I said, “I won’t see Yah, Yah in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
Parallel translations
- KJV I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
- BSB I 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.
- NKJV I said, “I shall not see Yah, The Lord in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
- NASB I said, “I will not see the Lord, The Lord in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.
- NLT I said, “Never again will I see the Lord God while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world.
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 mourns that he expected to see the Lord and the living no longer. Death threatened to end his fellowship with God and people.
Overview
The king feared losing the joy of seeing the Lord in the land of the living and the company of others. To the Old Testament saint, death seemed to cut off communion with God. The fuller revelation in Christ answers this fear, for in him death cannot sever the believer from God's presence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 27:13I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.
- Ps 116:8–9For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
- Ps 31:22As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
- Job 35:14–15How much less when you say you don’t see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!
- Eccl 9:5–6For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
- Ps 6:4–5Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness’ sake.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 38:11 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.