2 Kings 20:5
in 2 Kings 20“Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will surely heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the house of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, 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 Jehovah.
KJV
Turn 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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 20
Commentary
7 notes on this verseWould you know the power of repentance? Would you understand this strong weapon of salvation and the might of confession? By confession Hezekiah routed 185,000 of the enemy. That was important, but it was little compared with what shall be told. The same king's repentance won the repeal of the sentence God had passed on him. For when he was sick, Isaiah said to him, "Give charge concerning your house, for you shall die and not live." What expectation was left? What hope of recovery was there, when the prophet said, "For you shall die"?
This site's exposition
afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court
on 2 Kings 20:4-6
The word turns Isaiah around before he has crossed the middle court, and the second message reverses the first outright: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, fifteen years added to a life the prophet had just pronounced ended. The city's deliverance rides on the same clause that runs through both books, I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake, the promise of 2 Samuel 7 kept a third generation past the man it was made to. Hezekiah is addressed as the captain of my people, the title Scripture uses of David himself, David's true heir answered as David's true heir.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Now let us rise to still higher instances. When king Hezekiah was lying on his bed and afflicted with grievous sickness, the prophet Isaiah addressed him in the person of God, and said: "Thus says the Lord: set your house in order for will die and not live. And Hezekiah," it says, "turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord and said: I beseech you, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and how I have done what was right in your sight. And Hezekiah wept much." After which it was again said to Isaiah: "Go, return, and speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: Thus says the Lord God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add to your life fifteen years, and I will deliver you out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will defend this city for your sake and for my servant David's sake." What can be clearer than this proof that out of consideration for mercy and goodness the Lord would rather break his word and instead of the appointed sentence of death extend the life of him who prayed for fifteen years, rather than be found inexorable because of an unchangeable decree?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Prayers that have much life and affection in them are in a special manner pleasing to God. God exceeds his prayers; he only begged that God would remember his integrity, but God here promises (1.) To restore him from his illness: I will heal thee. Diseases are his servants; as they go where he sends them, so they come when he remands them.
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The captain of my people - This phrase (which does not occur elsewhere in Kings) is remarkable, and speaks for the authenticity of this full report of the actual words of the prophet’s message (abbreviated in Isa 38:1, etc.). The title, “Captain נגיד nāgı̂yd of God’s people,” commonly used of David, is applied to Hezekiah, as David’s true follower 2Ki 18:3.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שׁ֣וּב | shuv | go back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ | chizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| נְגִיד־ | negid- | [the] ruler of | H5057 → | |
| עַמִּ֗י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֤ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵי֙ | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| דָּוִ֣ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִ֔יךָ | ʾavikha | ancestor your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ | shama'ti | I have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ | tefilatekha | prayer your | H8605 → | |
| רָאִ֖יתִי | raiti | I have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ | dimatekha | tear[s] your | H1832 → | |
| הִנְנִי֙ | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| רֹ֣פֶא | rofe' | [am] about to heal | H7495 → | 67 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | <to> you | ||
| בַּיּוֹם֙ | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י | hashelishi | <the> third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| תַּעֲלֶ֖ה | taaleh | you will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
שׁ֣וּבgo back
shuvH7725 →1056 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּHezekiah
chizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
נְגִיד־[the] ruler of
negid-H5057 →
עַמִּ֗יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֤רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵי֙[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
דָּוִ֣דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אָבִ֔יךָancestor your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙I have heard
shama'tiH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָprayer your
tefilatekhaH8605 →
רָאִ֖יתִיI have seen
raitiH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָtear[s] your
dimatekhaH1832 →
הִנְנִי֙here I
hiniH2005 →316 times
רֹ֣פֶא[am] about to heal
rofe'H7495 →67 times
לָ֔ךְ<to> you
lakh
בַּיּוֹם֙on the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י<the> third
hashelishiH7992 →107 times
תַּעֲלֶ֖הyou will go up
taalehH5927 →890 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Isaiah 38:5“Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to…
it leads to
- 1 John 5:14–15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 34:5–6
Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- 1 John 5:14–15
Through
Psalms 39:12Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- Hebrews 11:13
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the…
- 1 Peter 2:11
Through
1 Samuel 9:16“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him leader over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- Psalms 106:44
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- Exodus 3:7–9
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
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About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonDivided kingdomHezekiahThe reforming king of Judah who trusted Jehovah against Sennacherib, spread the Assyrian letter before the LORD, was granted fifte…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 2:15; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 17.25; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.