The Meaning of Isaiah 38:16 Explained

Isaiah 38:16

KJV: O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

YLT: Lord, by these do men live, And by all in them is the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live,

Darby: Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; and thou hast recovered me, and made me to live.

ASV: O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O Lord,  by these [things men] live,  and in all these [things is] the life  of my spirit:  so wilt thou recover  me, and make me to live. 

What does Isaiah 38:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He prayed that others would learn from his experiences, as he himself would, and that the Lord would indeed restore his health and his life. Another interpretation of the last line of this verse sees the king rejoicing that the Lord would restore him.

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 38:16 mean?

Yahweh by these [things] [men] live and in all these [things is] in the life of my spirit so You will restore me and make me live
אֲדֹנָ֖י עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יִֽחְי֑וּ וּלְכָל־ בָּהֶן֙ חַיֵּ֣י רוּחִ֔י וְתַחֲלִימֵ֖נִי וְהַחֲיֵֽנִי

אֲדֹנָ֖י  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם  by  these  [things] 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִֽחְי֑וּ  [men]  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
וּלְכָל־  and  in  all  these  [things  is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיֵּ֣י  the  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
רוּחִ֔י  of  my  spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
וְתַחֲלִימֵ֖נִי  so  You  will  restore  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חָלַם 
Sense: to dream.
וְהַחֲיֵֽנִי  and  make  me  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.