The Meaning of Isaiah 38:12 Explained

Isaiah 38:12

KJV: Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

YLT: My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd's tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me.

Darby: Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent. I have cut off like a weaver my life. He separateth me from the thrum: from day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

ASV: My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd's tent: I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the loom: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Mine age  is departed,  and is removed  from me as a shepherd's  tent:  I have cut off  like a weaver  my life:  he will cut me off  with pining sickness:  from day  [even] to night  wilt thou make an end  of me. 

What does Isaiah 38:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Hezekiah viewed his life as fragile as a shepherd"s temporary tent, which shepherds frequently moved from place to place. His life was like a weaver"s finished piece of cloth that the weaver cuts off decisively and rolls up to take away. Both images are of objects that suddenly disappear from their expected places. Before the day of his life was out, the Lord would end it.
"The thought is that in the morning one did not expect anything untoward to occur, and by evening, when darkness had come, the event had already taken place (cf. Job 4:20)." [1]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 38

1  Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer has his life lengthened
8  The sun goes ten degrees backward, for a sign of that promise
9  His song of thanksgiving

What do the individual words in Isaiah 38:12 mean?

My life span is gone and Taken from me like a tent of shepherd I have cut off like a weaver my life from the loom He cuts me off from day until night You make an end of me
דּוֹרִ֗י נִסַּ֧ע וְנִגְלָ֛ה מִנִּ֖י כְּאֹ֣הֶל רֹעִ֑י קִפַּ֨דְתִּי כָאֹרֵ֤ג חַיַּי֙ מִדַּלָּ֣ה יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי מִיּ֥וֹם עַד־ לַ֖יְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי

דּוֹרִ֗י  My  life  span 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
נִסַּ֧ע  is  gone 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
וְנִגְלָ֛ה  and  Taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
מִנִּ֖י  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
כְּאֹ֣הֶל  like  a  tent 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
רֹעִ֑י  of  shepherd 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רָעָה  
Sense: shepherd (subst).
קִפַּ֨דְתִּי  I  have  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: קָפַד  
Sense: (Piel) to gather together, roll up, harvest.
כָאֹרֵ֤ג  like  a  weaver 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָרַג  
Sense: to weave.
חַיַּי֙  my  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
מִדַּלָּ֣ה  from  the  loom 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּלָּה 
Sense: hair, threads, thrum (threads of warp hanging in loom).
יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי  He  cuts  me  off 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: בָּצַע  
Sense: to cut off, break off, gain by unrighteous violence, get, finish, be covetous, be greedy.
מִיּ֥וֹם  from  day 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
לַ֖יְלָה  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי  You  make  an  end  of  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .