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class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/2_kings/20.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/2_kings/20.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/2_kings/20.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />So Isaiah the prophet asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/2_kings/20.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/2_kings/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/2_kings/20.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/2_kings/20.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/2_kings/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/2_kings/20.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/2_kings/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/2_kings/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh, and He turned the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/2_kings/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the steps ten steps backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/2_kings/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So the prophet Isaiah called out to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/2_kings/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the 10 steps it had descended on Ahaz&#8217s stairway. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/2_kings/20.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/2_kings/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Isaiah prayed, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway built for King Ahaz. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/2_kings/20.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/2_kings/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow that had gone down on Ahaz's stairway go back up ten steps.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/2_kings/20.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Isaiah prayed to the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway set up by King Ahaz. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/2_kings/20.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />So Isaiah cried out to the LORD, who brought the shadow back ten steps after it had gone down the stairway of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/2_kings/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/2_kings/20.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/2_kings/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/2_kings/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/2_kings/20.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/2_kings/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet calls to YHWH, and He brings back the shadow by the degrees that it had gone down in the degrees of Ahaz—backward ten degrees.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/2_kings/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And Isaiah the prophet calleth unto Jehovah, and He bringeth back the shadow by the degrees that it had gone down in the degrees of Ahaz -- backward ten degrees.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/2_kings/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet will call to Jehovah, and he will turn back the shadow in the steps which went down, in the steps of Ahaz, backwards ten degrees.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/2_kings/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And Isaias the prophet called upon the Lord, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backwards by the lines, by which it had already gone down in the dial of Achaz. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/2_kings/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And so the prophet Isaiah called upon the Lord. And he led back the shadow, along the lines by which it had already descended on the sundial of Ahaz, in reverse for ten degrees.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/2_kings/20.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />So Isaiah the prophet invoked the LORD. He made the shadow go back the ten steps it had descended on the staircase to the terrace of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/2_kings/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />The prophet Isaiah cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow back the ten intervals, by which the sun had declined on the dial of Ahaz.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/2_kings/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/2_kings/20.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And Isaiah the Prophet called to LORD JEHOVAH, and the shadow returned by the degrees that the sun had gone down in the degrees of Akhaz, ten degrees backward.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/2_kings/20.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/2_kings/20.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And Esaias the prophet cried to the Lord: and the shadow returned back ten degrees on the dial.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/2_kings/20-11.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FiLs3w_mMFQ?start=7168" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/2_kings/20.htm">Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">10</span>“It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.” <span class="reftext">11</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3470.htm" title="3470: yə·ša‘·yā·hū (N-proper-ms) -- Or Yshayahuw; from yasha' and Yahh; Jah has saved; Jeshajah, the name of seven Israelites.">So Isaiah</a> <a href="/hebrew/5030.htm" title="5030: han·nā·ḇî (Art:: N-ms) -- A spokesman, speaker, prophet. From naba'; a prophet or inspired man.">the prophet</a> <a href="/hebrew/7121.htm" title="7121: way·yiq·rā (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To call, proclaim, read. A primitive root; to call out to.">called out</a> <a href="/hebrew/413.htm" title="413: ’el- (Prep) -- To, into, towards. ">to</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">the LORD,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7725.htm" title="7725: way·yā·šeḇ (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- A primitive root; to turn back transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively; generally to retreat; often adverbial, again.">and He brought</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/6738.htm" title="6738: haṣ·ṣêl (Art:: N-ms) -- A shadow. From tsalal; shade, whether literal or figurative.">the shadow</a> <a href="/hebrew/4609.htm" title="4609: bam·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ (Prep-b, Art:: N-fp) -- Feminine of ma'aleh; elevation, i.e. The act, or the condition; specifically a climactic progression."