Isaiah 38:20
“The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Because God has saved us, we commit our whole lives to singing His praise.
Context
Hezekiah is making a vow. He has been saved from death, and he commits to spending the remainder of his life in praise and worship at the temple.
What Does Isaiah 38:20 Mean?
The turning point is clear now. The Lord was ready to save me. This is not Hezekiah's achievement but God's readiness, His eagerness, His intention. And the response is equally clear: we will sing. The music is not ceremonial; it is joyful. Stringed instruments, the voice, all the days of our life, in the house of the LORD. This is not a one-time thanksgiving but a commitment. The extra years God has given Hezekiah are not for leisure or comfort. They are for singing.
We will sing my songs. Not only the songs of others but the songs that arise from his own heart, his own experience. This is what worship is: the sound of a life that has been saved, expressing itself in praise. And it happens in community, in the house of the LORD, among others who also know what it means to be rescued from the pit.
Application
Salvation is not the end of the story; it is the beginning. When God saves us, we are freed not from responsibility but for it, freed for the work of praise, witness, and worship. We can ask God to help us make our whole lives a song of thanks for His rescue.