14 I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
As a crane, or a swallow. Hezekiah cannot satisfy himself in explaining the severity of his anguish. He now says that he was reduced so low that he could not utter an articulate voice, but muttered some confused sound, like persons who are almost at the point of death. Hence it is evident that his distress was excruciating; for the severity of the pain took away his voice, and his voice, he says, stuck in his throat; nothing was heard but indistinct groans. Such is the import of these metaphors of "the crane and the swallow," which the Prophet employs. Still it is certain that this indistinct sound of the voice is nevertheless heard by God; though all our senses are oppressed by pain, and our throat is choked by grief, still God beholds our hearts and listens to godly sighs, [1] which will be even more powerful than plain and direct words, provided that the Spirit is present, who produces in us those "groanings that cannot be uttered," of which Paul speaks. (Romans 8:26.) There is no believer who does not feel that in prayer, when his heart is oppressed by any heavy sorrow, he either stammers or is almost dumb. My eyes were lifted up on high. These words are translated by some, "My eyes are weakened;" but that would not agree with the phrase, "on high." [2] On this account we must adopt a simpler meaning, that, although Hezekiah's eyes were nearly worn out with weakness, so that he almost fainted, yet he did not cease to lift up his eyes to heaven; and that he never was stupified to such a degree as not to know that he ought to ask assistance from God. Let us therefore learn by the example of Hezekiah to lift up our eyes to heaven, when our hearts are afflicted and troubled; and let us know that God does not demand from us great eloquence. O Lord, it hath oppressed me; [3] comfort me. He confirms the sentiment already expressed, by immediately directing his discourse to God and imploring his aid. Being oppressed by the violence of disease, he desires that God would be present to assist him. Some render the words, "Be surety for me;" [4] and the verb rv (gnarab) is often used in this sense; but it is more appropriate to say, "Comfort me," or "Cheer me." Or perhaps it will be thought preferable to translate, as some have done, "Cause me to rest." Undoubtedly he asks comfort from God, that he may not sink under the violence of disease; and we ought to be assured of this, that the greater the weight of afflictions that oppresses us, the more will God be ready to give us assistance.
1 - "Et exauce les souspirs faits en foy." "And listens to sighs heaved in faith."
2 - The sense of "lifting-up" belongs not to dll (dalal) but to dlh (dalah) Jerome adopted the sense of "weakened," and brought out the meaning by a supplement, in which he has been followed by almost all modern commentators. "My eyes were weakened (looking) on high." This rendering has been almost literally adapted in diodati's Italian version. "I mici occhi erano scemati (riguardando) ad alto." Professor Alexander translates thus, "My eyes are weak (with looking) upward, or, on high.)" -- Ed.
3 - "Le mal m' oppresse." "Disease oppresses me."
4 - "Undertake for me; rescue me out of the hand of the angel of death, and answer for me, to deliver me. The word signifies answering,' or, as we say, suretiship;' as in that passage, Answer (or, be surety) for thy servant for good. (Psalm 119:122.)" -- Jarchi. "Or, contend for me, undertake my cause; for thus, according to Jarchi, svq (gnashuk) must be translated, if we read it with Sin, (not Schin,) as he appears to have done; and in the Hebrew copy which I have used the point is on the left horn of the letter." -- Breithaupt.
Like a crane - The word used here (סוּס sûs) usually denotes a horse. The rabbis render it here 'a crane.' Gesenius translates it 'a swallow;' and in his Lexicon interprets the word which is translated 'a swallow' (עגוּר 'āgûr) to mean "circling," making gyrations; and the whole phrase, 'as the circling swallow.' The Syriac renders this, 'As the chattering swallow.' The Vulgate, 'As the young of the swallow.' The Septuagint simply reads: 'As the swallow.' That two birds are intended here, or that some fowl is denoted by the word עגוּר 'āgûr, is manifest from Jeremiah 8:7, where it is mentioned as distinct from the סוּס sûs (the crane) ועגוּר וסוּס vesûs ve‛āgûr. On the meaning of the words Bochart may be consulted (Hieroz. i. 2. p. 602). It is probable that the swallow and the crane are intended. The swallow is well known, and is remarkable for its twittering. The crane is also a well-known bird with long limbs made to go in the water. Its noise may be expressive of grief.
So did I chatter - Peep, or twitter (see the note at Isaiah 8:19). The idea here is doubtless that of pain that was expressed in sounds resembling that made by birds - a broken, unmeaning unintelligible sighing; or quick breathing, and moaning.
