ישעיהו, פרק ל״ח, פסוק י״ג

The agony of severe illness brings with it not only intense physical pain and deep wounds but also the heavy, constant dread of approaching death [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This experience is often marked by a profound sense of struggle and a feeling of being utterly broken.

As night falls, the mind of the sufferer begins to calculate his remaining time. The primary approach among commentators is that the sick person sets the harsh reality before his eyes, estimating that he will only manage to survive until the morning [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, others view this nighttime struggle as a test of endurance. In an effort to face the pain of the dark hours, the sufferer gathers his strength, either fighting back or crying out and tossing in bed much like a fierce lion [רש״י, אברבנאל].

The image of a lion captures the sheer intensity of this battle. It might represent an evenly matched struggle where the disease fights with the relentless power of a wild beast [אבן עזרא]. It also captures a complex psychological torment, where the sick person imagines himself as a strong lion fighting off weakness, only to find that the burning fever itself transforms into a predator devouring him [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, the crushing weight of the illness, or the hand of God, shatters the person's body just as a lion crushes the bones of its prey in its jaws [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. This creates a tragic cycle. The harder the sufferer tries to fight and survive like a lion, the more the illness overpowers him and breaks his bones [רש״י, אברבנאל]. Another unique perspective suggests that the lion itself naturally suffers from a daily, bone-breaking fever, perfectly mirroring the patient's own miserable condition [רד״ק].

This relentless pain leads to a constant expectation that the circle of life is about to close, bringing death [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. After surviving the night and reaching the morning, the sick person immediately begins to calculate that his life will surely end by nightfall. It is an exhausting cycle of continuous suffering, offering no rest or pause throughout the entire day [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, some understand these references to time not as literal parts of the day, but as expressions of suddenness. In this view, the sufferer feels that the disease will crush him and God will end his life in a very short time, regardless of whether it is day or night [שד״ל].