“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.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 38:3 Mean?
Hezekiah, told by Isaiah that he will die from his illness, turns to the wall and prays. His prayer is remarkably personal: "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart." He appeals to his own faithfulness—not as earning salvation, but as a basis for God's merciful intervention. Then he weeps bitterly.
The appeal to walking "in truth" and "with a perfect heart" isn't self-righteous boasting. Hezekiah genuinely had been one of Judah's most faithful kings. He destroyed the high places, centralized worship, trusted God against Sennacherib. His claim of faithfulness was true. He's not inventing a resume—he's reminding God of a reality they both know.
The weeping—"Hezekiah wept sore" (literally "with great weeping")—reveals the raw humanity beneath the theological prayer. He prays with theology and weeps with emotion. Both are real. Both reach God. The prayer is formal and the tears are messy, and God responds to the whole package: fifteen more years of life are granted.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When you receive devastating news, is your instinct to accept it passively or to fight it in prayer like Hezekiah?
- 2.Is it okay to remind God of your faithfulness when you pray? How does Hezekiah's example shape your view of that?
- 3.Have you ever prayed with both theology and tears—formal words and raw emotion? What happened?
- 4.God changed the verdict for Hezekiah. Do you believe prayer can change outcomes, or is everything already predetermined? How does this story inform your answer?
Devotional
Hezekiah turns to the wall and prays. He's been told he's going to die, and his response is a prayer that mixes theology with tears: "Remember, God, how I've walked before You faithfully. Remember my heart." And then he weeps. Bitterly. Massively. With everything he has.
There's something deeply real about this prayer. Hezekiah doesn't just accept the prophet's word with stoic faith. He fights. He turns to the wall—away from everyone else, face to the stones, alone with God—and he makes his case. Not demanding. Not entitled. But honest: God, I've been faithful. You know I have. And I don't want to die.
The weeping isn't weakness. It's the sound of a man who loves life and isn't ready to leave it. He's not weeping because he lacks faith. He's weeping because he has enough relationship with God to bring his grief directly to the Throne. The tears are as much a part of the prayer as the words. God hears both.
And God changes the verdict. Before Isaiah even leaves the palace, God sends him back with a new word: fifteen more years. The prayer and the tears moved God. Not because Hezekiah earned a longer life, but because honest, faithful, tearful prayer reaches a God who is moved by the hearts of those who walk before Him in truth.
If you're facing something that feels final—a diagnosis, a deadline, a door closing—Hezekiah's prayer gives you permission to fight. Turn to the wall. Bring your faithfulness and your tears. Make your case. God may not always add fifteen years, but He always hears the prayer that comes from a faithful heart and wet eyes.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah,.... Before he had got out into the middle court, Kg2 20:4,
saying, as…
And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee - The object which Hezekiah desired was evidently that his life might be…
We may hence observe, among others, these good lessons: - 1. That neither men's greatness nor their goodness will exempt…
with a perfect heart Lit. "with a whole heart," one absolutely devoted to Jehovah. Cf. 1Ki 8:61; 1Ki 11:4; 1Ki 15:3; 1Ki…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture