Chapter 38
38:1 In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaiah the son of Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: thus says the Lord: take order with your house, for you shall die, and not live.
38:2 And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
38:3 and said: I beseech you, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. And Ezechias wept with great weeping.
38:4 And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying:
38:5 go and say to Ezechias: thus says the Lord the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears: behold I will add to your days fifteen years:
38:6 and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.
38:7 And this shall be a sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word which he has spoken:
38:8 behold I will bring again the shadow of the lines, by which it is now gone down in the sun dial of Achaz with the sun, ten lines backward. And the sun returned ten lines by the degrees by which it was gone down.
38:9 The writing of Ezechias king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
38:10 I said: in the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years.
38:11 I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.
38:12 My generation is at an end, and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd’s tent. My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he cut me off: from morning even to night you will make an end of me.
38:13 I hoped till morning, as a lion so has he broken all my bones: from morning even to night you will make an end of me.
38:14 I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer you for me.
38:15 What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself has done it? I will recount to you all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
38:16 O Lord, if man’s life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, you shall correct me, and make me to live.
38:17 Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter: but you have delivered my soul that it should not perish, you have cast all my sins behind your back.
38:18 For hell shall not confess to you, neither shall death praise you: nor shall they that go down into the pit, look for your truth.
38:19 The living, the living, he shall give praise to you, as I do this day: the father shall make the truth known to the children.
38:20 O Lord, save me, and we will sing our psalms all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
38:21 Now Isaiah had ordered that they should take a lump of figs, and lay it as a plaster upon the wound, and that he should be healed.
38:22 And Ezechias had said what shall be the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord.
771 . In those days . In this part, he sets out some things occasioned by the preceding history, namely, the sickness of Ezechias, which he incurred because of his ingratitude, because after such a victory he did not compose a song of thanksgiving, as was the custom. And this is divided into two parts:
in the first, he sets out his sickness and healing;
in the second, he sets out the congratulations of his friends: at that time (ch. 39).
Concerning the first, he does three things:
first, he sets out the sickness;
second, his delivery from it: and Ezechias turned his face (Isa 38:2);
third, the order of the delivery: now Isaiah had ordered (Isa 38:21).
Concerning the first, he does two things:
first, he sets out the sickness: Ezechias was sick : a grievous sickness makes the soul sober (Sir 31:2);
second, he sets out the announcement of death: and Isaiah the son of Amos the prophet came unto him; take order , arranging who ought to succeed you: in the time when you shall end the days of your life, and in the time of your decease, distribute your inheritance (Sir 33:24).
772 . On the contrary, it is objected that he lived afterwards and did not die; therefore, what the prophet said to him, you shall die , was false, and was not announcing the issue of things with invariable truth.
To which it is to be said that while the plans for all things which happen in the entire course of time have existed in God from eternity, some were placed into things which are unfolded through the work of nature and will; others he retained only to himself, so that when he wills them, he brings them into actuality. Therefore, prophets see in the mirror of eternity as much of either of these as God wishes to reveal to them. Therefore those plans had been revealed to Isaiah, which were placed into things—things that come to be through inferior causes, namely, natural and meritorious causes—according to which the sickness of the king was ordered toward death. Thus, as to the sense which is found in the words of the prophet, he spoke the truth, because according to inferior causes, it was so; similarly too, as to the other sense, which the Holy Spirit understood, he spoke the truth, because he died to that ingratitude when afterwards, he gave the thanks he owed to God, just as Ninive also was overturned as to the state of its iniquity, as Augustine says.
773 . And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall . Here he sets out his delivery from sickness, and concerning this, he sets out three things:
first, the prayer of Ezechias is set out;
second, the promise of healing: and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah (Isa 38:4);
third, the thanksgiving of Ezechias: the writing of Ezechias (Isa 38:9).
Concerning the first, he sets out three things.
First, his preparation for prayer: toward the wall , of the temple, or of his house, so that he might pray more devoutly and privately: I have called upon you in the day of my trouble (Ps 85[86]:7).
