KJV ORIGINAL
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The grave cannot praise you, and death cannot celebrate you. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope in your faithfulness.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is saying that the dead cannot worship God or experience His faithfulness, which makes life precious and meaningful.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of King Hezekiah's prayer after God healed him from a life-threatening illness around 701 BC. Hezekiah had been told he would die, but after his prayer, God granted him fifteen more years of life. In ancient Hebrew thought, the dead were seen as cut off from active worship and relationship with God.
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