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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 38:1–8.
We may hence observe, among others, these good lessons: - 1. That neither men's greatness nor their goodness will exempt them from the arrests of sickness and death. Hezekiah, a mighty potentate on earth and a mighty favourite of Heaven, is struck with a disease, which, without a miracle, will certainly be mortal; and this in the midst of his days, his comforts, and usefulness. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. It should seem, this sickness seized him when he was in the midst of his triumphs over the ruined army of the Assyrians, to teach us always to rejoice with trembling. 2. It concerns us to prepare when we see death approaching: "Set thy house in order, and thy heart especially; put both thy affections and thy affairs into the best posture thou canst, that, when thy Lord comes, thou mayest be found of him in peace with God, with thy own conscience, and with all men, and mayest have nothing else to do but to die." Our being ready for death will make it come never the sooner, but much the easier: and those that are fit to die are most fit to live. 3. Is any afflicted with sickness? Let him pray, Jam 5:13. Prayer is a salve for every sore, personal or public. When Hezekiah was distressed by his enemies he prayed; now that he was sick he prayed. Whither should the child go, when any thing ails him, but to his Father? Afflictions are sent to bring us to our Bibles and to our knees. When Hezekiah was in health he went up to the house of the Lord to pray, for that was then the house of prayer. When he was sick in bed he turned his face towards the wall, probably towards the temple, which was a type of Christ, to whom we must look by faith in every prayer. 4. The testimony of our consciences for us that by the grace of God we have lived a good life, and have walked closely and humbly with God, will be a great support and comfort to us when we come to look death in the face. And though we may not depend upon it as our righteousness, by which to be justified before God, yet we may humbly plead it as an evidence of our interest in the righteousness of the Mediator. Hezekiah does not demand a reward from God for his good services, but modestly begs that God would remembers, not how he had reformed the kingdom, taken away the high places, cleansed the temple, and revived neglected ordinances, but, which was better than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices, how he had approved himself to God with a single eye and an honest heart, not only in these eminent performances, but in an even regular course of holy living: I have walked before thee in truth and sincerity, and with a perfect, that is, an upright, heart; for uprightness is our gospel perfection. 5. God has a gracious ear open to the prayers of his afflicted people. The same prophet that was sent to Hezekiah with warning to prepare for death is sent to him with a promise that he shall not only recover, but be restored to a confirmed state of health and live fifteen years yet. As Jerusalem was distressed, so Hezekiah was diseased, that God might have the glory of the deliverance of both, and that prayer too might have the honour of being instrumental in the deliverance. When we pray in our sickness, though God send not to us such an answer as he here sent to Hezekiah, yet, if by his Spirit he bids us be of good cheer, assures us that our sins are forgiven us, that his grace shall be sufficient for us, and that, whether we live or die, we shall be his, we have no reason to say that we pray in vain. God answers us if he strengthens us with strength in our souls, though not with bodily strength, Psa 138:3. 6. A good man cannot take much comfort in his own health and prosperity unless withal he see the welfare and prosperity of the church of God. Therefore God, knowing what lay near Hezekiah's heart, promised him not only that he should live, but that he should see the good of Jerusalem all the days of his life (Psa 128:5), otherwise he cannot live comfortably. Jerusalem, which is now delivered, shall still be defended from the Assyrians, who perhaps threatened to rally again and renew the attack. Thus does God graciously provide to make Hezekiah upon all accounts easy. 7. God is willing to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, that they may have an unshaken faith in it, and therewith a strong consolation. God had given Hezekiah repeated assurances of his favour; and yet, as if all were thought too little, that he might expect from him uncommon favours, a sign is given him, an uncommon sign. None that we know of having had an absolute promise of living a certain number of years to come, as Hezekiah had, God thought fit to confirm this unprecedented favour with a miracle. The sign was the going back of the shadow upon the sun-dial. The sun is a faithful measurer of time, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race; but he that set that clock a going can set it back when he pleases, and make it to return; for the Father of all lights is the director of them.