></a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/322.htm" title="322: ’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ (Adv) -- Backwards. Prolonged from 'achowr; backwards.">back</a> <a href="/hebrew/6235.htm" title="6235: ‘e·śer (Number-fsc) -- Ten. Masculine of term aasarah; from asar; ten.">the ten</a> <a href="/hebrew/4609.htm" title="4609: bə·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ (Prep-b:: N-fpc) -- Feminine of ma'aleh; elevation, i.e. The act, or the condition; specifically a climactic progression.">steps</a> <a href="/hebrew/3381.htm" title="3381: yā·rə·ḏāh (V-Qal-Perf-3fs) -- To come or go down, descend. ">it had descended</a> <a href="/hebrew/4609.htm" title="4609: ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ (N-fp) -- Feminine of ma'aleh; elevation, i.e. The act, or the condition; specifically a climactic progression.">on the stairway</a> <a href="/hebrew/271.htm" title="271: ’ā·ḥāz (N-proper-ms) -- He has grasped, two Isr. From 'achaz; possessor; Achaz, the name of a Jewish king and of an Israelite.">of Ahaz.</a> </span><div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/38-8.htm">Isaiah 38:8</a></span><br />I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/10-12.htm">Joshua 10:12-14</a></span><br />On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” / So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” / There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_chronicles/32-24.htm">2 Chronicles 32:24</a></span><br />In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-20.htm">2 Kings 19:20</a></span><br />Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-35.htm">2 Kings 19:35-37</a></span><br />And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/18-1.htm">2 Kings 18:1-3</a></span><br />In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. / He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. / And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/18-5.htm">2 Kings 18:5-7</a></span><br />Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. / He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses. / And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/18-13.htm">2 Kings 18:13</a></span><br />In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/18-17.htm">2 Kings 18:17</a></span><br />Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-1.htm">2 Kings 19:1-7</a></span><br />On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD. / And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz / to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-14.htm">2 Kings 19:14-19</a></span><br />So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. / And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/19-32.htm">2 Kings 19:32-34</a></span><br />So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/12-39.htm">Matthew 12:39-40</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/11-29.htm">Luke 11:29-30</a></span><br />As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. / For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/2-18.htm">John 2:18-22</a></span><br />On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?” / Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.</p><p class="hdg">cried unto.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/14-15.htm">Exodus 14:15</a></b></br> And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_kings/17-20.htm">1 Kings 17:20,21</a></b></br> And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_kings/18-36.htm">1 Kings 18:36-38</a></b></br> And it came to pass at <i>the time of</i> the offering of the <i>evening</i> sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou <i>art</i> God in Israel, and <i>that</i> I <i>am</i> thy servant, and <i>that</i> I have done all these things at thy word… </p><p class="hdg">he brought.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joshua/10-12.htm">Joshua 10:12-14</a></b></br> Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_chronicles/32-24.htm">2 Chronicles 32:24,31</a></b></br> In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/38-8.htm">Isaiah 38:8</a></b></br> Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.</p><p class="hdg">dial.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/2_kings/18-1.htm">Ahaz</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm">Backward</a> <a href="/2_kings/18-28.htm">Cried</a> <a href="/hebrews/12-19.htm">Declined</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm">Degrees</a> <a href="/isaiah/38-8.htm">Dial</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-9.htm">Isaiah</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-5.htm">Prayer</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-1.htm">Prophet</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-9.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/1_kings/10-5.htm">Stairway</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm">Steps</a> <a href="/2_kings/3-22.htm">Sun</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm">Ten</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/2_kings/23-12.htm">Ahaz</a> <a href="/job/23-8.htm">Backward</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/4-10.htm">Cried</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/34-2.htm">Declined</a> <a href="/psalms/120-1.htm">Degrees</a> <a href="/isaiah/38-8.htm">Dial</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-14.htm">Isaiah</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/17-25.htm">Prayer</a> <a href="/2_kings/20-14.htm">Prophet</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/9-4.htm">Stairway</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-7.htm">Steps</a> <a href="/2_kings/23-5.htm">Sun</a> <a href="/2_kings/24-14.htm">Ten</a><div class="vheading2">2 Kings 20</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/20-1.htm">Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer has his life lengthened.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/20-8.htm">The sun goes ten degrees backward for a sign of that promise.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/20-12.htm">Berodach-baladan sending to visit Hezekiah has notice of his treasures.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/20-14.htm">Isaiah understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/20-20.htm">Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/2_kings/20.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/2_kings/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/2_kings/20.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD</b><br>Isaiah, a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible, is known for his close relationship with God and his role as a messenger to the kings of Judah. His calling out to the LORD signifies a direct communication with God, highlighting the intimate relationship between the prophet and the divine. This act of calling out is a demonstration of faith and reliance on God's power. Isaiah's role as a prophet is crucial, as he often served as a mediator between God and the people, delivering messages of both judgment and hope. This moment reflects the biblical theme of intercession, where prophets and leaders seek God's intervention on behalf of others.