The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Hezekiah doesn't just plan to sing about God's saving power; he intends to actively play music on instruments. This suggests a deliberate re-establishment of joyous worship, emphasizing a return to and active participation in the temple's musical praise, making his near-death experience a catalyst for renewed, public devotion.
The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from God, delivered by Isaiah, and has responded with a desperate prayer and a profound reflection on his life. God, moved by his plea, sends Isaiah back with a message of reprieve – Hezekiah will recover and live another fifteen years. This verse is the thankful king's immediate pledge of how he will spend those extended days, a public declaration of his gratitude.
When life hangs by a thread, do we see God as quick to rescue, or distant and slow?
Hezekiah’s experience highlights God’s immediate willingness to save. The Hebrew phrasing suggests God wasn't just ready to save, but actively came for his salvation. This isn't about God needing to be convinced or persuaded; He is inherently a saving God, often acting with remarkable swiftness when His people cry out.
A Rescue Mission
Imagine the scene: Hezekiah, on his deathbed, prays. The response isn't a delayed plan, but an immediate divine intervention. God arose for his help, demonstrating that His salvation is not a reluctant last resort, but a promised action.
Beyond a Single Event
This wasn't just a one-time rescue. Hezekiah's song anticipates a future of constant trust, knowing God's saving power is always present. It's a declaration that the God who saved him then is the God who will sustain him always.
What happens after God pulls us back from the brink? Do we just go back to normal, or does something fundamentally change?
Hezekiah's declaration, 'we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD,' is profound. It's not just about personal survival; it's about a renewed dedication to public worship and thanksgiving.
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Music as Testimony
The 'songs' Hezekiah refers to are likely the very psalm he just composed, his testimony of God’s deliverance. The use of 'stringed instruments' signifies a joyful, celebratory, and communal form of worship, something he had re-established in the temple after a period of neglect.
The House of the LORD
Singing and playing music 'in the house of the LORD' points to worship as a corporate, public act. Hezekiah and his people weren't just grateful privately; they intended to make their thanksgiving a regular part of the temple's daily service. This act served as a constant reminder to the community of God’s faithfulness and power, and a testament to the king’s restored health and reign.
Understand the original words
bayit · Hebrew Noun
The central place of worship for the people of Israel where God’s presence uniquely dwelt. It represents the meeting place between heaven and earth and the location for communal praise and sacrifice.
This verse reflects Hezekiah's deep personal experience of deliverance from a life-threatening illness, coupled with his renewed commitment to public worship and musical praise in the Jerusalem Temple, an institution he had actively reformed.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. King Hezekiah faces an existential threat to his kingdom and his life.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Illness and Divine Intervention
Hezekiah falls gravely ill, to the point of death. Isaiah delivers a message that he will die, but through prayer and divine intervention, he is miraculously healed.
c. 701 BC
Composition of Hezekiah's Song
In gratitude for his miraculous recovery, King Hezekiah composes a psalm or song of thanksgiving, recorded in Isaiah 38:10-20.
Reign of Hezekiah (715-686 BC)
Reforms in Temple Worship
Hezekiah undertook significant religious reforms, including re-establishing and reorganizing the music and worship services in the Jerusalem Temple.
This psalm is a direct parallel, attributed to David, celebrating deliverance from death and a vow to offer public praise in the temple with music, mirroring Hezekiah's song and intention.
Psalm 118:1-29This psalm of thanksgiving recounts God's steadfast love and deliverance from enemies and death, urging continuous praise in the house of the LORD with music, reflecting the spirit of Hezekiah's declaration.
2 Chronicles 29:25-30This passage describes Hezekiah re-establishing the temple worship, including the use of stringed instruments and singing, directly linking his actions and this song to the renewal of public praise in God's house.
Habakkuk 3:17-19Though Habakkuk speaks of potential devastation, his declaration of joy and praise to God even in hardship, and his intention to sing with instruments, resonates with the profound worship that follows deliverance.
barnesIsaiah 38:20: "The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD."
The Lord was ready to save me - He was prompt, quick to save me. He did not hesitate or delay. Therefore we will sing my songs - That is, my family and nation. The song of Hezekiah was designed evidently not as a mere record, but to be used in celebrating the praises of God, and probably in a public manner in the temple. The restoration of…
gillIsaiah 38:20: "The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD."
The Lord was ready to save me,.... Or, "the Lord to save me (y)"; he was at hand to save him; he was both able and willing to save him; he was a present help in time of need; he arose for his help, and that right early; he very quickly delivered him out of his distress; he, who one day expected death every moment, was the next day in the t…
Hezekiah doesn't just plan to sing about God's saving power; he intends to actively play music on instruments. This suggests a deliberate re-establishment of joyous worship, emphasizing a return to and active participation in the temple's musical praise, making his near-death experience a catalyst for renewed, public devotion.
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from God, delivered by Isaiah, and has responded with a desperate prayer and a profound reflection on his life. God, moved by his plea, sends Isaiah back with a message of reprieve – Hezekiah will recover and live another fifteen years. This verse is the thankful king's immediate pledge of how he will spend those extended days, a public declaration of his gratitude.
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from God, delivered by Isaiah, and has responded with a desperate prayer and a profound reflection on his life. God, moved by his plea, sends Isaiah back with a message of reprieve – Hezekiah will recover and live another fifteen years. This verse is the thankful king's immediate pledge of how he will spend those extended days, a public declaration of his gratitude.
"The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD." — Hezekiah doesn't just plan to sing about God's saving power; he intends to actively play music on instruments. This suggests a deliberate re-establishment of joyous worship, emphasizing a return…
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Last reviewed October 2026