The Meaning of Isaiah 38:15 Explained

Isaiah 38:15

KJV: What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

YLT: -- What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.

Darby: What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

ASV: What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

What shall I say?  he hath both spoken  unto me, and himself hath done  [it]: I shall go softly  all my years  in the bitterness  of my soul. 

What does Isaiah 38:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The king was amazed at the change of events (cf. Isaiah 38:5). Nevertheless the bitter disappointment that had come into his heart because of the prophet"s announcement of impending death ( Isaiah 38:1) was something he would never forget.

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 38:15 mean?

What shall I say and He has both spoken to me and He has done [it] I shall walk carefully all my years in the bitterness of my soul
מָֽה־ ؟ אֲדַבֵּ֥ר וְאָֽמַר־ לִ֖י וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑ה אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה כָל־ שְׁנוֹתַ֖י עַל־ מַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי

؟ אֲדַבֵּ֥ר  shall  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וְאָֽמַר־  and  He  has  both  spoken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֖י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וְה֣וּא  and  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עָשָׂ֑ה  has  done  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה  I  shall  walk  carefully 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּדָה  
Sense: to move slowly.
שְׁנוֹתַ֖י  my  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
מַ֥ר  the  bitterness 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: מַר 
Sense: bitter, bitterness.
נַפְשִֽׁי  of  my  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.