18, 19. The deepest motive for the saint’s gratitude is that only on earth can he know the joys of fellowship with God.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For the grave cannot praise thee – The Hebrew word here is sheol. It is put by metonymy here for those who are in the grave, that is, for the dead. The word praise here refers evidently to the public and solemn celebration of the goodness of God. It is clear, I think, that Hezekiah had a belief in a future state, or that he expected to dwell with the inhabitants of the land of silence Isa 38:11 when he died. But he did not regard that state as one adapted to the celebration of the public praises of God. It was a land of darkness; an abode of silence and stillness; a place where there was no temple, and no public praise such as he had been accustomed to. A similar sentiment is expressed by David in Psa 6:5 :

For in death there is no remembrance of thee;

In the grave who shall give thee thanks?

In regard to the Jewish conceptions of the state of the dead, see the notes at Isa 14:15, Isa 14:19.

(See the Supplementary note at Isa 14:9; also the Prefatory Remarks by the Editor on the Authors exposition of Job. The ideas entertained by the Author on the state of knowledge among the ancient saints regarding a future world, cannot but be regarded as especially unfortunate. After the fashion of some German critics, the Old Testament worthies are reduced to the same level with the heroes of Homer and Virgil, as far as this matter is concerned at least.)

Cannot hope for thy truth – They are shut out from all the means by which thy truth is brought to the mind, and the offers of salvation are presented. Their probation is at an end; their privileges are closed; their destiny is sealed up. The idea is, it is a privilege to live, because this is a world where the offers of salvation are made, and where those who are conscious of guilt may hope in the mercy of God.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Isa 38:18-19

For the grave cannot praise Thee

The praiseful life

Bacon says, Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament, adversity is the blessing of the New.

He would have been nearer the truth had he said, that temporal blessings were the promise of the Old Testament, spiritual blessings the promise of the New. The remark, however, suggests thoughts introductory to the consideration of our text from a Christian standpoint.

1. The Jews were for the most part influenced by the prospect of temporal rewards and punishments. Hezekiah in this place seems to have no thought of a future life, and to be moved only by the prospect of leaving this. There is a development in revelation, in this as in other matters.

2. When our Lord came, the germ of the doctrine of the future life, only dimly discernible to the spiritual mind, was developed.

I. THE DEAD CANNOT PRAISE GOD.

1. This is true of natural death. The hands once strong to labour are now nerveless and still, there is no disquisition in the eyes, and the heart is unmoved by the things of joy and grief that thrilled it in life.

2. It is true of spiritual death, of which natural is in the New Testament the constant type.

II. THE LIVING MUST PRAISE GOD.

1. The natural duty of praising God is recognised by Hezekiah; and it would be strange if it were not so, for we have a loathing of ingratitude from man to man.

(1) The pagans would shame us if we did not praise God; for they gave the first fruits of their corn and the best of the prey taken in hunting as offerings to their gods, and before a feast made libations to them.

(2) The Psalmist is an eminent example of a praiseful spirit.

2. But those who have been partakers of the spiritual resurrection can alone truly praise God, for they alone can fully realise all His bounty.

(1) God has designed all things to His praise, and looks for it in His people.

(2) We must thank Him for all things, for the blessings of this life, but above all for His inestimable love in the redemption of the world. Nay, for miseries as well as for mercies.

(3) A stimulus to praise will be found in the remembrance of Gods bounty. In the Greek mythology, Mnemosyne was the mother of the Muses; memory is the mother of praise.

3. But the most perfect praise will be in the spiritual body after the resurrection. (J. G. Pilkington, M. A.)

Hezekiah in prospect of death

Hezekiah was, in the full sense of the word, a good king. His piety is shown–

(1) In his conduct with reference to idolatry.

(2) In his conduct in the matter of the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib. But there are two passages in his life which show the weak side of his character. One is his parading his treasures before the ambassadors of the king of Babylon; the other is his conduct in the matter of his severe illness.

