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.
Parallel translations
- WEB I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
- BSB 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.”
- NKJV I said, “In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”
- NASB I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I have been deprived of the rest of my years.”
- NLT I said, “In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hezekiah laments that in the prime of life he must enter the gates of Sheol, robbed of his remaining years. He voices the anguish of facing untimely death.
Overview
The king recalls his despair at being cut off in the middle of life and consigned to the grave. His honest lament gives words to the dread of death that all people face. Such candor before God prepares the way for the deeper hope that death is not the final word for those the Lord redeems.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Cor 1:9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
- Ps 102:24I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
- Ps 107:18Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
- Job 7:7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
- Job 17:11–16My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
- Isa 38:1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
- Job 6:11What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 38:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.