5 Turn again, H7725 and tell H559 Hezekiah H2396 the captain H5057 of my people, H5971 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of David H1732 thy father, H1 I have heard H8085 thy prayer, H8605 I have seen H7200 thy tears: H1832 behold, I will heal H7495 thee: on the third H7992 day H3117 thou shalt go up H5927 unto the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
But verily H403 God H430 hath heard H8085 me; he hath attended H7181 to the voice H6963 of my prayer. H8605 Blessed H1288 be God, H430 which hath not turned away H5493 my prayer, H8605 nor his mercy H2617 from me.
Is G770 any G5100 sick G770 among G1722 you? G5213 let him call G4341 for the elders G4245 of the church; G1577 and G2532 let them pray G4336 over G1909 him, G846 anointing G218 him G846 with oil G1637 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord: G2962 And G2532 the prayer G2171 of faith G4102 shall save G4982 the sick, G2577 and G2532 the Lord G2962 shall raise G1453 him G846 up; G1453 and if G2579 he have G5600 committed G4160 sins, G266 they shall be forgiven G863 him. G846
I shall not die, H4191 but live, H2421 and declare H5608 the works H4639 of the LORD. H3050 The LORD H3050 hath chastened H3256 me sore: H3256 but he hath not given me over H5414 unto death. H4194 Open H6605 to me the gates H8179 of righteousness: H6664 I will go H935 into them, and I will praise H3034 the LORD: H3050
And he said, H559 Nay; but as captain H8269 of the host H6635 of the LORD H3068 am I now come. H935 And Joshua H3091 fell H5307 on his face H6440 to the earth, H776 and did worship, H7812 and said H559 unto him, What saith H1696 my lord H113 unto his servant? H5650 And the captain H8269 of the LORD'S H3068 host H6635 said H559 unto Joshua, H3091 Loose H5394 thy shoe H5275 from off thy foot; H7272 for the place H4725 whereon thou standest H5975 is holy. H6944 And Joshua H3091 did H6213 so.
What shall I render H7725 unto the LORD H3068 for all his benefits H8408 toward me? I will take H5375 the cup H3563 of salvation, H3444 and call H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068 I will pay H7999 my vows H5088 unto the LORD H3068 now in the presence of all his people. H5971
I will go H935 into thy house H1004 with burnt offerings: H5930 I will pay H7999 thee my vows, H5088 Which my lips H8193 have uttered, H6475 and my mouth H6310 hath spoken, H1696 when I was in trouble. H6862 I will offer H5927 unto thee burnt sacrifices H5930 of fatlings, H4220 with the incense H7004 of rams; H352 I will offer H6213 bullocks H1241 with goats. H6260 Selah. H5542
He is chastened H3198 also with pain H4341 upon his bed, H4904 and the multitude H7230 H7379 of his bones H6106 with strong H386 pain: So that his life H2416 abhorreth H2092 bread, H3899 and his soul H5315 dainty H8378 meat. H3978 His flesh H1320 is consumed away, H3615 that it cannot be seen; H7210 and his bones H6106 that were not seen H7200 stick out. H8192 H8205 Yea, his soul H5315 draweth near H7126 unto the grave, H7845 and his life H2416 to the destroyers. H4191 If there H3426 be a messenger H4397 with him, an interpreter, H3887 one H259 among a thousand, H505 to shew H5046 unto man H120 his uprightness: H3476 Then he is gracious H2603 unto him, and saith, H559 Deliver H6308 him from going down H3381 to the pit: H7845 I have found H4672 a ransom. H3724 His flesh H1320 shall be fresher H7375 than a child's: H5290 he shall return H7725 to the days H3117 of his youth: H5934 He shall pray H6279 unto God, H433 and he will be favourable H7521 unto him: and he shall see H7200 his face H6440 with joy: H8643 for he will render H7725 unto man H582 his righteousness. H6666
Then Nathan H5416 said H559 unto David, H1732 Do H6213 all that is in thine heart; H3824 for God H430 is with thee. And it came to pass the same night, H3915 that the word H1697 of God H430 came to Nathan, H5416 saying, H559 Go H3212 and tell H559 David H1732 my servant, H5650 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Thou shalt not build H1129 me an house H1004 to dwell in: H3427
And Isaiah H3470 said, H559 Take H3947 a lump H1690 of figs. H8384 And they took H3947 and laid H7760 it on the boil, H7822 and he recovered. H2421 And Hezekiah H2396 said H559 unto Isaiah, H3470 What shall be the sign H226 that the LORD H3068 will heal H7495 me, and that I shall go up H5927 into the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 the third H7992 day? H3117
And Nathan H5416 said H559 to the king, H4428 Go, H3212 do H6213 all that is in thine heart; H3824 for the LORD H3068 is with thee. And it came to pass that night, H3915 that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto Nathan, H5416 saying, H559 Go H3212 and tell H559 my servant H5650 David, H1732 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Shalt thou build H1129 me an house H1004 for me to dwell in? H3427
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 20
Commentary on 2 Kings 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
2Ki 20:1-7. Hezekiah's Life Lengthened.