<p><b>and He brought the shadow back the ten steps</b><br>This miraculous event is a sign from God, demonstrating His control over time and nature. The movement of the shadow backward is a supernatural occurrence, emphasizing God's sovereignty and ability to alter the natural order. In the ancient Near Eastern context, shadows and sundials were used to measure time, and this reversal would have been a clear and undeniable sign of divine intervention. The number ten may symbolize completeness or perfection in biblical numerology, further underscoring the significance of this miracle.<p><b>it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz</b><br>The stairway of Ahaz refers to a specific architectural feature, likely a set of steps or a sundial constructed during the reign of King Ahaz, Hezekiah's father. This detail provides historical context, linking the miracle to a tangible location known to the people of Judah. The mention of Ahaz, a king who was often criticized for his lack of faithfulness to God, contrasts with the faith demonstrated by Hezekiah and Isaiah in this narrative. The stairway serves as a physical reminder of the past, while the miracle itself points to God's ongoing presence and power in the lives of His people.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/i/isaiah_the_prophet.htm">Isaiah the Prophet</a></b><br>A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah served as a messenger of God, delivering His words to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. In this passage, he acts as an intermediary between God and King Hezekiah.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The covenant God of Israel, who demonstrates His power and faithfulness by performing a miraculous sign in response to Isaiah's prayer.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_shadow.htm">The Shadow</a></b><br>Represents the miraculous sign given by God, where the shadow on the stairway moves backward, defying natural laws.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_stairway_of_ahaz.htm">The Stairway of Ahaz</a></b><br>A specific architectural feature, possibly a sundial or a set of steps, associated with King Ahaz, Hezekiah's father. It serves as the setting for the miraculous sign.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/k/king_hezekiah.htm">King Hezekiah</a></b><br>Although not directly mentioned in this verse, he is the recipient of the sign. Hezekiah was a king of Judah known for his faithfulness to God and his reforms to restore proper worship.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_over_nature.htm">God's Sovereignty Over Nature</a></b><br>This passage illustrates God's absolute control over the natural world. He can alter the course of time and space to fulfill His purposes and demonstrate His power.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_prayer.htm">The Power of Prayer</a></b><br>Isaiah's prayer and God's response highlight the importance of prayer in the believer's life. It shows that God listens to and acts upon the prayers of His faithful servants.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/faith_and_assurance.htm">Faith and Assurance</a></b><br>The miraculous sign given to Hezekiah serves as a reassurance of God's promises. Believers can trust in God's faithfulness and His ability to fulfill His word.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_personal_involvement.htm">God's Personal Involvement</a></b><br>The specific and personal nature of the sign to Hezekiah shows that God is intimately involved in the lives of His people, providing guidance and assurance in times of need.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_2_kings_20.htm">Top 10 Lessons from 2 Kings 20</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/2_kings_20_9-11__sundial_shadow_reversal.htm">2 Kings 20:9–11: How could the shadow on the sundial move backward without violating the laws of physics? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_ahaz's_sundial_historically_verified.htm">2 Kings 20:8: Is there an archaeological or historical record of Ahaz's sundial that corroborates this account?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_isaiah_38_7-8's_sign_metaphorical.htm">Could the sign in Isaiah 38:7-8 be metaphorical rather than an actual astronomical phenomenon?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/2_kings_20_7__how_did_figs_cure_a_fatal_illness.htm">2 Kings 20:7: Why was a simple poultice of figs sufficient to cure a fatal illness if it was truly life-threatening?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/2_kings/20.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(11) <span class= "bld">And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord.</span>--Thus the sign is evidently regarded by the historian as something directly involving the Divine agency, <span class= "ital">i.e.,</span> as a miracle.<p><span class= "bld">He brought . . . Ahaz.</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">and he </span>(<span class= "ital">i.e.,</span> Jehovah) <span class= "ital">made the shadow return on the steps, which it had descended in the steps of Ahaz, backward ten steps.</span> On the question of how it was done, a good many opinions have been expressed, <span class= "ital">e.g.,</span> by means of a mock sun, a cloud of vapour, an earthquake, a contrivance applied by Isaiah (!) to the sun-dial, &c.<p>Ephrem Syrus, and other church fathers, believed that the sun receded in his celestial path; but it is not said that the sun went back, but the shadow. (<a href="/isaiah/38-8.htm" title="Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.">Isaiah 38:8</a> says "the sun returned," by a perfectly natural <span class= "ital">usus loquendi.</span>) Keil assumes "a wondrous refraction of the sun's rays effected by God at the prayer of Isaiah." Professor Birks and Mr. Cheyne agree with this, assuming, further, that the refraction was local only. (See <a href="/2_chronicles/32-31.htm" title="However, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.">2Chronicles 32:31</a>.) Thenius, after arguing at length in favour of an eclipse (that of September 26th. 713 B.C. , which, however, will not harmonise with the Assyrian chronology), says: "Notwithstanding all this, I do not insist upon the suggested explanation, but I attach myself, with Knobel and Hitzig, to the <span class= "ital">mythical</span> conception of the narrative." "That the sign was granted, and that it was due to the direct agency of Him who ordereth all things according to His Divine will, is certain. <span class= "ital">How</span> it was effected the narrative does not in any way disclose" (the Editor). Ewald and others wish to see in the retrogression of the shadow a token that "Hezekiah's life-limit was to go back many years;" but the prophet gave the king is choice whether the shadow should go forward or backward.