1Hezekiah, warned by Isaiah to prepare for death, upon his prayer is promised an addition of fifteen years to his life: 8in confirmation whereof the shadow goeth ten degrees backward on the sundial of Ahaz. 12Berodach-baladan sendeth to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, who ostentatiously sheweth the ambassadors his treasures. 14Isaiah hearing this foretelleth the Babylonish captivity. 20Hezekiah dieth: Manasseh succeedeth him.
1IN 1those days wasa Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 2Set thine house in order; for 3thou shalt die, and not live.
1 Namely, after that the host of the Assyrians was smitten, and Judah delivered from them; which are perceived to have been in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign.
a 2 Chron. 32:24; Isa. 38:1.
2 That is, take order concerning thy last will, for the disposing of thine estate, as thou wilt have the same to go after thy decease; that is as much as make thy last will and testament. Also 2 Sam. 17:23; Isa. 38:1.
3 Hebr. thou art dead, or, dying; that is, thou shalt die soon. See Gen. 20 on verse 3. Understand this threat with a concealed condition: if he humbled not himself and prayed unto God for mercy. Compare Jonah 3:4, 10.
2Then he 4turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
4 Namely, that, having turned away his eyes from men, he might be the better to turn his mind to God, to pray earnestly and fervently.
3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee 5in truth and with a 6perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah 7wept sore.
5 Or, in faithfulness, faithfully.
6 See 1 Kings 8 on verse 61.
7 Hebr. wept a great weeping, or with a great weeping. He wept not so much through fear of death, as because he was troubled to think what would become of God’s people, the pure worship of God, and the state of the kingdom after his death.
4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the 8middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
8 Namely, of the king’s house, which court is called another court, 1 Kings 7:8. Other, out of the middle city, that is, out of the middle part of the city, which was between the fort and the utmost part of the city. It is perceived that the city of Jerusalem consisted of three parts: first, the city of David on mount Zion, where was the royal fort; second, the middle part of the city; third, the remaining and utmost part thereof. Compare 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chron. 34:22; Zeph. 1:10.
5Turn 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.
6And I will 9add unto thy days fifteen years; and I 10will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city 11for mine own sake, and 12for my servant David's sake.
9 Understand this in respect of the nature of the sickness, which was mingled with death, and not in respect of God’s purpose, Who had determined by His almighty power to cure the disease, and to keep the king alive yet fifteen years longer.
10 Namely, by preventing the Assyrians from re-assuming the war.
11 See 2 Kings 19 on verse 34.
12 See 1 Kings 11 on verse 12.
7And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he 13recovered.
13 Hebr. lived. Also 2 Kings 8 on verse 8, that is, he recovered, not so much by the natural virtue of the figs (which indeed are a conducible means thereunto) as chiefly by the special and supernatural power and blessing of the Almighty.
8¶And Hezekiah 14said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
14 He did not speak this out of unbelief, as the scribes and Pharisees desired a sign, Mat. 12:38, but of an upright inclination or affection, to strengthen his faith, because this promise of life did seem directly to oppose and contradict the former threatening of death. Compare Judges 6:17.
9And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: 15shall the 16shadow go 17forward ten 18degrees, or go 19back ten degrees?
15 Or, the shadow is gone forward ten degrees, shall it go back ten degrees?
16 Namely, which was made by the shining of the sun on the dial over the timepiece.
17 That is, speedily, and, as it were in a moment, in an extraordinary manner, toward the west.
18 Hebr. ascensions, steps. Understand the marks or strokes, or lines in the clock, by which the hours were distinguished and portrayed on the dial. This has been a great, miraculous work of God. Concerning the degrees or lines, whether they signify half or whole hours, and the like more circumstances, thereof are different opinions.
19 That is, toward the east.
10And Hezekiah answered, It is a 20light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
20 As more agreeing with the ordinary course of the sun, although also miraculous.
11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the 21dial of Ahaz.
21 That is, in the sundial, which Ahaz, his father, had caused to be made.
12¶At that time Berodach-baladan,22 the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, 23sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
22 The king of Babylon, called also Merodach-baladan, Isa. 39:1, and in secular histories.
23 Namely, to congratulate Hezekiah in regard of his recovery and to enquire of the miracle that happened in the sun, (Isa. 38:8), and was also taken notice of in Chaldea, 2 Chron. 32:31.
13And Hezekiah 24hearkened unto 25them, and shewed them all the 26house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oint-ment, and all the 27house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was noth-ing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
24 Namely, with joy. See Isa. 39:2.
25 Understand the messengers, or lords, who had brought the aforementioned letters and present. To these Hezekiah did carefully listen, concerning that which was presented to him, or enquired of him.
26 Or, house of spice. Understand an house, wherein all manner of pleasant drugs, spices and costly wares were laid up.
27 Hebr. an house of vessels, or instruments. Understand weapons, or jewels of silver and gold, and all manner of precious utensils of gold.
14¶Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
15And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
16And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word 28of the LORD.
28 Namely, which the Lord in His due time will execute, because thou hast prided thyself in the lofty show of thy treasures and riches.
17Behold, the days come, 29that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
29 See the accomplishment hereof 2 Kings 24:13; 25:13; Jer. 52:17.
18And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, 30shall they take away; and they shall be 31eunuchsb in the palace of the king of Babylon.
30 See the accomplishment hereof in chapters 24 and 25.
31 That is, court servants. See Gen. 37 on verse 36.
b (castrated) male employed as a high officer, usually by an oriental ruler*
19Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, 32Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?
32 Namely, be good? Or, is it not so? See the like phrase, 1 Sam. 10:1. Good, mentioned here, is altogether righteous and gracious. Righteous, because he and the land had deserved punishments; gracious, because God was still bountiful to him, and his people, though unworthy.
20¶And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a 33pool, and a conduit,c and 34brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
33 See of this pool 2 Kings 18:17; Neh. 3:16.
c pipe or channel for carrying fluid
34 Namely, to cut it off from the enemy. See 2 Chron. 32:3, 4, 30.
21And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.