Isaías 38:18

A Biblia Sagrada

Porque no te louvar a sepultura, nem a morte te glorificar; nem esperaro em tua verdade os que descem cova.

Parallel Translations

Almeida Revista e Atualizada
A sepultura no te pode louvar, nem a morte glorificar-te; no esperam em tua fidelidade os que descem cova.

Almeida Revista e Corrigida
Porque no pode louvar-te a sepultura, nem a morte glorificar-te; nem esperaro em tua verdade os que descem cova.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the grave: Psalms 6:5, Psalms 30:9, Psalms 88:11, Psalms 115:17, Psalms 115:18, Ecclesiastes 9:10

they that: Numbers 16:33, Proverbs 14:32, Matthew 8:12, Matthew 25:46, Luke 16:26-31

Reciprocal: Job 17:16 - the bars of the pit Job 33:28 - will deliver Psalms 28:1 - I become Psalms 30:3 - brought Psalms 67:3 - General Psalms 88:4 - counted Psalms 88:10 - Wilt thou Psalms 143:7 - unto them Ecclesiastes 9:4 - General Zechariah 9:12 - even John 9:4 - while John 17:15 - take Philippians 1:22 - this

Gill's Notes on the 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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’ Isaiah 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 Psalms 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 Isaiah 14:15, Isaiah 14:19.

(See the Supplementary note at Isaiah 14:9; also the Prefatory Remarks by the Editor on the Author’s 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.