for His saving action. "My soul" refers to Hezekiah's very life, his being, his inner self. God "delivered it" (implied in the KJV, explicitly a rescue in the Hebrew context) from "the pit of corruption," which signifies the grave, the realm of decay, or the very brink of death. This highlights God's absolute power over life and death, rescuing Hezekiah from what seemed an inevitable and final end.
* **"for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back":** This final clause provides the profound spiritual reason and ultimate assurance behind Hezekiah's physical deliverance and renewed peace. The imagery of God "casting sins behind His back" is a powerful anthropomorphism. It signifies God's complete, deliberate, and final act of forgetting, dismissing, or choosing not to remember or hold Hezekiah's sins against him. This act of comprehensive and irreversible forgiveness is presented as the foundational reason for the peace and holistic restoration Hezekiah experienced, demonstrating that God's mercy extends to both physical well-being and, more importantly, spiritual reconciliation.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 38:17 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message of divine intervention and forgiveness. **Antithesis** is strikingly evident in the opening clause, contrasting Hezekiah's expectation of "peace" with the reality of "great bitterness," thereby highlighting the dramatic and unexpected shift in his condition and perspective. The phrase "the pit of corruption" serves as a vivid **metaphor** for the grave or the state of death and decay, powerfully evoking a sense of finality and hopelessness from which only divine intervention could rescue. Most profoundly, the verse utilizes **anthropomorphism** in the declaration "for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." This attributes a human action—turning away and discarding something as if it no longer exists or matters—to God, making the abstract concept of divine forgiveness tangible, personal, and profoundly reassuring. It is a powerful **idiom** that communicates the thoroughness and finality of God's pardon, implying that He chooses not to see, remember, or hold the transgressions against the repentant, thus offering complete reconciliation and true peace.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 38:17 beautifully illustrates the profound interconnectedness of physical healing and spiritual forgiveness within God's comprehensive redemptive work. Hezekiah's experience reveals that true peace (shalom) is not merely the absence of trouble or illness but the presence of God's holistic restoration, which addresses both the body and the soul. God's "love to my soul" underscores His deeply personal and intimate care for His creation, extending His mercy and active intervention even when human life seems at its absolute end. The profound act of casting sins behind His back signifies God's complete, irreversible, and gracious pardon, a testament to His character as a forgiving and merciful Father who desires reconciliation. This divine action transforms despair into profound gratitude, overwhelming bitterness into lasting peace, and the shadow of death into renewed life and purpose, demonstrating God's ultimate authority over all aspects of human existence, both temporal and eternal.

* [Psalm 103:12](/psalm/103-12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.")
* [Micah 7:19](/micah/7-19 "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.")
* [Jeremiah 31:34](/jeremiah/31-34 "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hezekiah's heartfelt song of thanksgiving in Isaiah 38:17 offers profound encouragement and a powerful model for believers navigating their own seasons of "great bitterness." Whether facing severe physical illness, profound emotional loss, spiritual despair, or the weight of past failures, this verse reminds us that our God is intimately involved in our suffering. His love is not distant or abstract but deeply personal, reaching into the very core of our being ("to my soul"). Just as Hezekiah's physical healing was intertwined with spiritual cleansing, we are invited to recognize that God's holistic restoration often addresses both our outward circumstances and our inward spiritual condition. The profound assurance that God casts our sins "behind His back" provides immense comfort and liberation, freeing us from the debilitating burden of guilt and shame and enabling us to walk in the peace of His complete and irreversible forgiveness. This passage calls us to cultivate a deep trust in God's sovereign power to transform our deepest sorrows into profound gratitude and renewed purpose, knowing that His boundless mercy triumphs over judgment.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "bitterness" are you currently experiencing, and how might God be inviting you to find His "peace" in the midst of it?**
* **How does the imagery of God casting your sins "behind His back" personally impact your understanding of His forgiveness and your own sense of freedom and reconciliation?**
* **In what practical ways can you cultivate a deeper, more tangible awareness of God's personal "love to your soul" in your daily life and struggles?**

### FAQ
**What does "for peace I had great bitterness" mean?**

Answer: This phrase vividly captures King Hezekiah's profound emotional and physical state. He expected the normal course of life, which he refers to as "peace" (Hebrew: _shalom_ – wholeness, well-being, prosperity, and a flourishing life). Instead, he was struck with a terminal illness that brought him "great bitterness"—intense physical suffering, overwhelming anguish, and deep despair at the prospect of imminent death. It highlights the stark contrast between his hopeful expectation and the grim, life-threatening reality he faced before God's miraculous and compassionate intervention.

**What is the "pit of corruption" referring to?**

Answer: The "pit of corruption" (Hebrew: _shachath bᵉlîy_) is a powerful and vivid metaphorical expression referring to the grave, the realm of death, or the state of decay and oblivion. It signifies the very brink of death, from which Hezekiah was miraculously delivered. This phrase emphasizes the finality and hopelessness of death from a human perspective, underscoring the immense magnitude of God's power to rescue and restore life, as also seen in [Psalm 30:3](/psalm/30-3 "Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."). It highlights that Hezekiah was rescued from an otherwise inevitable end.

**How can God "cast all my sins behind thy back"? Does God literally have a back?**

Answer: This is a beautiful example of **anthropomorphism**, a literary device that attributes human characteristics or actions to God to help us understand a divine truth. God does not literally have a physical back. The imagery powerfully conveys the completeness and finality of His forgiveness. When someone puts something "behind their back," they are intentionally putting it out of sight, out of mind, and choosing not to remember or hold it against the other person. This phrase means God chooses not to remember, acknowledge, or hold our sins against us, offering a full, comprehensive, and irreversible pardon, as also described in [Jeremiah 31:34](/jeremiah/31-34 "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."). It speaks to the depth of His mercy and grace.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hezekiah's experience in Isaiah 38:17 serves as a profound Old Testament foreshadowing of the comprehensive salvation and holistic redemption offered ultimately and perfectly in Jesus Christ. Hezekiah's miraculous deliverance from the "pit of corruption" and the casting away of his sins points directly to Christ's ultimate victory over death and sin. While Hezekiah was granted an extension of mortal life, Jesus Christ conquered death definitively through His resurrection, offering not merely a temporary reprieve but eternal life to all who believe in Him (see [John 11:25-26](/john/11-25-26 "Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live")). The "love to my soul" that motivated God's deliverance of Hezekiah finds its supreme and ultimate expression in God's incomprehensible act of sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for humanity's sins (see [John 3:16](/john/3-16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son")). The profound act of God casting Hezekiah's sins "behind thy back" is fully and eternally realized in the atoning work of Christ on the cross, where He bore the sins of the world, effectively removing them from God's sight and from the believer's condemnation (see [Colossians 2:13-14](/colossians/2-13-14 "Having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us...")). Through Christ, our "great bitterness" of sin, death, and separation from God is transformed into the everlasting "peace" of reconciliation with God (see [Romans 5:1](/romans/5-1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ")), fulfilling the promise of complete forgiveness, spiritual restoration, and eternal deliverance.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 43:25

I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Micah 7:18

Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.

Micah 7:19

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Jonah 2:6

I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Psalms 30:3

O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Jeremiah 31:34

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Psalms 86:13

For great [is] thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.