The Meaning of Isaiah 38:14 Explained

Isaiah 38:14

KJV: Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

YLT: As a crane -- a swallow -- so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression is on me, be my surety.

Darby: Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I mourned as a dove; mine eyes failed with looking upward: Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

ASV: Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Like a crane  [or] a swallow,  so did I chatter:  I did mourn  as a dove:  mine eyes  fail  [with looking] upward:  O LORD,  I am oppressed;  undertake  for me. 

What does Isaiah 38:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

His incessant prayers to the Lord reminded Hezekiah of the twittering of birds. He looked to the Lord for help in the oppression of his illness and for security.

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 38:14 mean?

Like a crane [or] a swallow so I chattered I mourned like a dove fail My eyes [from [looking] upward Yahweh I am oppressed for me Undertake
כְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־ לִּ֥י עָרְבֵֽנִי

כְּס֤וּס  Like  a  crane 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
עָגוּר֙  [or]  a  swallow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָגוּר  
Sense: name of a bird.
כֵּ֣ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף  I  chattered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: צָפַף  
Sense: (Pilpel) to chirp, peep.
אֶהְגֶּ֖ה  I  mourned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: הָגָה  
Sense: to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak.
כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה  like  a  dove 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יׄונָה  
Sense: dove, pigeon.
דַּלּ֤וּ  fail 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּלַל 
Sense: to hang, languish, hang down, be low.
עֵינַי֙  My  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לַמָּר֔וֹם  [from  [looking]  upward 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
אֲדֹנָ֖י  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
עָֽשְׁקָה־  I  am  oppressed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עָשְׁקָה  
Sense: oppression, abuse, distress.
לִּ֥י  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
עָרְבֵֽנִי  Undertake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָרַב 
Sense: to pledge, exchange, mortgage, engage, occupy, undertake for, give pledges, be or become surety, take on pledge, give in pledge.