The sun-dial is an ancient timekeeping device that measures the passage of time by the position of the sun. In the Bible, the sun-dial is notably mentioned in the context of a miraculous event during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. This event is recorded in the books of 2 Kings and Isaiah.

Biblical References:

1. 2 Kings 20:8-11 : In this passage, King Hezekiah falls ill, and the prophet Isaiah tells him that he will recover. As a sign of this promise, Hezekiah asks for a sign from the LORD. Isaiah offers a choice: should the shadow on the sun-dial go forward ten steps or back ten steps? Hezekiah chooses for the shadow to go back, and the LORD causes the shadow to move backward ten steps on the sun-dial of Ahaz, Hezekiah's father. This miraculous event serves as a divine confirmation of God's promise to extend Hezekiah's life.

2. Isaiah 38:7-8 : This passage parallels the account in 2 Kings, providing additional details about the sign given to Hezekiah. The LORD speaks through Isaiah, affirming that He will make the shadow cast by the sun go back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz. This miraculous reversal of the sun's shadow is a testament to God's power and faithfulness.

Historical and Cultural Context:

The sun-dial, or "stairway" as it is sometimes translated, was likely a series of steps or a sloped surface where the shadow of a gnomon (a vertical stick or pillar) would fall, indicating the time of day. The sun-dial of Ahaz, mentioned in the biblical account, suggests that such devices were known and used in ancient Judah. The movement of the shadow backward was a supernatural event, as it defied the natural order and demonstrated God's control over creation.

Theological Significance:

The account of the sun-dial in the Bible highlights several key theological themes:

· Divine Sovereignty: The miraculous movement of the sun's shadow underscores God's sovereignty over the natural world. It serves as a reminder that God is not bound by the laws of nature and can intervene in extraordinary ways to fulfill His purposes.

· Faith and Assurance: Hezekiah's request for a sign and God's response illustrate the relationship between faith and divine assurance. The backward movement of the shadow provided Hezekiah with tangible evidence of God's promise, strengthening his faith and trust in the LORD.

· God's Faithfulness: The event is a testament to God's faithfulness in keeping His promises. Just as Hezekiah's life was extended, the sign of the sun-dial reassures believers of God's unwavering commitment to His word.

In summary, the sun-dial in the biblical narrative serves as a powerful symbol of God's miraculous intervention and His ability to transcend the natural order to accomplish His divine will.

From a Hindu Point of view
... Upon it, there is what I thought at first was a sun-dial, and I wondered what it
was doing there. ... It is not a sun-dial, it is an impaling instrument. ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xxvi from a hindu.htm

The Ambassadors from Babylon
... Only by the direct interposition of God could the shadow on the sundial be made
to turn back ten degrees; and this was to be the sign to Hezekiah that the Lord ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 29 the ambassadors from.htm

Our Lord's Solemn Enquiry
... sundials. We can tell what is o'clock by the sundial when the sun shines,
but if it does not what is the use of the sundial? And ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/our lords solemn enquiry.htm

Rendering Our Account.
... There is a motto very commonly engraved upon a sundial, which means that the moments
of time are perishing, and are being recorded in God's Book. ...
/.../sermon xliv rendering our account.htm

Under Ban of the Ritual
... sod, and walks of inlaid tile, seats of carved stone, and a single small obelisk,
set on a circular slab, marked with measures for time"the Egyptian sun-dial ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter ii under ban of.htm

The Same Endeavour and Effort after virginity, with a Different ...
... glorified. [2667]. Footnotes: [2664] Matthew 25.p>[2665] In Greek i = ten. The
word employed signifies the index of a sun-dial.--Tr. [The ...
/.../chapter iii the same endeavour and.htm

Another Method of Fixing the Horoscope at Birth; Equally Futile ...
... [172] Or, "view.". [173] The clepsydra, an instrument for measuring duration, was,
with the sun-dial, invented by the Egyptians under the Ptolemies. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter v another method of fixing.htm

Why all Things Work for Good
... Or as the traveller does with the sun-dial; if the sun shines upon the dial, the
traveller will step out of the road, and look upon the dial: but if the sun ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/why all things work for.htm

The Historical Books.
... Isa.38: 7, 8, and which is expressly ascribed to divine power: "Behold, I will bring
again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... [5] As to this regress of the shadow, either upon a sun-dial, or the steps of the
royal palace built by Ahaz, whether it were physically done by the real ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Sundial (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Sundial (1 Occurrence). ... So the sun returned ten
steps on the sundial on which it had gone down."'" (WEB). ...
/s/sundial.htm - 6k

Sun-dial (1 Occurrence)
Sun-dial. Sundial, Sun-dial. Sundown . Multi-Version Concordance Sun-dial
(1 Occurrence). ... (See JPS WBS). Sundial, Sun-dial. Sundown . Reference Bible.
/s/sun-dial.htm - 6k

Backward (39 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down
on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. ...
/b/backward.htm - 18k

Dial (2 Occurrences)
... Probably the sun-dial was a Babylonian invention ... the time of day from the shadow
of a style or gnomon on a graduated arc or surface; esp., a sundial; but there ...
/d/dial.htm - 19k

Shadow (72 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down
on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. ...
/s/shadow.htm - 35k

Sundown (9 Occurrences)

/s/sundown.htm - 9k

Steps (113 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone
down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. ...
/s/steps.htm - 34k

Ahaz (42 Occurrences)
... somewhat of a dilettante in matters of art, and he set up a sun-dial, which seems
to ... Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone ...
/a/ahaz.htm - 43k

Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... and Batasis son of Bretasis having made in accordance with a vow at their own expense
(a statue of) Hermes Most Great along with a sun-dial dedicated it to ...
/l/lystra.htm - 14k

Sundered (1 Occurrence)

/s/sundered.htm - 6k

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