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Vers. 4 seqq.) And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying: Go and tell Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will protect it. And this shall be a sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word that he has spoken: Behold, I will turn back the shadow of the steps by which it has gone down on the sun dial of Ahaz ten steps backwards: and the sun returned ten steps by the same steps that it had gone down. The history, which is read consecutively in the volume of Kings, is referred to in a seemingly backwards order, as if it were a prophetic account. While Hezekiah was weeping with great sorrow, before Isaiah had left the middle part of the courtyard, the word of the Lord came to him, saying: Return and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me? To whom did the prophet respond: This will be the sign from the Lord that the Lord will do the word he has spoken: Do you want the shadow to approach by so many lines, or do you want it to go back the same number of steps? To whom Hezekiah said: It is easy for the shadow to advance ten lines, but I do not want it to happen; rather, I want it to go back ten steps. And when Isaiah invoked the power of the Lord, the sign was fulfilled. Isaiah was commanded to have a lump of fresh figs brought, which they did, and they placed it on the wound, and he was healed. But the Prophet of the Lord returns to the king by the command, in order to heal the one who had struck him; and he is called Hezekiah, the leader of his people, and the son of David, whose works he followed, for he did what was right in all things as David his father had done; and his prayer is heard, and tears are seen, for he walked before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart, and he wept with great weeping; and he did what was pleasing in his eyes. Fifteen years are added to his life, which he did not ask for, and moreover, while he is still alive, the security of the kingdom is promised to him. But if, as some think, to live in the body is a condemnation, and according to what is said: Return, my soul, into your rest (Ps. 114:7). And in another place: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps. 141:8), death is to be desired so that we may be freed from prison: how then does the Lord now grant as a favor that he who was to be set free should still live for fifteen years in prison? However, a sign is given that the sun turns back by ten degrees, which we turn according to Symmachus into lines and a sundial, which understood the degrees in the lines in order to make a clearer sense to those reading. Whether the steps were constructed with mechanical skill, so that as the shadow descended, it would mark the hours. This sign was a type of both the present time and the future, so that just as the sun would return to the beginning of its course, so would Hezekiah's life return to the disclosed years; and for us who live in the week and the octave, through the resurrection of Christ, the spaces of life are extended. The holy places in this province are accustomed to show within the enclosed Temple the steps of the house of Hezekiah, or of Ahaz, which the sun descended through them. But I will never believe, not to mention Ahaz, who was a wicked king; but of any righteous king, that their house was in the Temple of God: since it is said that Solomon, among other things, offended God because he built on a high place, from where he used to look down on the courtyard of the Temple while walking in the tower of the palace (3 Kings 9).
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Summary
Isaiah 38:7 serves as a profound divine declaration to King Hezekiah, assuring him that a forthcoming miraculous sign will serve as undeniable, tangible proof of God's unwavering commitment to fulfill the promise He has just spoken. This verse powerfully underscores the Lord's absolute faithfulness, His sovereign power to intervene supernaturally in human affairs, and the inherent reliability of His divine word, particularly in moments of profound doubt or existential crisis.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is intricately woven into the dramatic narrative of King Hezekiah's near-fatal illness and his subsequent miraculous recovery, a story detailed in Isaiah 38 and corroborated in 2 Kings 20. The immediate preceding verses set the stage: the prophet Isaiah had delivered a grim death sentence to Hezekiah, prompting the king to turn in fervent, tearful prayer to the Lord (Isaiah 38:1-3). Remarkably, before Isaiah had even left the palace courtyard, God intervened, sending the prophet back with a new message for Hezekiah: He would add fifteen years to his life and deliver Jerusalem from the impending Assyrian siege (Isaiah 38:4-6). Verse 7 then introduces the divine confirmation—the "sign"—that would solidify this extraordinary promise in Hezekiah's mind, serving as a concrete guarantee of God's faithfulness. The narrative immediately proceeds to describe the specific nature of this astonishing sign in Isaiah 38:8: the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz would miraculously recede ten degrees.
Historical & Cultural Context
King Hezekiah reigned over the Southern Kingdom of Judah from approximately 715 to 686 BC, a tumultuous era dominated by the aggressive expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Assyria, under Sennacherib, was the preeminent superpower, having already dismantled the Northern Kingdom of Israel and subjugated many surrounding nations. Jerusalem itself had recently faced a devastating siege by Sennacherib's forces, from which God miraculously delivered the city (as vividly recounted in Isaiah 36-37). Within this ancient Near Eastern cultural framework, "signs" were frequently sought and provided as divine authentication of a prophet's message, a covenant promise, or a specific divine intervention. They served to confirm God's presence, power, and intention, offering tangible proof in a society that deeply valued direct divine communication. The sundial, likely a stepped or graduated gnomon, was a relatively advanced time-keeping instrument for its time, making the reversal of its shadow an unequivocally supernatural event, understood as a direct and undeniable intervention by the God of Israel, affirming His absolute control over creation.
