Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 38:1

"In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." — Isaiah 38:1 (ASV)

In those days - That is, his sickness began around the time the army of Sennacherib was destroyed. The question has been raised whether Hezekiah's sickness was before or after Sennacherib's invasion. The most natural interpretation is certainly that it occurred after that invasion, and probably soon after. The only objection to this view is the statement in Isaiah 38:6, that God would deliver him from the hand of the king of Assyria, which many have understood as implying that he was then threatened with the invasion.

But this may simply mean that he would be perpetually and finally delivered from Sennacherib's hand; that he would be secure in the independence from a foreign yoke that he had long sought (2 Kings 18:7); and that the Assyrian would not be able to bring the Jews into subjection again (see the notes at Isaiah 37:30-31; compare the note at Isaiah 38:6). Jerome supposes that it was brought upon him so that his heart would not be elated with the remarkable triumph, and so that, in his circumstances, he might be kept humble. Josephus (Ant. x. 2. 1) says that the sickness occurred soon after the destruction of Sennacherib's army. Prideaux (Connection, vol. i. p. 137) places his sickness before the invasion of the Assyrians.

Was sick - The exact nature of this sickness is not certainly known. In Isaiah 38:21 it is said that it was a boil, and it was probably a pestilential boil. The pestilence or plague is attended with an eruption or boil. “No one,” says Jahn, “ever recovered from the pestilence unless the boil of the pestilence came out upon him, and even then he could not always be cured” (Biblical Antiquities, Section 190). The pestilence was, and still is, rapid in its progress. It terminates the life of those affected by it almost immediately, and at the latest within three or four days.

Thus, we see one reason for Hezekiah's alarm. Another cause of his anxiety was that he had no children at this time, and consequently, he had reason to fear that his kingdom would be thrown into contention by conflicting claims for the crown.

Unto death - Ready to die; with a sickness that in the ordinary course would terminate his life.

Set thine house in order - In Hebrew, this means, ‘Give command (צו tsâv) to your house,’ that is, to your family. If you have any directions to give regarding the succession to the crown, or regarding domestic and private arrangements, let it be done soon.

Hezekiah was still in middle life. He came to the throne when he was twenty-five years old (2 Kings 18:2), and he had now reigned for about fourteen years. It is possible that he had not yet made any arrangements regarding the succession. Since this was very important for the peace of the nation, Isaiah was sent to him to apprise him of the necessity of arranging the affairs of his kingdom so that there would not be anarchy when he died.

The direction may also be understood more generally as meaning that he was to make whatever arrangements might be necessary in preparation for his death. We see here—

1. The boldness and fidelity of a man of God. Isaiah was not afraid to go in and freely tell even a monarch that he must die. The subsequent part of the narrative suggests that until this announcement, Hezekiah did not regard himself as in immediate danger. It is evident here that Hezekiah's physician had not informed him of it—perhaps from the fear that his disease would be aggravated by the agitation of his mind on the subject. The duty was, therefore, left, as it often is, to a minister of religion—a duty that even many ministers are slow to perform, and that many physicians are reluctant to have performed.

2. Commonly, no danger is to be feared from announcing to those who are sick their true condition. Friends and relatives are often reluctant to do it, for fear of agitating and alarming them. Physicians often prohibit them from knowing their true condition, fearing that their disease might be aggravated.

   Yet here was a case in which there might pre-eminently be danger from announcing the danger of death. The disease was deeply seated, was making rapid progress, and was usually incurable. Indeed, there was a moral certainty here that the monarch would die. Therefore, this was a case that, it would seem, particularly demanded that the patient be kept quiet and free from alarms.

   But God regarded it as very important that Hezekiah should know his true condition, and the prophet was directed to go to him and faithfully state it. Physicians and friends often err in this. There is no greater form of cruelty than to allow a friend to lie on a dying bed under a delusion. There is no more aggravated sin than that of intentionally deceiving a dying man and flattering him with the hope of recovery when there is a moral certainty that he will not and cannot recover.

   And evidently, there is no danger to be feared from communicating to the sick their true condition. It should be done tenderly and with affection, but it should be done faithfully. I have had many opportunities to witness the effect of informing the sick of their situation and of the moral certainty that they must die. I cannot now recall an instance in which the announcement has had any negative effect on the disease. Often, on the contrary, the effect is to calm the mind and to lead the dying to look up to God and peacefully rest in Him. And that effect is always beneficial.

   Nothing is more favorable for a recovery than a peaceful, calm, heavenly submission to God; and the repose and quiet that physicians so much desire their patients to have is often best obtained by securing confidence in God and a calm resignation to His will.

3. Every person with the prospect of death before them should set their house in order. Death is an event that demands preparation—a preparation that should not be deferred to the dying moment. In view of it, whether it comes sooner or later, our peace should be made with God and our worldly affairs arranged so that we can leave them without distraction and without regret.

For thou shalt die, and not live - Your disease is incurable. It is a mortal, fatal disease. The Hebrew is, ‘for you are dead’ (מת mēth); that is, you are a dead man. A similar expression occurs in Genesis 20:3, in the address God made to Abimelech: Behold thou art a dead man, on account of the woman which thou hast taken. We have a similar phrase in our language when a man is wounded and says, ‘I am a dead man.’ This is all that we are required to understand here: that, according to the usual course of the disease, he must die. It is evident that Isaiah himself was not acquainted with God's secret intention, nor did he know that Hezekiah would humble himself and plead with God, or that God would by a miracle lengthen his life.