Isaiah 38:2

"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”"

Key Reflection

In those days, Hezekiah faced a dire prognosis; he was close to death, as indicated by Isaiah's prophecy that his house should be put in order because he would not live. This context underscores the severity of Hezekiah’s illness and the urgency of his need for spiritual preparation, reflecting the common belief in the immediacy of divine judgment during such crises. The original audience would have understood this scenario within the broader narrative of Israelite history, recognizing the importance of prophetic warnings and the potential for miraculous intervention or divine wrath.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall -The wall of the room in which he was lying He was probably lying on a couch next the wall of his room. Eastern houses usually have such couches or ottomans running along on the sides of the room on which they recline, and on which they lie when they are sick. Hezekiah probably turned his face to the wall in order that his emotion and his tears might not be seen by the bystanders, or in order that he might compose himself the better for devotion. His prayer he wished, doubtless, to be as secret as possible.

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