I. The essence of the history is this, that IN THE PROSPECT OF DEATH HEZEKIAHS STRENGTH OF MIND QUITE BROKE DOWN. He looks upon death as a thing to be dreaded and shunned; he speaks of it in a way in which no Christian who has learned the Lords prayer could ever venture or even wish to speak of it. Hezekiah knew that he must serve God while life lasted; he had manifestly no express revelation beyond, and therefore he looked upon the grave with dismay.

II. WE HAVE GREATER SPIRITUAL HELP THAN HEZEKIAH, and brighter light, and clearer grounds of hope, and it is incumbent on us to act, not like those who groped their way in the twilight of the old dispensation, but like those upon whom the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God has shined in the face of Jesus Christ. (Bp. Harvey Goodwin, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

In this and the following verse, he declares Gods design in delivering him, that he might praise him in his church, which if he had died he could not have done.

The grave cannot praise thee; the dead are not capable of glorifying thy name among men upon earth; which I desire and determine to do. See the like expressions, Psa 6:5; 30:9; 88:10, &c. The grave is put for the persons lodged in it by a metonymy.

Cannot hope for thy truth; they cannot expect nor receive the accomplishment of thy promised goodness in the land of the living.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

18. deaththat is, the dead;Hades and its inhabitants (Job28:22; see on Isa 38:11).Plainly Hezekiah believed in a world of disembodied spirits; hislanguage does not imply what skepticism has drawn from it, but simplythat he regarded the disembodied state as one incapable of declaringthe praises of God before men, for it is, as regards thisworld, an unseen land of stillness; “the living” alonecan praise God on earth, in reference to which only he isspeaking; Isa 57:1; Isa 57:2shows that at this time the true view of the blessedness of therighteous dead was held, though not with the full clearness of theGospel, which “has brought life and immortality to light”(2Ti 1:10).

hope for thy truth (Ps104:27). Their probation is at an end. They can no longerexercise faith and hope in regard to Thy faithfulness to Thypromises, which are limited to the present state. For “hope”ceases (even in the case of the godly) when sight begins (Rom 8:24;Rom 8:25); the ungodly have “nohope” (1Th 4:13). Hope inGod’s truth is one of the grounds of praise to God (Psa 71:14;Psa 119:49). Others translate,”cannot celebrate.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee,…. That is, they that are in the grave, and under the power of death, they cannot celebrate the praises of God with their bodily organs; their souls may praise him in heaven, but they in their bodies cannot till the resurrection morn, or as long as they are under the dominion of the grave; so the Targum,

“they that are in the grave cannot confess before thee, and the dead cannot praise thee;”

in like manner the Septuagint and Arabic versions: this shows the design of God in restoring him from his sickness, and the view he himself had in desiring life, which was to praise the Lord; and which end could not have been answered had he died, and been laid in the grave:

they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth: for the performance of promises, in which the truth and faithfulness of God appear; or for the Messiah, the truth of all the types of the former dispensation; those that go down to the pit of the grave, or are carried and laid there, can have no exercise of faith and hope concerning these things.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

In strophe 4 he rejoices in the preservation of his life as the highest good, and promises to praise God for it as long as he lives.

“For Hades does not praise Thee; death does not sing praises to Thee:

They that sink into the grave do not hope for Thy truth.

The living, the living, he praises Thee, as I do today;

The father to the children makes known Thy truth.

Jehovah is ready to give me salvation;

Therefore will we play my stringed instruments all the days of my life

In the house of Jehovah.”