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/2_kings/20.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 11.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord.</span> Though the sign had been promised, Isaiah regarded his own intercessional prayer as not out of place, and "cried unto the Lord," <span class="accented">i.e.</span> prayed with energy, that the king's wish might be accomplished. So, though we have God's promise to care for us, and keep us from want (<a href="/matthew/6-25.htm">Matthew 6:25-30</a>), yet we must daily beseech him to "give us this day our daily bread." <span class="cmt_word">And he brought the shadow ten degrees backward.</span> How this was done, we are not told, and can therefore only conjecture. The earlier commentators imagined that the revolution of the earth upon its axis was actually reversed for a time; but this idea is now generally rejected. It is clear from <a href="/2_chronicles/32-31.htm">2 Chronicles 32:31</a> that the phenomenon, whatever may have been its cause, was local, "done in the land" of Judah, and not visible elsewhere. Some moderns have suggested an earthquake affecting the gnomon; some a trick on the part of Isaiah; ethers, and the generality, a very abnormal refraction of the sun's rays. An observed instance of something similar, which took place at Metz, in Lotheringia, in the year 1703, is on record. Two scientists, Professor Seyffarth and Mr. J. W. Bosanquet, think that the phenomenon was due to an eclipse, in which the upper limb of the sun was obscured temporarily. In such a case a slight recession of the shadow would certainly take place; but it would scarcely be such as to attract attention from any one but a scientific observer (Stanley, 'Lectures on the Jewish Church,' vol. 2. p. 537). On the whole, the most probable cause would seem to be refraction, which is accepted by Keil, Bahr, and Kay. <span class="cmt_word">By which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz</span>; literally, <span class="accented">on the steps of Ahaz</span>. Sundials were invented by the Babylonians (Herod., 2:109), and were no doubt in use at Babylon long before the time of Hezekiah. They were of various kinds, and in some of them the gnomon was made to cast its shadow upon steps. There are still two dials in India - one at Benares, known as the Manmandir, and the other at Delhi - where this is the case (see Mr. Bosanquet's paper, already quoted, plate opp. p. 35). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/2_kings/20-11.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So Isaiah</span><br /><span class="heb">יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ</span> <span class="translit">(yə·ša‘·yā·hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3470.htm">Strong's 3470: </a> </span><span class="str2">Isaiah -- 'salvation of Yah', four Israelites</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the prophet</span><br /><span class="heb">הַנָּבִ֖יא</span> <span class="translit">(han·nā·ḇî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5030.htm">Strong's 5030: </a> </span><span class="str2">A spokesman, speaker, prophet</span><br /><br /><span class="word">called out</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיִּקְרָ֛א</span> <span class="translit">(way·yiq·rā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7121.htm">Strong's 7121: </a> </span><span class="str2">To call, proclaim, read</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to</span><br /><span class="heb">אֶל־</span> <span class="translit">(’el-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_413.htm">Strong's 413: </a> </span><span class="str2">Near, with, among, to</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the LORD,</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוָ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(Yah·weh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> </span><span class="str2">LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and He brought</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיָּ֣שֶׁב</span> <span class="translit">(way·yā·šeḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7725.htm">Strong's 7725: </a> </span><span class="str2">To turn back, in, to retreat, again</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the shadow</span><br /><span class="heb">הַצֵּ֗ל</span> <span class="translit">(haṣ·ṣêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6738.htm">Strong's 6738: </a> </span><span class="str2">A shadow</span><br /><br /><span class="word">back</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·ḥō·ran·nîṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_322.htm">Strong's 322: </a> </span><span class="str2">Backwards</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the ten</span><br /><span class="heb">עֶ֥שֶׂר</span> <span class="translit">(‘e·śer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Number - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6235.htm">Strong's 6235: </a> </span><span class="str2">Ten</span><br /><br /><span class="word">steps</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(bə·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4609.htm">Strong's 4609: </a> </span><span class="str2">Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it had descended</span><br /><span class="heb">יָרְדָ֜ה</span> <span class="translit">(yā·rə·ḏāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3381.htm">Strong's 3381: </a> </span><span class="str2">To come or go down, descend</span><br /><br /><span class="word">on the stairway</span><br /><span class="heb">מַעֲלֽוֹת׃</span> <span class="translit">(ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4609.htm">Strong's 4609: </a> </span><span class="str2">Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of Ahaz.</span><br /><span class="heb">אָחָ֛ז</span> <span class="translit">(’ā·ḥāz)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_271.htm">Strong's 271: </a> </span><span class="str2">Ahaz -- 'he has grasped', two Israelites</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/2_kings/20-11.htm">2 Kings 20:11 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/2_kings/20-11.htm">OT History: 2 Kings 20:11 Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/2_kings/20-10.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Kings 20:10"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Kings 20:10" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/2_kings/20-12.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Kings 20:12"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Kings 20:12" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>