2 Kings 20:11
in 2 Kings 20So 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord,.... Or prayed, as the Targum; and was very earnest in prayer, that what Hezekiah had desired might be granted: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz; Ben Gersom understands it not of the sun itself, but of the shadow of it only; See Gill on Isa 38:8.
This site's exposition
It is easy for the shadow
on 2 Kings 20:10-11
Hezekiah answers that "It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps," since it was already moving that way, and he asks for the harder sign. Isaiah calls out to the LORD, and "He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz," exactly as the king asked. The text records the sign given and leaves its mechanism undescribed.
This site's exposition
the stairway of Ahaz
Gill reports that Ben Gersom held the miracle to touch the shadow alone, and Clarke also doubted that the earth turned back on its axis. Matthew Henry sees the sun put under Israel's God. 2 Chronicles 32:31 says Babylon's envoys came to ask about this wonder.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
But who will deliver us from these plagues? Certainly there is one alone who came to deliver us, namely Christ, who made ten condescensions against the ten plagues. This is prefigured in the book of Kings, where it is said that the sun went back …
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 16 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
In the sixth time, three events came about: the height of victory, of teaching, and of prophecy. The height of victory occurred with Sennacherib who rose against Jerusalem, and "an angel of the Lord slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand." Yet Ezechias was healed in …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The most plausible idolatry of the heathen was theirs that worshipped the sun; yet that was hereby convicted of the most egregious folly and absurdity, for by this it appeared that their god was under the check of the God of Israel.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He brought the shadow ten degrees backward - We cannot suppose that these ten degrees meant ten hours; there were ten divisions of time on this dial: and perhaps it would not be right to suppose that the sun went ten degrees back in the heavens, or that the earth turned back upon its axis from east to west, in a contrary direction to its natural course.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And Chizkiyohu said, ”It is easier for the shade to advance ten steps.” It is easy [for the shade] to remain in its place, and stay for ten steps, it is not something that is so conspicuous.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
For he heard that Chizkiyohu was ill. And until that day no person who had ever been ill, had become well. Now, how did he hear?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֛א | vaiyikra' | and he called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ | yesha'yahu | Isaiah | H3470 → | 39 times |
| הַנָּבִ֖יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיָּ֣שֶׁב | vaiyashev | and he turned back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַצֵּ֗ל | hatzel | the shadow | H6738 → | 49 times |
| בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת | bamaalot | on the steps | H4609 → | 32 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָרְדָ֜ה | yaredah | it had gone down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת | bemaalot | on [the] steps of | H4609 → | 32 times |
| אָחָ֛ז | ʾachaz | Ahaz | H271 → | 42 times |
| אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית | ʾachoranit | backwards | H322 → | |
| עֶ֥שֶׂר | ʾeser | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ פ | maalot | steps | H4609 → | 32 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֛אand he called out
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּIsaiah
yesha'yahuH3470 →39 times
הַנָּבִ֖יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיָּ֣שֶׁבand he turned back
vaiyashevH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַצֵּ֗לthe shadow
hatzelH6738 →49 times
בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹתon the steps
bamaalotH4609 →32 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָרְדָ֜הit had gone down
yaredahH3381 →381 times
בְּמַעֲל֥וֹתon [the] steps of
bemaalotH4609 →32 times
אָחָ֛זAhaz
ʾachazH271 →42 times
אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖יתbackwards
ʾachoranitH322 →
עֶ֥שֶׂרten
ʾeserH6235 →176 times
מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ פsteps
maalotH4609 →32 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 32:31And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 32:24
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your…
- Proverbs 17:3
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
- John 15:5
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- Genesis 22:1
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
- 2 Chronicles 32:24
Through
2 Chronicles 32:24In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
it leads to
- Isaiah 38:1–8
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- 2 Kings 20:1–11
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- Isaiah 38:1–8
Through
Acts 9:40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
it leads to
- Matthew 9:25
After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
- Matthew 9:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 7; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 16; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.