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick—As his reign lasted twenty-nine years (2Ki 18:2), and his kingdom was invaded in the fourteenth (2Ki 18:13), it is evident that this sudden and severe illness must have occurred in the very year of the Syrian invasion. Between the threatened attack and the actual appearance of the enemy, this incident in Hezekiah's history must have taken place. But according to the usage of the sacred historian, the story of Sennacherib is completed before entering on what was personal to the king of Judah (see also Isa 37:36-38:1).
Set thine house in order—Isaiah, being of the blood royal, might have access to the king's private house. But since the prophet was commissioned to make this announcement, the message must be considered as referring to matters of higher importance than the settlement of the king's domestic and private affairs. It must have related chiefly to the state of his kingdom, he having not as yet any son (compare 2Ki 20:6 with 2Ki 21:1).
for thou shall die, and not live—The disease was of a malignant character and would be mortal in its effects, unless the healing power of God should miraculously interpose.
2. he turned his face to the wall—not like Ahab (1Ki 21:4), in fretful discontent, but in order to secure a better opportunity for prayer.
3. remember now how I have walked before thee, &c.—The course of Hezekiah's thoughts was evidently directed to the promise made to David and his successors on the throne (1Ki 8:25). He had kept the conditions as faithfully as human infirmity admitted; and as he had been all along free from any of those great crimes by which, through the judgment of God, human life was often suddenly cut short, his great grief might arise partly from the love of life, partly from the obscurity of the Mosaic dispensation, where life and immortality had not been fully brought to light, and partly from his plans for the reformation of his kingdom being frustrated by his death. He pleaded the fulfilment of the promise.
4. afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court—of the royal castle.
5. Thus saith … the God of David thy father—An immediate answer was given to his prayer, containing an assurance that the Lord was mindful of His promise to David and would accomplish it in Hezekiah's experience, both by the prolongation of his life, and his deliverance from the Assyrians.
on the third day—The perfect recovery from a dangerous sickness, within so short a time, shows the miraculous character of the cure (see his thanksgiving song, Isa 38:9). The disease cannot be ascertained; but the text gives no hint that the plague was raging then in Jerusalem; and although Arab physicians apply a cataplasm of figs to plague-boils, they also do so in other cases, as figs are considered useful in ripening and soothing inflammatory ulcers.
2Ki 20:8-20. The Sun Goes Ten Degrees Backward.
8-11. Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What will be the sign that the Lord shall heal me—His recovery in the course of nature was so unlooked for, that the king asked for some token to justify his reliance on the truth of the prophet's communication; and the sign he specified was granted to him. The shadow of the sun went back upon the dial of Ahaz the ten degrees it had gone down. Various conjectures have been formed as to this dial. The word in the original is "degrees," or "steps," and hence many commentators have supposed that it was a stair, so artfully contrived, that the shadows on the steps indicated the hours and course of the sun. But it is more probable that it was a proper instrument, and, from the Hebrews having no term to designate it, that it was one of the foreign novelties imported from Babylon by Ahaz. It seems to have been of such magnitude, and so placed in the court, that Isaiah could point to it, and the king see it, from his chamber. The retrogression of the sun's shadow on the dial was miraculously accomplished by the omnipotent power of God; but the phenomenon was temporary, local, confined to the notice, and intended for the satisfaction, only of Hezekiah and his court.
12-19. Berodach-baladan—(Isa 39:1), the first king of Babylon mentioned in sacred history; formerly its rulers were viceroys of the Assyrian monarchs. This individual threw off the yoke, and asserting his independence, made with varying success, a long and obstinate resistance [Rawlinson, Outlines]. The message of congratulation to Hezekiah, was, in all likelihood, accompanied with proposals for a defensive alliance against their common Assyrian enemy. The king of Judah, flattered with this honor, showed the ambassadors all his treasures, his armory and warlike stores; and his motive for this was evidently that the Babylonian deputies might be the more induced to prize his friendship.
13, 14. the silver, and the gold—He paid so much tribute to Sennacherib as exhausted his treasury (compare 2Ki 18:16). But, after the destruction of Sennacherib, presents were brought him from various quarters, out of respect to a king who, by his faith and prayer, saved his country; and besides, it is by no means improbable that from the corpses in the Assyrian camp, all the gold and silver he had paid might be recovered. The vain display, however, was offensive to his divine liege lord, who sent Isaiah to reprove him. The answer he gave the prophet (2Ki 22:14) shows how he was elated by the compliment of their visit; but it was wrong, as presenting a bait for the cupidity of these rapacious foreigners, who, at no distant period, would return and pillage his country, and transfer all the possessions he ostentatiously displayed to Babylon, as well as his posterity to be court attendants in that country—(see on 2Ch 32:31).
19. Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken—indicating a humble and pious resignation to the divine will. The concluding part of his reply was uttered after a pause and was probably an ejaculation to himself, expressing his thankfulness, that, though great afflictions should befall his descendants, the execution of the divine judgment was to be suspended during his own lifetime.
20. pool and a conduit—(See on 2Ch 32:30).