2 Kings 20

2 Kings · Chapter 20

2 Kings 20:11

1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,5Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.7And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.8And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?9And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.12At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.13And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.14Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.15And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.16And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.17Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.18And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.19Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?20And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?21And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Jehovah; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he called outוַיִּקְרָ֛אvai-yik-RA'H7121G
to call: call to

קָרָא (qa.ra) : call_to/invite/entreat 1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound 1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God) 1a3) to proclaim 1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read 1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow 1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to call oneself 1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named 1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּye-sha'-YA-huH3470A
Isaiah

יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (ye.sha.yah) A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.19.2; son of: Amoz (H0531); father of: Shear-jashub (H7610), Maher-shalal-hash-baz (H4122) Also named: Hēsaias (Ἡσαΐας "Isaiah" G2268) § Isaiah or Jesaiah or Jeshaiah = "Jehovah has saved" 1) the major prophet, son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem during the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah; author of the prophetic book by his name; tradition has it that he was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by king Manasseh and that this is the incident referred to in Heb 11:37 …

the prophetהַנָּבִ֖יאha-na-VI'H5030
prophet

נְבִיא (ne.vi) prophet Aramaic of na.vi (נָבִיא "prophet" H5030)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Yahwehיְהוָ֑הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and he turned backוַיָּ֣שֶׁבvai-YA-shevH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

the shadowהַצֵּ֗לha-TZELH6738
shadow

צֵל (tsel) 1) shadow, shade 1a) shadow (on dial) 1b) shadow, shade (as protection) 1c) shadow (symbolic of transitoriness of life) Also means: tse.lel (צֵלֶל "shadow" H6752)

on the stepsבַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹתBA-ma-'a-lotH4609B
step

מַעֲלָה (ma.a.lah) 1) step, stair 1a) step, stair 1b) steps (of sundial) 1c) stories (of heaven) 1d) ascent 1e) song of ascent 1e1) to the three great pilgrim feasts (Psalm titles)

whichאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

it had gone downיָרְדָ֜הya-re-DAHH3381
to go down

יָרַד (ya.rad) 1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down

on [the] steps ofבְּמַעֲל֥וֹתbe-ma-'a-LOTH4609B
step

מַעֲלָה (ma.a.lah) 1) step, stair 1a) step, stair 1b) steps (of sundial) 1c) stories (of heaven) 1d) ascent 1e) song of ascent 1e1) to the three great pilgrim feasts (Psalm titles)

Ahazאָחָ֛ז'a-CHAZH0271G
Ahaz

אָחָז (a.chaz) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.15.38; son of: Jotham (H3147H); married to Abi (H0021); father of: Hezekiah (H2396) and Maaseiah (H4641J) Also named: Achaz (Ἀχάζ "Ahaz" G0881) § Ahaz = "he has grasped" 1) king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah 2) a Benjamite, son of Micah, and great grandson of Jonathan

backwardsאֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית'a-cho-ra-NITH0322
backwards

אֲחֹרַנִּית (a.cho.ran.nit) backwards, back part, the rear

tenעֶ֥שֶׂר'E-serH6235
ten

עֶשֶׂר (e.ser) 1) ten 1a) ten 1b) with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: a.sar (עֲשַׂר "ten" H6236)

stepsמַעֲלֽוֹת׃ פma-'a-LOTH4609B
step

מַעֲלָה (ma.a.lah) 1) step, stair 1a) step, stair 1b) steps (of sundial) 1c) stories (of heaven) 1d) ascent 1e) song of ascent 1e1) to the three great pilgrim feasts (Psalm titles)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.