We have here that comfortless idea of the future state, which is so common in the Psalms (vid., Psa 6:6; Psa 30:10; Psa 88:12-13, cf., Psa 115:17), and also in the book of Ecclesiastes (Ecc 9:4-5, Ecc 9:10). The foundation of this idea, notwithstanding the mythological dress, is an actual truth (vid., Psychol. p. 409), which the personal faith of the hero of Job endeavours to surmount ( Comment. pp. 150-153, and elsewhere), but the decisive removal of which was only to be effected by the progressive history of salvation. The v. is introduced with “for” ( k ), inasmuch as the gracious act of God is accounted for on the ground that He wished to be still further glorified by His servant whom He delivered. , in Isa 38:18, is written only once instead of twice, as in Isa 23:4. They “sink into the grave,” i.e., are not thought of as dying, but as already dead. “Truth” ( ‘ emeth ) is the sincerity of God, with which He keeps His promises. Isa 38:19 reminds us that Manasseh, who was twelve years old when he succeeded his father, was not yet born (cf., Isa 39:7). The , , is the same as in Isa 37:26. The change in the number in Isa 38:20 may be explained from the fact that the writer thought of himself as the choral leader of his family; ay is a suffix, not a substantive termination (Ewald, 164, p. 427). The impression follows us to the end, that we have cultivated rather than original poetry here. Hezekiah’s love to the older sacred literature is well known. He restored the liturgical psalmody (2Ch 29:30). He caused a further collection of proverbs to be made, as a supplement to the older book of Proverbs (Pro 25:1). The “men of Hezekiah” resembled the Pisistratian Society, of which Onomacritos was the head.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

18. For hell shall not confess thee (94) When he says that he would not have celebrated the praises of God, if his life had been taken away, he promises that he will be thankful and will keep it in remembrance, and at the same time declares that the highest and most desirable advantage that life can yield to him is, that he will praise God. But although it is a sign of true piety to desire life for no other reason than to spend it in the unceasing praises of God, yet Hezekiah appears to employ language which is too exclusive; for the death of believers declares the glory of God not less than their life, and, being after death perfectly united to God, they do not cease to proclaim his praises along with the angels. Again, another question arises, “Why was Hezekiah so eager to avoid death and so earnestly desirous of an earthly life?” And though even this second question were answered, still the reader will likewise call to remembrance, that this terror was not produced by death alone, for the same Hezekiah, when his life was ended, did not resist, but willingly yielded to God; but that the pious king, when he had been struck by God’s wrath, grieved only on this account, that by his sins he had excluded himself from life, as if he would never afterwards enjoy any favor or blessing.

On this also depends the answer to the first question; for we need not wonder if the pious king, not only supposing that he must depart out of life, but thinking that death is the punishment of sins and the vengeance of God, groan and weep that he is condemned as unworthy of devoting himself to the advancement of the glory of God. All who have been struck by this thunderbolt are unable, either living or dead, to celebrate the praises of God, but, being overwhelmed with despair, must be dumb. In the same sense also David says,

“

In death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall praise thee?” (Psa 6:5.)

And the whole Church says,

“

The dead shall not praise thee, nor those that go down into silence.” (Psa 115:17.)

The reason is, that they who are ruined and lost will have no ground of thanksgiving.

Yet it ought likewise to be observed that the saints, when they spoke in this manner, did not consider what kind of condition awaited them after death, but, under the influence of the pain which they now felt, looked only at the end for which they were created and preserved in the world. The chief object of life, as we said a little before, is that men should be employed in the service of God; and with the same design God protects his Church in the world, because it is his will that his name shall be celebrated. Now, he who sees himself cast down, because he does not deserve to be reckoned, or to hold a place, among the worshippers of God, does not calmly and attentively, consider what he shall do after death, but, under the darkening influence of grief, as if after death all the exercise of piety would cease, takes from the dead the power of praising God, because the glory of God appears to be buried along with the witnesses of it.

(94) “For the grave cannot praise thee.” — Eng. Ver. “For the grave shall not confess thee.” — Alexander.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(18) For the grave . . .i.e., Sheol, or Hades. We return to the kings thoughts of the dim shadow-world, Death and Sheol (joined together, as in Isa. 28:15; Psa. 6:5). In that region of dimness there are no psalms of thanksgiving, no loud hallelujahs. The thought of spiritual energies developed and intensified after death is essentially one which belongs to the illuminated immortality (2Ti. 1:10), of Christian thought. (Comp. Psa. 6:5; Psa. 30:9; Psa. 88:11-12; Psa. 115:17; Ecc. 9:4-5; Ecc. 9:10).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