Key Themes
Isaiah 38:7 encapsulates several profound theological and narrative themes central to the book of Isaiah and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates Divine Assurance and Confirmation, demonstrating God's compassionate willingness to provide tangible proof of His promises, not as a requirement for faith, but as a gracious act to dispel doubt and strengthen belief in His unwavering faithfulness (Numbers 23:19). Secondly, it highlights God's Responsiveness to Prayer. Hezekiah's earnest, humble, and tearful prayer profoundly influenced his destiny, showcasing the immense efficacy of prayer and God's readiness to intervene on behalf of His humble and righteous servants. Thirdly, the impending sign underscores God's Absolute Sovereignty Over Nature. The miraculous reversal of the sundial's shadow, detailed in Isaiah 38:8, is a dramatic display of God's limitless power to manipulate the natural order, affirming that nothing is impossible for Him and that He can accomplish His will through extraordinary and supernatural means.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term denotes a signal, mark, token, or miraculous demonstration. In this context, it signifies not merely a symbolic gesture but a concrete, observable, and supernatural phenomenon that serves as undeniable evidence or proof of God's presence, power, and the veracity of His spoken word. It is a divine authentication designed to remove all doubt and confirm the divine origin of the promise.
This is the sacred covenant name of God, often rendered as "Jehovah" or "Yahweh." It emphasizes God's self-existence, eternal nature, and His enduring covenant relationship with His people, Israel. The repetition of "the LORD" in this verse underscores that the promise originates from Him alone, and He is the one who possesses the absolute power and unwavering faithfulness to execute it, highlighting His unique identity as the covenant-keeping God.
This primitive root means "to speak," "declare," "command," or "promise." It highlights the verbal nature of God's commitment and the authority inherent in His utterance. What God has articulated, He is bound by His own immutable character to bring to pass. The emphasis here is on the reliability, integrity, and efficacious power of God's divine word; His declarations are not empty but carry the power of fulfillment.
Verse Breakdown
"And this [shall be] a sign unto thee from the LORD"
This opening clause introduces the divine confirmation of God's promise. The demonstrative pronoun "this" points forward to the miraculous event that will immediately follow (the reversal of the sundial's shadow, described in the next verse). The phrase "from the LORD" explicitly establishes the divine origin and supernatural nature of this sign, emphasizing that it is not a coincidence but a direct, purposeful act of God. It is given specifically "unto thee" (Hezekiah) as a personal, tangible assurance to alleviate his doubts and strengthen his faith.
"that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;"
This second clause clarifies the precise purpose and efficacy of the sign. It is not merely a display of power for its own sake, but a solemn guarantee that God will indeed "do" (perform, accomplish, bring to pass) the specific "thing" (matter, promise, or word) that He has already "spoken." This powerfully reinforces the absolute certainty and reliability of God's word, directly linking His prior declaration to His subsequent action and demonstrating His unswerving faithfulness to His own divine utterances.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices that amplify its meaning and impact. Divine Oracle is prominently featured, as the words are presented as a direct, authoritative communication from God through His prophet, carrying absolute certainty and divine weight. The striking Repetition of "the LORD" (Yᵉhôvâh) twice within a single clause ("from the LORD, that the LORD will do") serves to powerfully underscore God's singular agency, unwavering commitment, and covenant faithfulness in fulfilling His promise. Furthermore, there is a clear element of Foreshadowing, as the verse explicitly points forward to the miraculous sign described in Isaiah 38:8, building anticipation and highlighting the extraordinary nature of God's impending intervention. The entire declaration functions as a profound Assurance, designed by God to alleviate Hezekiah's understandable doubt and to strengthen his faith in the face of a seemingly impossible and life-threatening situation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 38:7 stands as a powerful testament to the immutable character of God, particularly His unwavering faithfulness and the absolute reliability of His divine word. It teaches us that God is not only capable of performing miracles but is also graciously willing to provide tangible evidence to bolster the faith of His servants when needed. This divine assurance is deeply rooted in God's covenant nature; He is not a God who speaks idly or makes empty promises, but one whose every utterance carries the weight of His omnipotence, integrity, and eternal truthfulness. The sign is not given because God needs to prove Himself, but rather because He compassionately condescends to meet His people in their moments of weakness and vulnerability, providing concrete proof that His promises are as good as done. This passage reinforces the profound theological truth that God's word is inherently efficacious—it accomplishes precisely what it declares—and His promises are always accompanied by His sovereign power to bring them to pass.
