Isaiah 38:12
Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Original Language Analysis
דּוֹרִ֗י
Mine age
H1755
דּוֹרִ֗י
Mine age
Strong's:
H1755
Word #:
1 of 15
properly, a revolution of time, i.e., an age or generation; also a dwelling
נִסַּ֧ע
is departed
H5265
נִסַּ֧ע
is departed
Strong's:
H5265
Word #:
2 of 15
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e., start on a journey
וְנִגְלָ֛ה
and is removed
H1540
וְנִגְלָ֛ה
and is removed
Strong's:
H1540
Word #:
3 of 15
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
מִנִּ֖י
H4480
מִנִּ֖י
Strong's:
H4480
Word #:
4 of 15
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
חַיַּי֙
my life
H2416
חַיַּי֙
my life
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
9 of 15
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
מִדַּלָּ֣ה
with pining sickness
H1803
מִדַּלָּ֣ה
with pining sickness
Strong's:
H1803
Word #:
10 of 15
properly, something dangling, i.e., a loose thread or hair; figuratively, indigent
יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי
he will cut me off
H1214
יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי
he will cut me off
Strong's:
H1214
Word #:
11 of 15
to break off, i.e., (usually) plunder; figuratively, to finish, or (intransitively) stop
מִיּ֥וֹם
from day
H3117
מִיּ֥וֹם
from day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
12 of 15
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
13 of 15
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
Cross References
Hebrews 1:12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.Psalms 73:14For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Historical Context
Shepherds lived in temporary tents, easily packed and moved. Weaving was common domestic activity, making the metaphor accessible to all listeners.
Questions for Reflection
- How do life's fragility and brevity teach us to number our days wisely?
- What does acknowledging God's sovereignty over life's duration mean for our daily living?
- How should awareness that each day is a gift affect our priorities and gratitude?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The metaphor "Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent" depicts life's fragility—tents easily fold and move. The weaving imagery "I have cut off like a weaver my life" shows life as a tapestry prematurely severed from the loom. "He will cut me off from the pining loom" uses divine passive—God controls life and death. The phrase "from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me" expresses how quickly death can come. These vivid metaphors emphasize life's brevity and divine sovereignty over its duration.