I did mourn as a dove - The dove, from its plaintive sound, is an emblem of grief. It is so used in Isaiah 59:11. The idea is that of the lonely or solitary dove that is lamenting or mourning for its companion:
'Just as the lonely dove laments its mate.'
Mine eyes fail - The word used here (דלוּ dâllû) means properly to hang down, to swing like the branches of the willow; then to be languid, feeble, weak. Applied to the eye, it means that it languishes and becomes weak.
With looking upward - To God, for relief and comfort. He had looked so long and so intensely toward heaven for aid, that his eyes became weak and feeble.
O Lord, I am oppressed - This was his language in his affliction. He was so oppressed and borne down, that he cried to God for relief.
Undertake for me - Margin, 'Ease me.' The word (ערב ‛ârab) more properly means, to become surety for him. See it explained in the the note at Isaiah 36:8. Here it means, be surety for my life; give assurance that I shall be restored; take me under thy protection (see Psalm 119:122): 'Be surety for thy servant for good.'
Like - a swallow "Like the swallow" - כסיס kesis; so read two MSS., Theodot., and Hieron.
Mine eyes fail - For דלו dallu the Septuagint read כלו calu, εξελιπον. Compare Psalm 69:4; Psalm 119:82, Psalm 119:123; Lamentations 2:11; Lamentations 4:17, in the Hebrew and in the Septuagint.
O Lord "O Lord" - For יהוה Jehovah, thirty MSS. and eight editions read אדני Adonai.
Undertake for me "Contend for me" - עשקה ashekah, with ש shin, Jarchi: this sense of the word is established by Genesis 26:20 : "He called the name of the well עשק esek, because they strove with him:" התעשקו hithasseku, equivalent to יריבו yaribu, at the beginning of the verse.
Like a crane [or] a swallow, so I (m) chattered: I mourned as a dove: my eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
(m) I was so oppressed with sorrow, that I was not able to utter my words, but only to groan and sigh.
Like a crane, or a swallow, so did I chatter,.... Rather, "like a crane and a swallow", like both; sometimes loud and clamorous, like a crane (o), when the pain was very acute and grievous; and sometimes very low, through weakness of body, like the twittering of a swallow; or the moan he made under his affliction was like the mournful voices of these birds at certain times. Some think he refers to his prayers, which were quick and short, and expressed not with articulate words, but in groans and cries; at least were not regular and orderly, but interrupted, and scarce intelligible, like the chattering of the birds mentioned:
I did mourn as a dove; silently and patiently, within himself, for his sins and transgressions; and because of his afflictions, the fruit of them:
mine eyes fail with looking upwards; or, "on high"; or, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions express it, "to the height of heaven"; to the Lord there, whose Shechinah, as the Targum, is in the highest heavens: in his distress he looked up to heaven for help, but none came; he looked and waited till his eyes were weak with looking, and he could look no longer; both his eyes and his heart failed him, and he despaired of relief; and the prayer he put up was as follows:
O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me; or, "it oppresseth me (p)"; that is, the disease; it lay so heavy upon him, it bore him down with the weight of it, he could not stand up under it; it had seized him, and crushed him; it held him fast, and he could not get clear of it; and therefore entreats the Lord to "undertake" for him, to be his surety for good, as in Psalm 119:122, he represents his disease as a bailiff that had arrested him, and was carrying him to the prison of the grave; and therefore prays that the Lord would bail him, or rescue him out of his hands, that he might not go down to the gates of the grave. So souls oppressed with the guilt of sin, and having fearful apprehensions of divine justice, should apply to Christ their surety, and take refuge in his undertakings, where only peace and safety are to be enjoyed. So Gussetius renders the words, "I have unrighteousness, be surety for me" (q); and takes them to be a confession of Hezekiah, acknowledging himself guilty of unrighteousness, praying and looking to Christ the Son of God, and to his suretyship engagements, who, though not yet come to fulfil them, certainly would.
(o) So it is said in the Talmud, "Resh-Lakish cried like a crane", T. Bab. Kiddushin, col. 42. 1. (p) "Opprimit me, sub.infirmitas, vel morbus", Munster. (q) "njustitia est mihi hoc est, habeo injustitiam, reus suro injustitia, sponde pro me", Ebr. Comment, p. 654.
Rather, "Like a swallow, or a crane" (from a root; "to disturb the water," a bird frequenting the water) [MAURER], (Jeremiah 8:7).
chatter--twitter: broken sounds expressive of pain.
dove--called by the Arabs the daughter of mourning, from its plaintive note (Isaiah 59:11).
looking upward--to God for relief.
undertake for--literally, "be surety for" me; assure me that I shall be restored (Psalm 119:122).
*More commentary available at chapter level.