Isaiah 38:3
and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Hezekiah isn't just pleading for his life based on past good deeds; he's explicitly asking God to "remember" how he walked in "faithfulness and with a whole heart." This phrase "whole heart" is key, pointing not just to outward actions, but to an inner devotion that was undivided in its loyalty to God, setting his plea apart from a simple recounting of good works.
King Hezekiah has just received a grim message from the prophet Isaiah: he is to set his affairs in order because he will die from his illness. In response, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays fervently, recounting his faithful walk with God and his sincere heart. This heartfelt plea, accompanied by bitter weeping, sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention.
When facing our own mortality, what do we bring before God? Hezekiah didn't just plead for mercy; he reminded God of his own heart.
In this moment of crisis, Hezekiah turns to God and says, 'Remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart.' This isn't a boast, but a plea rooted in his known history.
Hezekiah's plea is followed by deep weeping. What does this raw emotion reveal about the king’s heart and his perspective on life and death?
The text states simply, 'And Hezekiah wept bitterly.' This powerful image reveals more than just a fear of death.
Understand the original words
ʾĕmet · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, faithfulness refers to truthfulness, reliability, and steady commitment to God’s covenantal requirements. It describes a life lived with integrity, loyalty, and consistent adherence to God’s law.
lēbāb šālēm · Hebrew Noun phrase
A heart that is complete, undivided, and fully devoted to God. It signifies an inner life that is sincere, lacking hypocrisy, and entirely surrendered to the Lord's will.
Hezekiah's desperate plea is set against the backdrop of a recent, miraculous deliverance from the Assyrian invasion. His illness and prayer for more time are directly linked to his desire to continue leading his people in faithfulness and to see God's promises fulfilled.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and threatening Jerusalem. King Hezekiah leads a period of religious reform and prepares the city for siege.
c. 701 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Lifted
The Assyrian army besieges Jerusalem but unexpectedly withdraws after a devastating plague or divine intervention, saving the city and Hezekiah's reign.
Shortly after the Assyrian withdrawal— this verse
Hezekiah's Illness
King Hezekiah falls gravely ill, receiving a prophecy from Isaiah that he will die. This is the immediate context for his prayer.
Following the illness
Hezekiah's Recovery and Thanksgiving
God hears Hezekiah's prayer and grants him fifteen additional years of life, confirmed by a miraculous sign involving the sun dial. Hezekiah composes a song of thanksgiving.
This passage echoes Hezekiah's own plea, highlighting his sincere and wholehearted devotion to God and his efforts to reform Judah, reinforcing the basis of his prayer.
Psalm 51:17While Hezekiah focuses on his actions, David in this psalm emphasizes a broken and contrite spirit as the acceptable sacrifice, offering a complementary perspective on true devotion.
Job 31:4-5Job's extensive self-examination and appeal to God's justice, similar to Hezekiah's, demonstrates the practice of pleading one's integrity before God in times of distress.
Luke 13:4Jesus uses the example of those on whom a tower fell, linking sudden, seemingly inexplicable disasters to potential sin, which resonates with Hezekiah's fear that his illness might be divine judgment.
Romans 8:28This verse speaks to the ultimate good that God works out for those who love Him, offering a broader theological framework for how God can use even life-threatening circumstances for His purposes, which Hezekiah later reflects on in his song of thanksgiving.
cambridgeIsaiah 38:3: "And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore."
3 . with a perfect heart ] Lit. “with a whole heart,” one absolutely devoted to Jehovah. Cf. 1 Kings 8:61 ; 1 Kings 11:4 ; 1 Kings 15:3 ; 1 Kings 15:14 , where the expression occurs with the addition of the words “with Jehovah.” The motive of this prayer is clearly expressed in the Song of Thanksgiv…
barnesIsaiah 38:3: "And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore."
And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee - The object which Hezekiah desired was evidently that his life might be spared, and that he might not be suddenly cut off. He therefore makes mention of the former course of his life, not with ostentation, or as a ground of his acceptance or justificat…
Hezekiah isn't just pleading for his life based on past good deeds; he's explicitly asking God to "remember" how he walked in "faithfulness and with a whole heart." This phrase "whole heart" is key, pointing not just to outward actions, but to an inner devotion that was undivided in its loyalty to God, setting his plea apart from a simple recounting of good works.
King Hezekiah has just received a grim message from the prophet Isaiah: he is to set his affairs in order because he will die from his illness. In response, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays fervently, recounting his faithful walk with God and his sincere heart. This heartfelt plea, accompanied by bitter weeping, sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention.
King Hezekiah has just received a grim message from the prophet Isaiah: he is to set his affairs in order because he will die from his illness. In response, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays fervently, recounting his faithful walk with God and his sincere heart. This heartfelt plea, accompanied by bitter weeping, sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention.
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This weeping isn't a sign of weak faith, but a raw expression of his deep connection to life and to God, and the pain of facing an abrupt separation.
"and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly." — Hezekiah isn't just pleading for his life based on past good deeds; he's explicitly asking God to "remember" how he walked in "faithfulness and with a whole heart." This phrase "whole heart" is key,…
