2 Kings 20:10

2 Kings 20:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
• New International Version (NIV)“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.”

Context of 2 Kings 20:10

8Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, ‘What will show me that the Lord will make me well again? How will I know that I will go up to the Lord's temple on the third day from now?’ 9Isaiah answered, ‘The Lord will do a miracle to show you that he will do what he has promised. Do you want the shadow on these stairs to move down ten steps? Or do you want the shadow to go back up ten steps?’ Hezekiah said, ‘It is easy to cause the shadow to move down ten steps. So I want it to go back up ten steps.’ 11Then Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord to do this. The Lord caused the shadow to go back up ten steps on the stairs that King Ahaz had made. 12At that time, Baladan's son, Merodach-Baladan, was the king of Babylon. Merodach-Baladan sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. He had heard the news that Hezekiah had been ill.

2 Kings 20:10 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ נָקֵ֣ל לַצֵּ֔ל לִנְט֖וֹת עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲל֑וֹת לֹ֣א כִ֔י יָשׁ֥וּב הַצֵּ֛ל אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Hezekiahיְחִזְקִיָּהyechizqîyâh yechizqîyâhû · JehizkiahH3169
• answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• It is a light thingקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• for the shadowצֵלtsêl · shadowH6738
• to go downנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• degreesמַעֲלָהma‛ălâh · stepH4609
• returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• backwardאֲחֹרַנִּית'ăchôrannîyth · backwardsH322

Cross-references for 2 Kings 20:10

• 2 Kings 2:10Elijah said, ‘You have asked a difficult thing. But watch carefully when God takes me from you. If you see it happen, you will receive that spirit. If you do not see me, you will not receive it.’
• 2 Kings 3:18This is an easy thing for the Lord to do. He will also put the Moabites under your power.
• Isaiah 49:6‘As my servant, I have a greater job for you to do. It will not only be to make Jacob's tribes strong again. It will not only be to bring back Israel's people that I have kept safe. It will also be your job to bring light to the other nations. You will show people all over the world that I have the power to save them.’
• Mark 9:28Jesus went into a house and the disciples were alone with him. Then they asked him, ‘Why could we not cause the bad spirit to leave the boy?’
• John 14:12I tell you this: Whoever believes in me will do the same things that I have been doing. Yes, he will do even greater things than these, because I will go to my Father.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 20:10

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10It is a light thing - It seemed to Hezekiah comparatively easy that the shadow, which had already begun to lengthen, should merely make a sudden jump in the same direction; but, wholly contrary to all experience that it should change its direction, advancing up the steps again when it had once begun to descend them.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10go back ten steps: The shadow's retreat was unnatural, and this miracle confirmed God's message to Hezekiah.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-118-11. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 20:10

• Degrees
• Disease
• Faith
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Miracles
• Rulers
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Time

In the dictionaries

• Hezekiah
• Dial
• Issue
• Lump
• Ahaz
• Chronicles, Books of
• Decline
• Degree
• Dial of Ahaz
• Hezekiah (2)

Commentaries on 2 Kings 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings