2 Kings 20:11

2 Kings 20:11 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of 2 Kings 20:11

9Isaiah 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?” 10Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps.” Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. 12At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah was ill. 13Hezekiah welcomed 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.

2 Kings 20:11 word by word

וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּ֗ל בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרְדָ֜ה בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת אָחָ֛ז אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּyesha‛yâh yesha‛yâhû · IsaiahH3470
• the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and he broughtשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• the shadowצֵלtsêl · shadowH6738
• tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• degreesמַעֲלָהma‛ălâh · stepH4609
• backwardאֲחֹרַנִּית'ăchôrannîyth · backwardsH322
• which it had gone downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• of Ahazאָחָז'âchâz · AhazH271

Cross-references for 2 Kings 20:11

• Exodus 14:15The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
• 1 Kings 17:20Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?”
• 1 Kings 18:36When it was time for the evening offering, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.
• Acts 9:40But Peter sent them all outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
• Joshua 10:12The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon! O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”
• 2 Chronicles 32:24In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed.
• Isaiah 38:8Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” And then the shadow went back ten steps.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 20:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11He 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. But the miracle might be effected by means of refraction, for a ray of light we know can be varied or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-19In those days: This phrase gives a general time reference. It shows that the events are grouped by theme, not by strict order of time. The story about Merodach-baladan (2 Kings 20:12–19), who Sennacherib had expelled from Babylon before 701 BC, occurred before the events in chapters 18–19 but after Hezekiah's illness (2 Kings 20:12).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 20:11

• Ahaz
• Degrees
• Dial
• Disease
• Faith
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Miracles
• Prayer
• Rulers
• Sun
• Sun-Dial
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Time

In the dictionaries

• Ahaz
• Isaiah
• Dial of Ahaz
• Dial
• Issue
• Lump
• Chronicles, Books of
• Degree
• Hezekiah (2)
• Israel, History of

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