Isaiah 38 · Verse 3

Isaiah 38:3

And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
Isaiah 38:3, King James Version

Isaiah 38:3 in other translations

BSBsaying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
WEBand said, “Remember now, LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.
ASVand said, Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
YLTand saith, ‘I pray thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which is good in thine eyes I have done;' and Hezekiah weepeth--a great weeping.
DARBYand said, Ah, Jehovah, remember, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept much.
BBEO Lord, keep in mind how I have been true to you with all my heart, and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah gave way to bitter weeping.
WebsterAnd said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

What does Isaiah 38:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. He mentions his past religious consistency, not as a boast or a ground for justification; but according to the Old Testament dispensation, wherein temporal rewards (as long life, &c., Ex 20:12) followed legal obedience, he makes his religious conduct a plea for asking the prolongation of his life. walked--Life is a journey; the pious "walk with God" (Ge 5:24; 1Ki 9:4). perfect--sincere; not absolutely perfect, but aiming towards it (Mt 5:45); single-minded in walking as in the presence of God (Ge 17:1). The letter of the Old Testament legal righteousness was, however, a standard very much below the spirit of the law as unfolded by Christ (Mt 5:20-48; 2Co 3:6, 14, 17). wept sore--Josephus says, the reason why he wept so sorely was that being childless, he was leaving the kingdom without a successor. How often our wishes, when gratified, prove curses! Hezekiah lived to have a son; that son was the idolater Manasseh, the chief cause of God's wrath against Judah, and of the overthrow of the kingdom (2Ki 23:26, 27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 38:1-8

Hezekiah's sickness and recovery. (Is. 38:1-8) His thanksgiving. (Is. 38:9-22) Verses 1-8 When we pray in our sickness, though God send not to us such an answer as he here sent to Hezekiah, yet, if by his Spirit he bids us be of good cheer, assures us that our sins are forgiven, and that, whether we live or die, we shall be his, we do not pray in vain. See II Kin. 20:1-11.

Read the full comment on Isaiah 38:1-8 →

Isaiah 38:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּאמַ֗רvai.yo.Marand he saidH559
אָנָּ֤ה'a.NahI beg youH577
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehO YahwehH3068
זְכָר\־ze.khor-rememberH2142
נָ֞אna'pleaseH4994
אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>H853
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.Sherthis:H834
הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּיhit.ha.Lakh.tiI have walked aboutH1980
לְפָנֶ֗יךָle.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440
בֶּֽאֱמֶת֙be.'e.Metin faithfulnessH571
וּבְלֵ֣בu.ve.Levand with a heartH3820
שָׁלֵ֔םsha.LemcompleteH8003
וְהַטּ֥וֹבve.ha.Tovand the goodH2896
בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָbe.'ei.Nei.khain view yourH5869
עָשִׂ֑יתִי'a.Si.tiI have doneH6213
וַיֵּ֥בְךְּvai.Ye.vekand he weptH1058
חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huHezekiahH2396
בְּכִ֥יbe.KhiweepingH1065
גָדֽוֹל\׃\ \סga.DolgreatH1419

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 38:3

  • Hebrews 5:7

    Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

  • Hebrews 6:10

    For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

  • Psalms 18:20-27

    The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. …

  • Nehemiah 13:14

    Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

  • 2 Chronicles 31:20-21

    And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:12

    For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

  • Deuteronomy 6:18

    And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,

  • John 1:47

    Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

  • Nehemiah 13:22

    And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

  • Nehemiah 5:19

    Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

  • 1 Chronicles 29:19

    And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

  • Psalms 6:8

    Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Remember.
Ne 5:19; 13:14,22,31; Ps 18:20-27; 20:1-3; Heb 6:10
I have.
Ge 5:22,23; 6:9; 17:1; 1Ki 2:4; 2Ch 31:20,21; Job 23:11,12; Ps 16:8
Ps 32:2; Joh 1:47; 2Co 1:12; 1Jo 3:21,22
a perfect.
1Ki 15:14; 1Ch 29:9,19; 2Ch 16:9; 25:2; Ps 101:2; 119:80
wept.
2Sa 12:21,22; Ezr 10:1; Ne 1:4; Ps 6:8; 102:9; Ho 12:4; Heb 5:7
sore. Heb. with great weeping.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 38:2

    Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,

  • Isaiah 38:3

    And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

  • Isaiah 38:4

    Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

Read all of Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijo: Oh Jehová, ruégote te acuerdes ahora que he andado delante de ti en verdad y con íntegro corazón, y que he hecho lo que ha sido agradable delante de tus ojos. Y lloró Ezechîas con gran lloro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il dit: Hélas, Éternel! souviens-toi, je te prie, que j’ai marché devant toi en vérité et avec un cœur parfait, et que j’ai fait ce qui est bon à tes yeux. Et Ézéchias versa beaucoup de larmes.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ach, Jehova! gedenke doch, daß ich vor deinem Angesicht gewandelt habe in Wahrheit und mit ungeteiltem Herzen, und daß ich getan, was gut ist in deinen Augen! Und Hiskia weinte sehr.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et dixit: Obsecro, Domine, memento, quæso, quomodo ambulaverim coram te in veritate et in corde perfecto, et quod bonum est in oculis tuis fecerim. Et flevit Ezechias fletu magno.