Isaiah 38:13
I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The prophet isn't just saying he was in pain; he highlights how his mind grappled with the idea of God Himself being the force breaking him like a lion. This isn't about God inflicting cruel punishment, but about God sovereignly using even agonizing circumstances to dismantle his former life, all while Hezekiah still clung to hope for the morning.
King Hezekiah is in the midst of a severe illness that he believes will lead to his death, even receiving a death sentence from God through Isaiah. He had been brought to the brink of despair, composing himself through the night with the faint hope of surviving until morning. But as the new day dawns, the intense pain is still present, feeling like his bones are being crushed, and he resigns himself to the fact that he will likely die by the end of that day.
In the deepest distress, Hezekiah struggled to find peace. What does it look like to 'calm yourself' when life feels like it's breaking you?
The original Hebrew word used here suggests more than just passive waiting; it implies an active effort to settle one's mind and soul. Hezekiah wasn't just enduring the night; he was actively trying to compose himself, to find a measure of inner stillness.
A Deliberate Peace
Imagine being in excruciating pain, facing the very real possibility of death. Most of us would be frantic, crying out, perhaps thrashing about in agony. But Hezekiah’s initial response was to 'calm himself' until morning. This points to a deliberate, though difficult, attempt to find peace amidst turmoil.
This isn't about pretending the pain isn't there, but about refusing to let the panic and fear consume him entirely. It’s a courageous, albeit fragile, act of self-possession in the face of overwhelming circumstances.
Hezekiah describes his pain using a powerful, terrifying image. What does the 'lion' represent, and why is it so devastating?
The imagery of a lion breaking bones is incredibly violent and visceral. It conveys a sense of being utterly overpowered, torn apart, and brought to the brink of death. This wasn't a gentle decline; it was a brutal assault on his physical being.
Pain Beyond Endurance
The scholars note the strong possibility that the original wording could even be translated as 'like a lion, so he broke all my bones' or 'he is breaking all my bones.' This suggests that God, or the illness sent by God, was actively and ferociously crushing him. The pain was so intense, so comprehensive, that it felt like every bone in his body was being shattered.
This isn't about God being cruel, but about the extreme suffering Hezekiah was enduring. The lion's attack is swift, merciless, and final – mirroring the severity of the sickness that threatened to end his life by day's end.
Understand the original words
ari · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the intense, crushing pain or divine discipline experienced by the sufferer; in biblical imagery, the lion symbolizes power, often used here to describe God's sovereign and overwhelming judgment.
This verse comes from Hezekiah's personal reflection during a life-threatening illness, likely in the midst of the Assyrian crisis. The imagery of a lion crushing bones powerfully conveys the overwhelming, agonizing pain he felt as death seemed to approach rapidly.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem, threatening Hezekiah's kingdom.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's Illness
King Hezekiah falls gravely ill, facing imminent death.
c. 701 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy and Sign
The prophet Isaiah tells Hezekiah he will recover and gives a sign involving the sundial.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Recovery
Hezekiah is miraculously healed from his illness.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Song of Thanksgiving
This passage directly echoes Hezekiah's anguish, where Job describes God hunting him like a lion and crushing his bones, vividly portraying a similar sense of overwhelming, destructive power.
Lamentations 3:4This verse uses similar imagery of bones being broken and suffering, highlighting the theme of intense physical and emotional pain as a result of divine discipline or judgment.
Psalm 22:13-14Here, the psalmist describes being surrounded by enemies like a ravening lion that tears apart its prey, a powerful metaphor that aligns with Hezekiah's feeling of his own body being broken and consumed by disease.
Psalm 38:2-3This psalm details the psalmist's suffering where God's arrows have sunk deep and His hand presses down, causing physical pain that feels like bones being broken and flesh being consumed, much like Hezekiah's experience.
barnesIsaiah 38:13: "I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me."
I reckoned - There has been considerable variety in interpreting this expression. The Septuagint renders it, 'I was given up in the morning as to a lion.' The Vulgate renders it, 'I hoped until morning;' and in his commentary, Jerome says it means, that as Job in his trouble and anguish Isaiah 7:4 sustained himself at night expecting the day, and in the da…
bensonIsaiah 38:13: "I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me."
Isaiah 38:13-14 . I reckoned till morning, &c. — When night came I reckoned I should die before the next morning, my pains being as great as if my bones had been broken, and the whole frame of my body crushed by a lion. Bishop Lowth reads: I roared until the morning like the lion; so did he break to pieces all my bones. Like a crane or a swallow, &c. — “My…
The prophet isn't just saying he was in pain; he highlights how his mind grappled with the idea of God Himself being the force breaking him like a lion. This isn't about God inflicting cruel punishment, but about God sovereignly using even agonizing circumstances to dismantle his former life, all while Hezekiah still clung to hope for the morning.
King Hezekiah is in the midst of a severe illness that he believes will lead to his death, even receiving a death sentence from God through Isaiah. He had been brought to the brink of despair, composing himself through the night with the faint hope of surviving until morning. But as the new day dawns, the intense pain is still present, feeling like his bones are being crushed, and he resigns himself to the fact that he will likely die by the end of that day.
King Hezekiah is in the midst of a severe illness that he believes will lead to his death, even receiving a death sentence from God through Isaiah. He had been brought to the brink of despair, composing himself through the night with the faint hope of surviving until morning. But as the new day dawns, the intense pain is still present, feeling like his bones are being crushed, and he resigns himself to the fact that he will likely die by the end of that day.
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Hezekiah felt his life slipping away, measured not in years or days, but in mere hours. What does this intense time-pressure reveal about his state?
The final phrase, 'from day even to night you bring me to an end,' underscores the desperate immediacy of Hezekiah's situation. He wasn't expecting to see another dawn; his hope was barely extended to the next evening.
The Brink of Eternity
This short timeframe speaks volumes about the severity of his illness and his perception of its outcome. It paints a picture of someone whose life force is rapidly diminishing, with each passing hour feeling like a significant victory against imminent death.
This intense focus on the immediate hours—from morning, to day, to night—shows a man stripped of all long-term prospects, clinging to survival moment by moment. It’s a raw, honest confession of facing the absolute end.
Hezekiah composes and recites a psalm of thanksgiving for his deliverance.
"I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end." — The prophet isn't just saying he was in pain; he highlights how his mind grappled with the idea of God Himself being the force breaking him like a lion. This isn't about God inflicting cruel punish…
