Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?” New Living Translation Isaiah replied, “This is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?” English Standard Version And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” Berean Standard Bible And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” Berean Literal Bible And Isaiah said, “This is to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH will do the thing that He has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go backward ten degrees?” King James Bible And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? New King James Version Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?” New American Standard Bible Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will perform the word that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” NASB 1995 Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” NASB 1977 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” Legacy Standard Bible And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or turn back ten steps?” Amplified Bible Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from the LORD, that He will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow [indicating the time of day] go forward ten steps, or go backward ten steps?” Berean Annotated Bible And Isaiah (YHWH has saved) had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD {YHWH} that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps? Christian Standard Bible Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised: Should the shadow go ahead ten steps or go back ten steps? ” Holman Christian Standard Bible Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Should the shadow go ahead 10 steps or go back 10 steps?” American Standard Version And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps? Contemporary English Version Isaiah replied, "The LORD will prove to you that he will keep his promise. Will the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway go forward ten steps or back ten steps?" English Revised Version And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps? GOD'S WORD® Translation Isaiah said, "This is your sign from the LORD that he will do what he promises. Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or come back ten steps?" Good News Translation Isaiah replied, "The LORD will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. Now, would you prefer to have the shadow on the stairway go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?" International Standard Version So Isaiah replied, "This will be your sign from the LORD that the LORD will do what he has promised. Shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?" NET Bible Isaiah 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?" New Heart English Bible Isaiah said, "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?" Webster's Bible Translation And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” World English Bible Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing that he has spoken: should the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Isaiah says, “This [is] the sign to you from YHWH, that YHWH does the thing that He has spoken—[will] the shadow have gone on ten degrees, or does it turn back ten degrees?” Berean Literal Bible And Isaiah said, “This is to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH will do the thing that He has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go backward ten degrees?” Young's Literal Translation And Isaiah saith, 'This is to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah doth the thing that He hath spoken -- The shadow hath gone on ten degrees, or it doth turn back ten degrees?' Smith's Literal Translation And Isaiah will say, This the sign to thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the word which he spake: the shadow going ten steps, or shall it turn back ten steps? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd Isaias said to him: This shall be the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will do the word which he hath spoken: Wilt thou that the shadow go forward ten lines, or that it go back so many degrees? Catholic Public Domain Version And Isaiah said to him: “This will be the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will do the word that he has spoken: Do you wish that the shadow may ascend ten lines, or that it may turn back for the same number of degrees?” New American Bible Isaiah replied, “This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will carry out the word he has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward or back ten steps?” New Revised Standard Version Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: the shadow has now advanced ten intervals; shall it retreat ten intervals?” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Isaiah said, This is the sign that you shall have from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or backward ten degrees? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Isaiah said: “This is the sign for you from before LORD JEHOVAH, that LORD JEHOVAH will perform for you the statement that he spoke: will the shadow walk ten degrees, or will it return ten degrees?” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Isaiah said: 'This shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? Brenton Septuagint Translation And Esaias said, This is the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will perform the word which he has spoken, the shadow of the dial shall advance ten degrees: or if it should go back ten degrees this would also be the sign. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery…8Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” 9And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” 10“It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.”… Cross References And Isaiah had replied, 2 Kings 19:20 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. Isaiah 37:21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, Isaiah 38:4-6 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, / “Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. / And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. “This will be a sign to you from the LORD Exodus 3:12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.” Isaiah 7:11-14 “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” / But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.” / Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? … Judges 6:17 Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me. that He will do what He has promised: 1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses. Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, Joshua 10:12-14 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. Job 9:7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars. Psalm 104:19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set. or back ten steps?” Isaiah 38:8 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. Habakkuk 3:11 Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear. Psalm 74:16-17 The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun. / You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter. Isaiah 38:7-8 This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: / 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. Treasury of Scripture And Isaiah said, This sign shall you have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? This sign. Isaiah 38:7,8 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken; … Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven… Mark 8:11,12 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him… Jump to Previous Degrees Forward Isaiah Lord's Promised Shade Shadow Sign Steps Ten TurnJump to Next Degrees Forward Isaiah Lord's Promised Shade Shadow Sign Steps Ten Turn2 Kings 20 1. Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer has his life lengthened.8. The sun goes ten degrees backward for a sign of that promise. 12. Berodach-baladan sending to visit Hezekiah has notice of his treasures. 14. Isaiah understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity. 20. Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah. And Isaiah had replied Isaiah, a major prophet in the Old Testament, served during the reigns of several kings of Judah, including Hezekiah. His role as a prophet was to convey God's messages to the people and the king. Isaiah's interactions with Hezekiah are significant, as they demonstrate the prophet's influence and the king's reliance on divine guidance. “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” Persons / Places / Events 1. HezekiahThe king of Judah who was ill and prayed to the LORD for healing. God granted him 15 more years of life. 2. Isaiah The prophet who delivered God's message to Hezekiah, including the sign of the shadow. 3. The LORD The God of Israel, who hears Hezekiah's prayer and provides a miraculous sign. 4. The Sundial of Ahaz The device used to measure time by the movement of the sun's shadow, which God used to perform the sign. 5. Jerusalem The capital city of Judah, where these events took place. Teaching Points Faith and SignsHezekiah's request for a sign demonstrates a human tendency to seek tangible evidence of God's promises. While God graciously provides signs, believers are called to trust in His word even without them. God's Sovereignty Over Nature The miraculous movement of the shadow illustrates God's control over creation. This reassures believers of His power to intervene in their lives in extraordinary ways. Prayer and God's Response Hezekiah's earnest prayer and God's immediate response highlight the importance of prayer in the believer's life. God hears and answers prayers according to His will. The Role of Prophets Isaiah's role as a messenger underscores the importance of listening to God's appointed leaders and the messages they bring from Him. Humility and Repentance Hezekiah's account, including his later pride and repentance, serves as a reminder of the need for humility before God and the dangers of pride. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 2 Kings 20:9?2. How does 2 Kings 20:9 demonstrate God's power over natural laws? 3. What does the sign in 2 Kings 20:9 reveal about God's faithfulness? 4. How can we trust God's promises like Hezekiah did in 2 Kings 20:9? 5. What other biblical instances show God providing signs to confirm His word? 6. How can we seek God's guidance in decision-making, inspired by 2 Kings 20:9? 7. What is the significance of the shadow moving backward in 2 Kings 20:9? 8. How does 2 Kings 20:9 demonstrate God's power over nature? 9. Why did Hezekiah request a sign in 2 Kings 20:9? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Kings 20? 11. 2 Kings 20:9–11: How could the shadow on the sundial move backward without violating the laws of physics? 12. How could the sun “stand still” in Joshua 10:13 without catastrophic effects on Earth? 13. In Job 9:7, the text suggests God can command the sun not to rise, but astronomy shows consistent solar cycles—does this imply poetic exaggeration or a literal event? 14. In Matthew 2:9, how could a star move to single out one specific house without defying known astronomical laws? What Does 2 Kings 20:9 Mean And Isaiah had replied• Isaiah stands as God’s mouthpiece, responding immediately to King Hezekiah’s request for assurance (2 Kings 20:8). • Prophets throughout Scripture relay God’s word with absolute authority—compare 1 Samuel 3:19–20 and 2 Peter 1:21. • The speed of Isaiah’s reply underscores that the Lord hears and answers prayer without delay (Psalm 34:17; Isaiah 65:24). This will be a sign to you from the LORD • A “sign” is a visible, unmistakable act that confirms God’s word—just as the rainbow certified His covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:12–13) and the plagues convinced Pharaoh (Exodus 7:3). • Signs are never spectacles for entertainment; they foster confidence in God’s promises (John 20:30–31). • Hezekiah had already received a verbal promise of healing (2 Kings 20:5); now God graciously adds tangible proof, reflecting His patient heart toward those who struggle (Judges 6:17; Isaiah 7:11). that He will do what He has promised • God’s integrity is on display—“God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). • The promise in view: three days hence Hezekiah will worship in the temple and fifteen years will be added to his life (2 Kings 20:5–6; cf. Psalm 119:89–90). • From the Exodus (Exodus 12:41) to Solomon’s dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:56), Scripture repeatedly affirms that every divine promise reaches its fulfillment. Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps • The setting is the “stairway of Ahaz,” a sundial with descending steps that marked the sun’s progress (2 Kings 20:11). • For the shadow to advance rapidly would compress natural time—an unmistakable intervention (Psalm 74:16; Jeremiah 32:27). • By offering Hezekiah a choice, God invites active faith participation, much like Jesus asking the blind man, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). or back ten steps? • Reversing the shadow defies ordinary physics, making the miracle even more striking (Isaiah 38:8). • Comparable cosmic miracles include the longer day at Gibeon when “the sun stopped” (Joshua 10:13). • Hezekiah later selects this option because it is “harder”—showing he trusts God to do the humanly impossible (Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20). • The backward movement silently proclaims God’s sovereignty over time itself—a foretaste of the One who later would roll back death at the resurrection (Romans 6:9). summary 2 Kings 20:9 records God’s compassionate willingness to strengthen a wavering king. Through Isaiah, the Lord offers a miraculous alteration of time’s visible marker to guarantee His word of healing and extended life. Whether the shadow surged ahead or retreated, the core message remains: the Lord keeps every promise, governs creation effortlessly, and invites His people to trust Him fully. (9) Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?--Rather, the shadow hath marched (or travelled) ten steps; shall it return ten steps? This is what the Hebrew text seems to say at a first glance. But Hezekiah's answer apparently implies an alternative; and we might render: "the shadow shall have travelled ten steps; or shall it return ten steps?" (Comp. the LXX. ??????????.) The Targum has: "shall the shadow march ten hours or return ten hours?" The Vulgate also makes it a double question. The Syriac is: "the shadow shall march ten steps, or return ten steps."It is very probable that the Hebrew text is corrupt. We might read the first word as an infinitive instead of a perfect, after the analogy of 2Kings 19:29 ("ye shall eat"). Or we might read "shall it march?" as a question (h?-y?l?k); or better still, "shall it go up" (h?-y?l?k), after the hint afforded by the Vulgate: "Vis ut ascendat umbra . . . Et ait Ezeehias, Facile est umbram crescere," &c. It is obvious that a kind of sun-dial is meant, though what kind is not so clear. The word "degrees" (ma'?loth) means "steps" or "stairs" wherever it occurs. (See Exodus 20:26; Ezekiel 40:6; Ezekiel 40:22; Ezekiel 40:26; Ezekiel 40:31, &c; 1Kings 10:20; Nehemiah 3:15.) There is probability, therefore, in Knobel's conjecture that "the dial of Ahaz" consisted of a column rising from a circular flight of steps, so as to throw the shadow of its top on the top step at noon, and morning and evening on the bottom step. This, or some similar device, was set up in the palace court, and was probably visible to Hezekiah lying on his sick bed and facing the window. Herodotus (ii. 9) ascribes the invention of the gnomon to the Babylonians. From the inscriptions we know that they divided time into periods of two hours, each called in Sumerian kasbumi, and in Assyrian asli. Each kasbu or aslu was subdivided into sixty equal parts. . . . Verse 9. - And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken. Hezekiah is no more reproved for asking for a sign than was Gideon (Judges 6:37, 39). Ahaz, his father, had been reproved for not asking (Isaiah 7:13). It would be faithless now for Christians to demand signs; but in an age of miracles, when there were prophets upon the earth empowered to give signs, faithful men might request them without incurring God's displeasure. Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees? The Hebrew text will scarcely bear this translation, which, however, seems to be required by Hezekiah's answer. Perhaps for חָלַך we should read הֲחָלך. Or go back ten degrees? literally, in both clauses, ten steps. There are abundant reasons for believing that the early dials consisted of a gnomon set up on the top of a flight of steps, and that time was measured by the number of steps on which the shadow of the gnomon fell (see a paper by Mr. Bosanquet, in the 'Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology' for 1874, pp. 1-82).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew And Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֗הוּ (yə·ša‘·yā·hū) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3470: Isaiah -- 'salvation of Yah', four Israelites replied, וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “This זֶה־ (zeh-) Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that will be a sign הָאוֹת֙ (hā·’ō·wṯ) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 226: A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence to you לְּךָ֤ (lə·ḵā) Preposition | second person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew from מֵאֵ֣ת (mê·’êṯ) Preposition-m | Direct object marker Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case the LORD יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel that כִּ֚י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction He יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel will do יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה (ya·‘ă·śeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6213: To do, make what אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that He has promised: דִּבֵּ֑ר (dib·bêr) Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue [Would you like] the shadow הַצֵּל֙ (haṣ·ṣêl) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6738: A shadow to go הָלַ֤ךְ (hā·laḵ) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk forward ten עֶ֣שֶׂר (‘e·śer) Number - feminine singular construct Strong's 6235: Ten steps, מַֽעֲל֔וֹת (ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 4609: Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression or אִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not back יָשׁ֖וּב (yā·šūḇ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again ten עֶ֥שֶׂר (‘e·śer) Number - feminine singular construct Strong's 6235: Ten steps?” מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ (ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 4609: Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression Links 2 Kings 20:9 NIV2 Kings 20:9 NLT 2 Kings 20:9 ESV 2 Kings 20:9 NASB 2 Kings 20:9 KJV 2 Kings 20:9 BibleApps.com 2 Kings 20:9 Biblia Paralela 2 Kings 20:9 Chinese Bible 2 Kings 20:9 French Bible 2 Kings 20:9 Catholic Bible OT History: 2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah said This shall be the sign (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) |
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