Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 38:15

"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." — Isaiah 38:15 (ASV)

What shall I say? —With the same force as in 2 Samuel 7:20; Hebrews 11:32. Words fail to express the wonder and gratitude of the sufferer who has so been rescued for the fulfillment that followed so immediately after the promise.

I shall go softly ... —Better, That I should walk at ease upon (that is, because of, or, as others take it, in spite of) the trouble of my soul. The verb is used in Psalms 42:4 of a festal procession to the Temple, but here refers simply to the journey of life, and implies that it is to be continued to the end with calm and considerate steps. The Authorized Version wrongly suggests the thought of a lifelong bitterness.