2 Kings Chapter 20

At a Glance

  • In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah’s health becomes a focal point.
  • The chapter then shifts to a moment of international intrigue: Babylon, represented by emissaries bringing gifts, hears of Hezekiah’s illness and later his wealth displayed in his palace.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • As part of the Hezekian corpus, this chapter sits in a period when the Assyrian threat intensified.
  • - God’s sovereignty over life and death.

2 KINGS CHAPTER 20

Chapter Overview

In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah’s health becomes a focal point. The king receives a prophetic royal death sentence from the prophet Isaiah: “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” Hezekiah’s immediate response is to seek the LORD earnestly, weeping and pleading with God to remember his faithfulness. The turning point comes when Isaiah returns with a message of reversal: the LORD has heard Hezekiah’s prayer and tears, and he will grant an additional fifteen years of life. Sign and signpost accompany this mercy: God promises defense of the city and deliverance for His servant David’s sake. A test of the sign is offered—the shadow on the sundial can be moved backward ten degrees, and Hezekiah requests this miraculous signal, which the prophet performs by prayer to God.

The chapter then shifts to a moment of international intrigue: Babylon, represented by emissaries bringing gifts, hears of Hezekiah’s illness and later his wealth displayed in his palace. Hezekiah’s hospitality leads to a prophetic rebuke from Isaiah about future Babylonian captivity, foreshadowing the judgment that would come in later chapters. The narrative balances divine mercy with a sober warning about pride and exposed vulnerability. The overarching arc is one of healing and humility—God grants life and a sign, but Hezekiah’s wealth and the heart that displays it become a hinge for subsequent exposure to foreign powers. The chapter closes with a mix of personal mercy and collective caution in the story of Judah.

Historical & Literary Context

As part of the Hezekian corpus, this chapter sits in a period when the Assyrian threat intensified. The miraculous healing and sign are emblematic of the Deuteronomistic tendency to link kings’ fortunes with covenant faithfulness and prayer. Genre-wise, it blends miracle narrative with royal biography and prophetic characterization, illustrating how divine intervention interrupts a grim prognosis. The Babylonian exposure at the end adds a forward-looking, eschatological flavor, foreshadowing the later captivity.

Key Themes

- God’s sovereignty over life and death

- Prayer as the vehicle of divine mercy and healing

- The importance of humility and dependence on God, not wealth or political prowess

- The cautionary tale of displaying wealth and power

- The tension between personal mercy and communal prophecy

Modern Application

This chapter invites readers to consider how they handle life’s reversals. When health or circumstances threaten, the posture of prayer, lament, and petition remains vital. It also warns against a posture of self-sufficiency and spectacle: wealth or status can invite vulnerability if it fosters pride rather than trust. The Babylon episode serves as a reminder that our responses to divine mercy have consequences for future generations—our choices reveal what we worship. The sign of the sundial invites readers to look for God’s unusual means of confirmation and to live with a renewed sense of dependence on God’s timing.

- Isaiah 38 (Hezekiah’s extended decree and prayer)

- 2 Kings 18-19 (context of Hezekiah’s reign and Assyrian crisis)

- 1 Chronicles 29 (Davidic faithfulness as enduring model)

- Daniel 4 (humbling of a king and recognition of God’s sovereignty)

Recommended Personas

- Hezekiah (as a patient, prayerful leader)

- Isaiah (prophetic guidance in illness and crisis)

- Jesus (suffering, healing, and signs of God’s kingdom)

Chapter Text

1

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2

Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3

I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4

And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5

Turn 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.

6

And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

7

And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8

And Hezekiah said 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?

9

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?

10

And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11

And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

12

At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

13

And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

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.

15

And 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.

16

And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.

17

Behold, the days come, that 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.

18

And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

19

Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

20

And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

21

And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

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