The Meaning of Isaiah 38:17 Explained

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.

YLT: Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins.

Darby: Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

ASV: Behold, it was for my peace that 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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 38:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord"s announcement, at first bitter to Hezekiah, had turned into a learning experience for him (cf. Romans 8:28). He had learned that God loved him, and he rejoiced in that. God had forgiven his sins, and he would not descend into the grave. The figure of God casting sin behind His back pictures Him throwing it away, out of His sight, because it is of no further interest to Him. Evidently Hezekiah believed that his premature death would have been a punishment for sin.

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 38:17 mean?

Indeed [it was] for [my own] peace great [That] I had great bitterness but You have lovingly my soul [delivered] from the pit of corruption for You have cast behind Your back all my sins
הִנֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם מַר־ לִ֣י מָ֑ר וְאַתָּ֞ה חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ נַפְשִׁי֙ מִשַּׁ֣חַת בְּלִ֔י כִּ֥י הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ אַחֲרֵ֥י גֵוְךָ֖ כָּל־ חֲטָאָֽי

הִנֵּ֥ה  Indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
לְשָׁל֖וֹם  [it  was]  for  [my  own]  peace 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
מַר־  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מַר 
Sense: bitter, bitterness.
לִ֣י  [That]  I  had 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מָ֑ר  great  bitterness 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מַר 
Sense: bitter, bitterness.
וְאַתָּ֞ה  but  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ  have  lovingly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁק 
Sense: (Qal) to love, be attached to, long for.
נַפְשִׁי֙  my  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מִשַּׁ֣חַת  [delivered]  from  the  pit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שַׁחַת  
Sense: pit, destruction, grave.
בְּלִ֔י  of  corruption 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּלִי 
Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ  You  have  cast 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אַחֲרֵ֥י  behind 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
גֵוְךָ֖  Your  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: גֵּו 
Sense: the back, back, midst.
חֲטָאָֽי  my  sins 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֵטְא  
Sense: sin.