Reflection and Application
For believers today, Isaiah 38:7 offers profound encouragement and timeless lessons about the nature of God and the dynamics of our walk of faith. It serves as a powerful reminder that God is intimately involved in our lives, hearing our earnest prayers and responding with compassion, even when circumstances appear overwhelmingly dire or humanly impossible. While we may not always receive a dramatic, visible sign like Hezekiah did, God continues to confirm His promises through His inspired written Word, the indwelling presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the providential orchestration of circumstances in our lives. This verse calls us to cultivate a deep, unwavering trust in God's faithfulness, knowing with certainty that what He has spoken, He will surely bring to pass. It encourages us to pray earnestly, persistently, and with profound belief, confident that God hears and responds, and to rest securely in the assurance that His power is limitless, capable of transcending any human impossibility or natural limitation. Ultimately, our faith is not to be placed in the sign itself, but in the omnipotent and loving God who graciously gives the sign, whose character is unchanging and whose word is eternally true and reliable.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the "sign" mentioned in Isaiah 38:7?
The "sign" mentioned in Isaiah 38:7 refers to a miraculous event that God promised to perform as tangible, undeniable proof that He would fulfill His word to King Hezekiah. This specific sign is described in the very next verse, Isaiah 38:8, where the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz would miraculously go backward ten degrees. This extraordinary reversal of a natural phenomenon served as an undeniable, visible confirmation of God's power and faithfulness, specifically guaranteeing His promise to extend Hezekiah's life by fifteen years and to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian threat.
Why did Hezekiah need a sign from God?
King Hezekiah, having just received a direct prophecy of his imminent death from Isaiah (Isaiah 38:1), had fervently prayed and subsequently received an extraordinary promise of an additional fifteen years of life and deliverance for Jerusalem from the Assyrians (Isaiah 38:5-6). While the text does not explicitly state that Hezekiah demanded a sign in this instance (unlike Ahaz in Isaiah 7:11), it was a common and gracious act for God in the Old Testament to offer or provide signs to confirm His promises and strengthen the faith of His people, especially when the promise was of such an extraordinary and life-altering nature. In this case, the sign was a divine act of condescension and compassion, designed to eliminate any lingering doubt in Hezekiah's mind and provide concrete, visible assurance of God's absolute power and unwavering commitment to His word.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Isaiah 38:7 speaks of a specific, temporal sign given to King Hezekiah to confirm a particular promise, its deeper theological resonance ultimately points forward to the ultimate and most profound sign ever given by God: Jesus Christ Himself. The absolute reliability and efficacious nature of God's spoken word, so central to this verse, find their perfect and eternal embodiment in Christ, who is the eternal Word made flesh. Just as God graciously provided a tangible sign to Hezekiah to affirm His promise, so He has given us the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as the definitive, cosmic sign that all His promises are irrevocably "Yes" and "Amen" in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20). The demonstration of God's power to reverse the natural order, seen in the sundial's shadow turning back, is infinitely surpassed by His supreme power to raise Christ from the dead, thereby conquering sin, death, and the grave for all eternity (Romans 8:11). Furthermore, Hezekiah's extended life, a temporary reprieve from physical death, powerfully foreshadows the eternal life and ultimate victory over death secured for all who place their faith in Christ (John 11:25-26). Thus, Isaiah 38:7, in its declaration of God's unwavering faithfulness to His spoken word and His provision of a confirming sign, ultimately directs our gaze to Jesus Christ, who is the living, definitive, and eternal sign of God's boundless love, redemptive purpose, and sovereign power for humanity.