2 Kings20

King Hezekiah, facing death, prayed earnestly, and the prophet Isaiah was sent by the LORD to announce his healing and an addition of fifteen years to his life, confirmed by the miraculous reversal of the sundial's shadow. Later, Hezekiah unwisely displayed all his treasures to Babylonian envoys, prompting Isaiah to prophesy that these riches and even his descendants would be carried away to Babylon. Hezekiah accepted the prophecy, finding solace that peace would endure in his own time.

Hezekiah’s Illness and Prayer

1
In those days was Hezekiah sick to death. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order; for you shall die, and not live.’” ​
2
Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying,
3
“Remember now, LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Hezekiah wept bitterly. ​
4
Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, the LORD’s word came to him, saying, ​
5
“Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the prince of my people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you shall go up to the LORD’s house. ​
6
I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”’” ​
7
Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. ​
8
Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the LORD’s house the third day?”
9
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?” ​
10
Hezekiah answered, “It is a light thing for the shadow to go forward ten steps. Nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.”
11
Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz. ​

Hezekiah Shows Treasures to Babylon

12
At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ​
13
Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them. ​
14
Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.”
15
He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
16
Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the LORD’s word.
17
‘Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left,’ says the LORD. ​
18
‘Of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you shall father, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” ​
19
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “the LORD’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “Isn’t it so, if peace and truth shall be in my days?” ​

Conclusion of Hezekiah’s Reign

20
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ​
21
Hezekiah slept with his fathers; and Manasseh his son reigned in his place. ​

Study Notes for 2 Kings 20

Verse 1

Hezekiah’s sickness likely occurred shortly after the Assyrian siege (c. 701 BC). Isaiah’s command, “Set thine house in order,” was a final, unconditional decree of death, setting the stage for a powerful demonstration of God’s willingness to respond to prayer.

Verse 3

Hezekiah appeals not to his covenant status, but to the integrity of his devotion ('perfect heart') and his loyalty to God’s commands, referencing his extensive religious reforms documented earlier in the book.

Verse 4

The immediate reversal of the prophetic word—before Isaiah left the courtyard—underscores the swiftness and efficacy of genuine, heartfelt prayer in altering even divine decrees.

Verse 5

God identifies Himself as 'the God of David thy father,' grounding the promise of healing and deliverance in the eternal Davidic Covenant, ensuring the continuation of the promised lineage.

Verse 6

The addition of fifteen years is linked directly to the promise of continued protection of Jerusalem from Assyria. This highlights the theological connection between the king’s vitality and the nation's security.

Verse 7

The use of the fig poultice demonstrates that divine healing often works through natural means or remedies, indicating that faith and physical action are not mutually exclusive.

Verse 9

Hezekiah requests a sign not out of doubt, but to confirm the extraordinary nature of the promise. Isaiah offers a choice of two miracles involving the movement of the sun’s shadow.

Verse 11

The sign, an astronomical miracle reversing the shadow’s course on the ‘dial of Ahaz,’ confirms God’s absolute power over time and creation, solidifying the promise of healing and deliverance.

Verse 12

Berodachbaladan (Marduk-apal-iddina II) was a historical Chaldean prince attempting to forge anti-Assyrian alliances. This embassy marks the first appearance of Babylon, the future conqueror, in the narrative of Judah’s decline.

Verse 13

Hezekiah’s action was a display of pride and a strategic blunder. By showing his treasures, he sought an alliance based on wealth rather than relying on the LORD, simultaneously exposing Judah’s riches to a powerful, ambitious nation.

Verse 17

This is the first explicit prophecy in 2 Kings identifying Babylon, not Assyria, as the ultimate instrument of God’s judgment against Judah. This foreshadows the exile that would occur about a century later (586 BC).

Verse 18

The prophecy specifies that Hezekiah's descendants would be taken and forced into servitude as eunuchs in the Babylonian palace, signifying the total subjugation and humiliation of the Davidic line.

Verse 19

Hezekiah’s response shows a tragic failure of leadership; he accepts the judgment because it will not impact his personal lifetime, prioritizing immediate comfort and peace over the long-term fate of his dynasty and people.

Verse 20

Hezekiah is credited with significant civic engineering projects. The 'pool and conduit' refers to the famous Siloam Tunnel, which brought water from the Gihon Spring inside the city walls, an essential defensive measure.

Verse 21

The transition to Manasseh is crucial, as his reign would undo Hezekiah's reforms and lead Judah further toward irreversible judgment.

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