16 Lord, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.
16 O Lord, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.
16 O God, they begged you for help when they were in trouble, when your discipline was so heavy they could barely whisper a prayer.
16 Lord, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.
16 Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 26:16
Commentary on Isaiah 26:12-19
(Read Isaiah 26:12-19)
Every creature, every business, any way serviceable to our comfort, God makes to be so; he makes that work for us which seemed to make against us. They had been slaves of sin and Satan; but by the Divine grace they were taught to look to be set free from all former masters. The cause opposed to God and his kingdom will sink at last. See our need of afflictions. Before, prayer came drop by drop; now they pour it out, it comes now like water from a fountain. Afflictions bring us to secret prayer. Consider Christ as the Speaker addressing his church. His resurrection from the dead was an earnest of all the deliverance foretold. The power of his grace, like the dew or rain, which causes the herbs that seem dead to revive, would raise his church from the lowest state. But we may refer to the resurrection of the dead, especially of those united to Christ.