Isaiah 38:17
◄  Isaiah 38:17  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Indeed, it was for my own welfare that I had such great bitterness; but Your love has delivered me from the Pit of destruction, for You have thrown all my sins behind Your back.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Yes, it was for my own good that I suffered extreme anguish. But in love you have held back my life from the Pit in which it has been confined; you have tossed all my sins behind your back.

NET Bible (©2006)
"Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. You delivered me from the pit of oblivion. For you removed all my sins from your sight.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Now my bitter experience turns into peace. You have saved me and kept me from the rotting pit. You have thrown all my sins behind you.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Behold, for my peace I had great bitterness: but you have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

American King James Version
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but you have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

American Standard Version
Behold, it was for my peace that I had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter: but thou best delivered my soul that it should not perish, thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Darby Bible Translation
Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

English Revised Version
Behold, it was for my peace that I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

World English Bible
Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Behold, for peace I had great bitterness,.... Meaning not that instead of peace and prosperity, which he expected would ensue upon the destruction of Sennacherib's army, came a bitter affliction upon him; for he is not now dwelling on that melancholy subject; but rather the sense is, that he now enjoyed great peace and happiness, though he had been in great bitterness; for the words may be rendered, "behold, I am in peace, I had great bitterness"; or thus, "behold my great bitterness is unto peace": or, "he has turned it into peace" (u); it has issued in it, and this is my present comfortable situation: "but", or rather,

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, for peace - That is, instead of the health, happiness, and prosperity which I had enjoyed, and which I hope still to enjoy.

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Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

For peace I had great bitterness "My anguish is changed into ease" - מר לי מר mar li mar, "mutata mthi est amaritudo." Paronomasia; a figure which the prophet frequently admits. I do not always note it, because it cannot ever be preserved in the translation, and the sense seldom depends upon it. But here it perfectly clears up the great obscurity of the passage. See Lowth on the place.

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Geneva Study Bible

Behold, for {s} peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my {t} sins behind thy back.

(s) While I thought to have lived in rest and ease being delivered from my enemy, I had grief upon grief.

(t) He values more the remission of his sins, and God's favour than a thousand lives.

King James Translators' Notes

for peace...: or, on my peace came great bitterness

thou hast in...: Heb. thou hast loved my soul from the pit

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. for peace-instead of the prosperity which I had previously.

great bitterness-literally, "bitterness to me, bitterness"; expressing intense emotion.

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Isaiah 38:17 Parallel Commentaries
Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Hezekiah's Song of Thanksgiving
…16O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so will you recover me, and make me to live. 17Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but you have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for you have cast all my sins behind your back. 18For the grave cannot praise you, death can not celebrate you: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for your truth. …

Job 33:24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them--
Psalm 30:3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
Psalm 55:23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 86:13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.
Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Isaiah 38:15 But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.
Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Jeremiah 31:34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Jonah 2:6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit.
Micah 7:19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.