THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
To begin with, it must be noted that the Septuagint translates the phrase as “in the height of my days,” while other scholars have rendered it as “in the half of my days.” I believe the Septuagint's translation is quite accurate. This is because the holy city faced siege while Rapsacus, along with a vast army from Assyria, surrounded it. Yet, through the prophet Isaiah, God assured that He would perform extraordinary and unforeseen acts to deliver those in peril, remove the oppressor from Judah, and that he would meet his end troubled by familial strife. When all these events transpired according to the divine timing set by the Almighty, the splendor of King Hezekiah’s reign reached its zenith.
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Thus, he reflected that in this moment of glory, at the peak of his days, he would be confined to the gates of death and forfeit the remaining years of his life. Following this, he expresses sentiments typically uttered in profound fear by those who have fallen ill and find death looming nearby. He laments, “To this I will not see the salvation of God, to this I will not see a man of my kin, I have forsaken the rest of my life, depart from me.” He compares his situation to a tent that is being dismantled, and like a laborer's encampment, reminiscent of a weaver nearing the end of her work. He asserts that throughout the entire night and day, he felt as if he were being delivered over to a lion that was crushing his bones. Who is this lion? It could be a severe illness or death akin to a beast, ready to pounce, or the dread that stirs within the soul upon contemplating mortality. For it is fear and despair that weigh down the spirit and undermine all its vigor.