Isaiah 38:17

“Behold, for peace I had great bitterness, &c.] Meaning not that instead of peace and prosperity, which he expected would ensue upon the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, came a bitter affliction upon him; for he is not now dwelling on that melancholy subject; but rather the sense is, that he now enjoyed great peace and happiness, though he had been in great bitterness; for the words may be rendered, “behold, I am in peace, I had great bitterness”; or thus, “behold my great bitterness is unto peace”: or, “he has turned it into peace”f748; it has issued in it, and this is my present comfortable situation: “but”, or rather, and thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of…”

“for peace--instead of the prosperity which I had previously. great bitterness--literally, "bitterness to me, bitterness"; expressing intense emotion. in love--literally, "attachment," such as joins one to another tenderly; "Thou hast been lovingly attached to me from the pit"; pregnant phrase for, Thy love has gone down to the pit, and drawn me out from it. The "pit" is here simply death, in Hezekiah's sense; realized in its fulness only in reference to the soul's redemption from hell by Jesus Christ (Isa 61:1), who went down to the pit for that purpose Himself (Psa 88:4-6; Zac 9:11-12; Heb 13:20). "Sin" and sickness are connected (Psa 103:3; compare Isa 53:4, with Mat 8:17; Mat 9:5-6),…”

“Behold, for peace - That is, instead of the health, happiness, and prosperity which I had enjoyed, and which I hope still to enjoy. I had great bitterness - Hebrew, ‘Bitterness to me, bitterness;’ an emphatic expression, denoting intense sorrow. But thou hast in love to my soul - Margin, ‘Loved my soul from the pit.’ The word which occurs here (חשׁקת châshaqtâ) denotes properly to join or fasten together; then to be attached to anyone; to be united tenderly; to embrace. Here it means that God had loved him, and had thus delivered his soul from death. Delivered it from the pit of corruption - The word rendered “corruption” (בלי belı̂y), denotes consumption, destruction, perdition. It may be…”

“for peace I had great bitterness: or, on my peace came great bitterness, Job 3:25, Job 3:26, Job 29:18; Psa 30:6, Psa 30:7 in love to my soul delivered it from the pit: Heb. loved my soul from the pit, Psa 30:3, Psa 40:2, Psa 86:13, Psa 88:4-6; Jon 2:6 thou hast cast: Isa 43:25; Psa 10:2, Psa 85:2; Jer 31:34; Mic 7:18, Mic 7:19 Isaiah 38:18”