The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The repetition of "the living" isn't just emphasis; it highlights that the only way to thank God is from the place of being alive, a privilege not to be taken for granted. This deepens into a beautiful generational promise: fathers are called not just to experience God's faithfulness, but to actively pass it down, making His truth known to their children.
The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Hezekiah, having just received a reprieve from a deadly illness, reflects on the profound privilege of life and God's faithfulness. In this moment, he looks beyond his own experience, emphasizing that all who live should praise God, and that parents have a sacred duty to pass down their knowledge of God's truth to their children for generations to come.
Why repeat the word 'living' twice? What's so special about being alive that it warrants such emphasis?
Isaiah 38:19 opens with a powerful, emphatic repetition: 'The living, the living...' This isn't just poetic flair; it's a deep expression of gratitude from King Hezekiah. Having just faced a near-death experience and receiving a miraculous reprieve, he understands that life itself is the ultimate gift. Those who are alive are the ones who can offer praise. The repetition highlights how precious and unique this privilege is, especially when contrasted with the silence of death. It’s a call to recognize that every breath is an opportunity to thank God.
Hezekiah wants his story to live on. How does he plan to make that happen?
The verse continues, 'the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.' This points to the vital role of intergenerational witness. Hezekiah isn't just grateful for his own life; he's committed to ensuring that future generations understand who God is and what He has done. The 'truth' mentioned here refers to God's steadfast faithfulness, particularly His promise to hear prayer and show mercy. This faithfulness isn't meant to be a private experience but a legacy passed down through families. It’s about telling the stories of God's goodness so that children can learn to trust Him too.
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Hezekiah's profound experience of facing death and receiving miraculous healing from God deeply impacted him, leading him to compose this psalm of thanksgiving. The context of his illness and subsequent recovery highlights the personal and generational testimony of God's faithfulness.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event created immense fear and uncertainty throughout the kingdom.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's Illness and Divine Intervention
King Hezekiah fell gravely ill, to the point of death. The prophet Isaiah brought a message of impending death, but Hezekiah prayed earnestly, and God granted him fifteen additional years of life.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Public Thanksgiving
After his miraculous recovery, King Hezekiah composed and offered a public prayer of thanksgiving in the Temple, praising God's faithfulness and vowing to share his testimony.
c. 697 BC
Birth of Manasseh
Hezekiah's son and successor, Manasseh, was likely born during this period, a few years after his father's illness and recovery. This fulfilled God's promise to Hezekiah.
This Psalm speaks of future generations and those yet to be born declaring God's righteousness, echoing Isaiah's thought that the experience of God's faithfulness should be passed down.
Psalm 78:4This passage explicitly states the principle of parents teaching their children about God's mighty deeds and faithfulness, directly aligning with the father-to-children motif in Isaiah.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7Here, God commands Israel to diligently teach His words to their children, showing the deep importance of intergenerational transmission of God's truth and faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 15:20Paul calls Christ the 'firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,' signifying that His resurrection guarantees the life and praise of all believers, a testament to God's faithfulness that will be declared by all the living.
barnesIsaiah 38:19: "The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth."
The living, the living - An emphatic or intensive form of expression, as in Isaiah 38:11 , Isaiah 38:17 . Nothing would express his idea but a repetition of the word, as if the heart was full of it. The father to the children - One generation of the living to another. The father shall have so deep a sense of the goodness of God that he shall desire to make it kn…
jfbIsaiah 38:19: "The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth."
- living … living—emphatic repetition, as in Isa 38:11, 17; his heart is so full of the main object of his prayer that, for want of adequate words, he repeats the same word.father to the children—one generation of the living to another. He probably, also, hints at his own desire to live until he should have a child, the successor to his throne, to whom he migh…
The repetition of "the living" isn't just emphasis; it highlights that the only way to thank God is from the place of being alive, a privilege not to be taken for granted. This deepens into a beautiful generational promise: fathers are called not just to experience God's faithfulness, but to actively pass it down, making His truth known to their children.
King Hezekiah, having just received a reprieve from a deadly illness, reflects on the profound privilege of life and God's faithfulness. In this moment, he looks beyond his own experience, emphasizing that all who live should praise God, and that parents have a sacred duty to pass down their knowledge of God's truth to their children for generations to come.
King Hezekiah, having just received a reprieve from a deadly illness, reflects on the profound privilege of life and God's faithfulness. In this moment, he looks beyond his own experience, emphasizing that all who live should praise God, and that parents have a sacred duty to pass down their knowledge of God's truth to their children for generations to come.
"The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness." — The repetition of "the living" isn't just emphasis; it highlights that the only way to thank God is from the place of being alive, a privilege not to be taken for granted. This deepens into a beaut…
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Last reviewed October 2026