18. The grave cannot praise thee The idea of sheol, above mentioned, is here recognised. See Psa 6:5; Psa 30:9; Psa 88:11-12. The removal of this sad idea was effected only by the progressive history of salvation. There was, indeed, beyond this, a vague belief of a future state, ever growing more receptive of strength and vividness, till, by Christianity, “life and immortality” were brought fully to light. But Hezekiah’s age saw principally the dark, natural images of the future state, which fact explains the words of this verse.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 38:18. For the grave, &c. See Psa 6:5; Psa 30:9; Psa 30:12.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Isa 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Ver. 18. For the grave cannot praise thee, ] i.e., Palam et cum aliis, openly and exemplarily. See Psa 6:5 . See Trapp on “ Psa 6:5 “ David desires to live for no other end, and so Hezekiah, than to be glorifying of God.

They that go down into the pit. ] Of the grave; so of despair. It is a sin for any man to say, I am a reprobate, for it keeps him in sin, and cuts the sinews of endeavour.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

the grave. Hebrew. Sheol. App-35. Put here by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), for those who are in it.

not. Note the Ellipsis of the second negative. See note on Gen 2:6, and 1Ki 2:9. Compare for the teaching Psa 6:5; Psa 30:9; Psa 88:10, Psa 88:12. Ecc 9:10.

celebrate. See note on “shall not give their light” (Isa 13:10).

they. Some codices read “and they”.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

grave Heb. “Sheol,” (See Scofield “Hab 2:5”)

death (See Scofield “Ecc 9:10”)

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

the grave: Psa 6:5, Psa 30:9, Psa 88:11, Psa 115:17, Psa 115:18, Ecc 9:10

they that: Num 16:33, Pro 14:32, Mat 8:12, Mat 25:46, Luk 16:26-31

Reciprocal: Job 17:16 – the bars of the pit Job 33:28 – will deliver Psa 28:1 – I become Psa 30:3 – brought Psa 67:3 – General Psa 88:4 – counted Psa 88:10 – Wilt thou Psa 143:7 – unto them Ecc 9:4 – General Zec 9:12 – even Joh 9:4 – while Joh 17:15 – take Phi 1:22 – this

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Isa 38:18-20. For the grave cannot praise thee The dead cannot be instruments of promoting thy glory among men upon earth, or of making thy goodness known to others, which I desire and determine to do. They cannot hope for thy truth Cannot expect nor receive the accomplishment of thy promised goodness in this world. The living, &c., shall praise thee They are especially obliged to do it, and they only have the privilege of doing it among men on earth. The father to the children, &c. They shall not only praise thee while they live, but shall take care to propagate and perpetuate thy praise to all succeeding generations. Or, he means, Thy wonderful mercy toward me shall be recorded for the benefit of after ages; and fathers shall mention it to their children, as an instance of thy faithfulness. The Lord was ready to save me Was a present help to me, ready to hear and succour me upon my praying to him in my great extremity. Therefore will we sing my songs Both I and my people will sing those songs of praise which are due, especially from me, for Gods great mercy to me; to the stringed instruments Or, to the harp, (as Bishop Lowth renders it,) which was according to the custom of those times. Some infer from this verse that Hezekiah composed several other sacred songs, some of which may be still extant among the Psalms. All the days of our life in the house of the Lord Here we are taught, that the proper fruit of deliverance from evil is thanksgiving, diffusing itself through all the actions of our life. This passage exhibits to us especially a picture of our duty and state as Christians, who, redeemed as we are by the precious blood of the Son of God from everlasting destruction, ought, with all the powers of our souls and bodies, to celebrate his name and glory, so that our whole life may appear one continued thanksgiving. Vitringa.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

38:18 For {u} the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

(u) For as much as God has placed man in this world to glorify him, the godly take it as a sign of his wrath, when their days were shortened, either because they seemed unworthy for their sins to live longer in his service, or for their zeal to God’s glory, seeing that there are so few in earth who regard it as in Psa 6:5; Psa 115:17 .

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Those who die cannot thank and praise God for delivering them from death, but Hezekiah could because God had promised him mercy.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)