Second, he sets out the prayer itself: and prayed ; remember , that you would grant me life for the good things I have done, for God is said to have forgotten when he does not give a reward; in truth , of worship of you, with a perfect heart , as to love.
On the contrary, Proverbs 20:9 says: who can say: my heart is clean? ; and to this is to be said that he does not say that his heart is perfect absolutely, but as to the fact that he had not halted after idols, as it says in 1 Kings 18:21. In the day of evils be not unmindful of good things (Sir 11:27[25]).
Third, he sets out his compunction, and Ezechias wept : blessed are they that mourn (Matt 5:5): the prayer of the humble and the meek has always pleased you (Jdt 9:16).
774 . And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah . Here the promise of healing is set out.
And first, he sets out the hearing of the prayer, and the word of the Lord came , before he left the middle of the court (2 Kgs 20:4); I have heard your prayer , above: at the voice of your cry (Isa 30:19).
Second, he sets out the promise: behold I will add : you will add days to the days of the king (Ps 60:7[61:6]).
Third, he sets out the confirmation by a sign: and this shall be a sign to you ; with the sun , that is, through the movement of the sun; ten lines , by which ten hours were calculated according to the movement of the shadow; and the sun returned : if it did so right away, then that artificial day had twenty-two hours of daylight, nearly doubled according to the Gloss; but if it returned through the lines successively, so that it came through ten and returned through ten and again went through ten, then that day had thirty-two hours, nearly tripled, according to Dionysius.
Now this was done, either with all the other heavenly bodies going back, or with the sun having a shorter path or a faster movement, so that it would reach its position at the same time as the others: in his days the sun went backward (Sir 48:26[23]). And this sign coincided with the thing it signified, thus: when you shall think yourself consumed, you shall rise as the day star (Job 11:17).
775 . The writing of Ezechias . Here his thanksgiving for the healing promised to him is set out.
And first, he sets out the title: the writing , namely, this is the writing;
second, he sets out the song: I said , in which he does three things: first, he laments the danger which he has escaped; second, he recalls the benefit which he has received: O Lord, if man’s life be such (Isa 38:16);
third, he asks for the fulfillment of what God has promised: O Lord, save me (Isa 38:20).
And he laments three things.
First, the horror of death: in the midst of my days , that is, in my youth, to the gates of hell , that is, limbo, or death, or the grave: my life was drawing near to hell beneath (Sir 51:9[6]).
Second, he laments the loss of good things, as to the vision of God: I sought , from the Lord, that he might supply, the residue , taken away from me, or I sought in myself how much life remained for me. I said , to myself: I shall not see the Lord God , still only through a likeness, in the land of the living , in heavenly beatitude: I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living (Ps 26[27]:13); or I shall not see the Lord God , any more, seeing the temple and the worship of the Lord, in the land of the living , namely, the land of the Jews: he is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matt 22:32). And as to the society of men: I shall behold man , living in this life, no more : there shall not a man dwell there (Jer 49:18). Or the man , Christ, promised to us. And as to the posterity of his sons: my generation , namely, of sons, for he did not yet have sons, is rolled away from me , folded up, so that it is not continued to his descendants, above: it shall be removed as the tent of one night (Isa 24:20). And as to the shortness of his life: my life is cut off, as by a weaver , while yet weaving an unfinished web; but beginning in youth: my days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver (Job 7:6).
776 . Third, he laments his anxiety of heart.
And first, as to the continual expectation of death: from morning , namely, I was speaking, even tonight you will make an end of me , in death. And then, not dying, I hoped , again, till morning , so that simultaneously with death the sorrow of sickness was ended; nonetheless, as a lion so has he , infirmity or God himself through the sorrow of sickness, broken all my bones : if I lie down to sleep, I shall say: when shall I rise? And again, I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness (Job 7:4).
