2 Kings 20
20
Hezekiah is Healed
1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.#tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.” The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”#tn Heb “will not live.” 2 He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you#tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254. faithfully and with wholehearted devotion,#tn Heb “and with a complete heart.” and how I have carried out your will.”#tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.#tn Heb “wept with great weeping.”
4 Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him,#tc Heb “and Isaiah had not gone out of the middle courtyard, and the word of the Lord came to him, saying.” Instead of “courtyard” (חָצֵר, khatser), the marginal reading, (Qere), the Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) has הָעִיר (ha’ir), “the city.” 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. The day after tomorrow#tn Heb “on the third day.” you will go up to the Lord’s temple. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’”#tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.” 7 Isaiah ordered, “Get a fig cake.” So they did as he ordered#tn Heb “and they got [a fig cake].” and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered.#tn Heb “and he lived.”
8 Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What is the confirming sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the Lord’s temple the day after tomorrow?” 9 Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said. Do you want the shadow to move ahead ten steps or to go back ten steps?”#tn The Hebrew הָלַךְ (halakh, a perfect), “it has moved ahead,” should be emended to הֲיֵלֵךְ (hayelekh, an imperfect with interrogative he [ה] prefixed), “shall it move ahead.” 10 Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it#tn Heb “the shadow.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“it”) in the translation for stylistic reasons. to go back ten steps.” 11 Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity. made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.#tn Heb “on the steps which [the sun] had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, back ten steps.” sn These steps probably functioned as a type of sundial. See HALOT 614 s.v. מַעֲלָה and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 256.
Messengers from Babylon Visit Hezekiah
12 At that time Merodach-Baladan#tc The MT has “Berodach-Baladan,” but several Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Latin witnesses agree with the parallel passage in Isa 39:1 and read “Merodach-Baladan.” son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah was ill. 13 Hezekiah welcomed#tc Heb “listened to.” Some Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate versions agree with the parallel passage in Isa 39:2 and read, “was happy with.” them and showed them his whole storehouse, with its silver, gold, spices, and high quality olive oil, as well as his armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom.#tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.” 14 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.” 15 Isaiah#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything#tn Heb “there was nothing I did not show them.” in my treasuries.” 16 Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord, 17 ‘Look, a time is#tn Heb “days are.” coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 18 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father#tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.” will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 19 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.”#tn Heb “good.” Then he added,#tn Heb “and he said.” Many English versions translate, “for he thought.” The verb אָמַר (’amar), “say,” is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself). Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT. “At least there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”#tn Heb “Is it not [true] there will be peace and stability in my days?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, there will be peace and stability.”
20 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign and all his accomplishments, including how he built a pool and conduit to bring#tn Heb “and he brought.” water into the city, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.#tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Hezekiah, and all his strength, and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water to the city, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?” 21 Hezekiah passed away#tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.” and his son Manasseh replaced him as king.
Currently Selected:
2 Kings 20: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
2 Kings 20
20
Hezekiah Loses Health and Regains It through Prayer
1In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill,#Literally “ill to die” and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Command your house, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’ ” 2Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, saying, 3“O Yahweh, please remember how I went about before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and remember the good that I have done in your eyes.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.#Literally “wept a great weeping” 4Isaiah had not gone out from the middle of the city when the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, 5“Return; you must say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘Thus says Yahweh the God of David your ancestor,#Or “father” “I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. Look, I am about to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the temple of Yahweh. 6I will add to your days fifteen years, and from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you and this city. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.” ’ ” 7Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of figs,” so they took and put it on the skin sores, and he lived.
8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that Yahweh will heal me that I shall go up on the third day to the temple of Yahweh?” 9Isaiah said, “This is the sign for you from Yahweh that Yahweh will do the thing that he has promised: Shall the shadow advance ten steps or shall it return ten steps?” 10Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. No, but let the shadow return backwards ten steps.” 11Isaiah the prophet called to Yahweh, and he brought back the shadow on the steps where it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz, backwards ten steps.
Hezekiah Reveals Too Much to a Babylonian Envoy
12At that time, Berodak-Baladan the son of Baladan king of Babylon#Or “Babel.” Babel was the ancient name for Babylon, the capital of Babylonia. See also Genesis 11:9 sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been ill. 13Hezekiah heard about them and showed them all of the house of his treasure, both the silver and the gold, the spices, the good olive oil, the room of his weapons, and all that could be found in his treasuries. There was nothing that he did not show them in his palace and in all of his kingdom. 14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “From a far land; they have come from Babylon.” 15Then he asked, “What did they see in your palace?” And Hezekiah said, “All that is in my palace they have seen; there is nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries.”
16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh! 17‘Look, days are coming when all that is in your palace will be carried off; even all that your ancestors#Or “fathers” have stored up until this day, to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. 18‘Your sons who went out from you, whom you brought forth, will be taken, and they shall be eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babylon.’ ” 19Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good,” and he thought, “Is it not that peace and security shall be in my days?” 20Now the remainder of the acts of Hezekiah, all of his powerful deeds, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought the water into the city, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? 21Then Hezekiah slept with his ancestors,#Or “fathers” and Manasseh his son became king in his place.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software