Second, as to the deferral of hope; and he sets out things: the compunction of the one who hopes: I will cry like a young swallow , looking for its mother, because it does not see her, like a dove , namely, with mourning: her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves (Nah 2:7). And he sets out the deferral of hope: my eyes are weakened , as though fatigued, looking upward , in hope: hope that is deferred afflicts the soul (Prov 13:12); I have lifted up my eyes (Ps 120[121]:1). And he sets out a certain dispute with God: Lord, I suffer violence , as if to say: violence is done to me, I am afflicted beyond what I deserve; answer you , be surety, for me . What shall I say , as though turned to himself: what can I set against God? Or what shall he answer , when he must respond to my questions, whereas he himself has done it , made me, or my punishment: if he will contend with him (Job 9:3), below: shall he gainsays his maker (Isa 45:9).
Third, as to the recollection of past events: I will recount to you all my years , in which I suffered good things, or in which I sinned against you: I will speak in the affliction of my spirit (Job 7:11).
777 . O Lord, if man’s life be such . Here he recalls the benefit which he has received;
and first, correction: if man’s life be such , that is, if the life of men is so miserable, or if life is acquired through tribulation: reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov 6:23). And then he sets out: behold in peace , as if to say: in the people having peace from the Assyrians, bitterness , hangs over me: laughter shall be mingled with sorrow (Prov 14:13).
Second, he recalls his liberation from punishment: but you have delivered my soul , my life; and from guilt: you have cast all my sins behind your or my back , as though forgetting them: you have mercy upon all, Lord (Wis 11:24–25).
Third, he assigns the reason for his liberation,
and first, as to the uselessness of death: for hell , that is, the damned, or the grave; death , the devil, or the dead; your truth , the truth of his promises, or the Son: for there is no one in death, that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell? (Ps 6:6[5]);
second, as to the praise of the living: the living, the living , repeated for greater affirmation, or because of the twofold life: we that live bless the Lord (Ps 113:26[115:18]);
third, as to the propagation of divine praise: the father shall make the truth known to the children : how great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their children (Ps 77[78]:5–6).
778 . O Lord, save me . Here he asks that the promise be fulfilled: save me , from the Assyrians, and from infirmity: I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth (Ps 33:2[34:1]).
779 . Now Isaiah had ordered . Here he sets out the order of the healing. And this has been transposed and ought to be before the giving of the sign, as is clear from 2 Kings 20:7–11; but because he intends not to give history, but prophecy, he first sets out what pertains to prophecy.
And first, he sets out the manner of the healing: lay it as a plaster upon the wound , inflicted by God, or an ulcer , flesh opened from a corrupted humor: for they say that he suffered from the royal disease, which is called “lupus,” which the fig and everything sweet make worse, so that the entire healing should be attributed to divine power. Others say that it was an abscess, which occurs from humors collecting internally, when the flesh is not yet broken; figs are helpful for the maturation of an abscess, so that it is shown that medicine is not to be spurned: the apothecary shall make sweet confections (Sir 38:7).
Second, Ezechias asks for a sign: and Ezechias had said: what shall be the sign? The Jews require signs: and the Greeks seek after wisdom (1 Cor 1:22).
780 . In death I will trust the house of conscience (see 38:1),
if it is pure from the contagion of sin, below: the place is too strait for me (Isa 49:20); that I should depart from my sanctuary (Ezek 8:6);
if it is firm in good works: the rain fell (Matt 7:25);
if it is great with love, below: the place is too strait for me (Isa 49:20); below: enlarge the place (Isa 54:2).
781 . The eyes are exalted (Isa 38:14),
by the elation of the heart: Lord, my heart is not exalted (Ps 130:1) and are weakened by God lowering them, above: the lofty eyes of man are humbled (Isa 2:11);
by the curiosity of inquiry: why dost you stare with your eyes, as if they were thinking great things? (Job 15:12); and are weakened by the oppression of light: he that is a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory (Prov 25:27);
by contemplation, below: lift up your eyes on high (Isa 40:26), and are weakened because of smallness of thought: all men see him, every one beholds afar off (Job 36:25).