The Second Book of the Kings, commonly called the Fourth Book of the Kings
2 Kings 20
Chapter XX · Vol. II, pp. 796–798
1 Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer hath his life lengthened. 8 The sun goeth ten degrees backward for a sign of that promise. 12 Berodach-baladan sending to visit Hezekiah, because of the wonder, hath notice of his treasures. 14 Isaiah understanding thereof foretelleth the Babylonian captivity. 20 Hezekiah dieth: Manasseh succeedeth him.
1 In thosea 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, bSet thine house in order; for cthou shalt die, and not live.1
B.C. 713.
a 2 Ch.32.24. Is.38.1. ver.7.
c Jonah 4.3,8. He.9.27. Job 30.23; 14.1,5. Ps.49.7,9; 89.47,48. 2 Sa.14.14. Ge.3.19.
1 'The natural tendency of thy disease is certain and speedy death;' a fact that no more precluded God's miraculous interference to prolong his days, than the death of Lazarus, and the certain and speedy tendency of his body to corruption, precluded Christ from raising him from the grave.—C.
2 Then he dturned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
d Mat.6.6. Ps.38.2,3, or 1 Ki.8.30. 2 Sa.12.22. Ps.50.15.
3 I beseech thee, O LORD, eremember now how I have walked before thee in ftruth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah gwept sore.2
4 And it came to pass, hafore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court,3 that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
h Is.58.9; 65.24. Da.9.20,21. Ps.46.1; 34.6.
3 Or, city.
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the icaptain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, kI have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee:4 on the third day lthou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
i ch.18.1. 1 Sa.9.16; 10.1; 13.14. 2 Sa.5.2. Jos.5.14,15. He.2.10.
k ch.19.20. Is.38.5. Ps.65.2; 56.8; 39.12; 147.3. ver.7. Ex.15.26.
4 God is always the healer of disease, Ps. 103. 3; but, in some cases, the vis medicatrix naturæ is his agent, and medicine his means. In other cases the disease in an attained stage is naturally incurable, and then miracle is his agent, his word the means.—C.
6 And I will madd unto thy days fifteen years;5 andn 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.
5 Not fifteen years beyond the time I had appointed thee, but fifteen years beyond what the state of disease, left to its course, would have allowed thee, Job 7.1; 14.6-14.—C.
n ch.19.6,7,32-34. Is.10.24-34. 2 Ch.32.22.
7 And Isaiah said, Take a olump of figs:6 and they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
o ch.4.41. Mar.7.33. Jn.9.6. Ac.27.24,31.
6 The precise nature of the disease is unknown, any farther than that it was inflammatory. Means are employed even in production of the miracle, to teach us that in our utmost dependence upon his word, we may not neglect the least of his precepts, nor, in pretended faith on his promise, dare to tempt his providence.—C.
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the psign 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, qThis 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,7 or go back ten degrees?
q Is.38.7,8, with Jos.10.12-14.
7 Half-hour lines.
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 rcried unto the LORD; and she brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial8 of Ahaz.9
r Ex.14.15. 1 Ki.17.20; 18.42. Eze.36.37. Ja.5.16. Jn.15.7. Mar.11.24.
s Is.38.8. 2 Ch.32.24.
8 Heb. degrees.
9 Of the precise nature of this dial we know nothing, more than that by its construction it measured time. As to the means of the miracle, whether by any extraordinary development or change of the laws of refraction, it is useless to inquire. He that made all things made their laws, and doeth according to his will.—C.
12 Att that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon,1 sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
t Is.39.1. 2 Ch.32.31. 2 Sa.8.10; 10.2. He not only congratulated him on his marvellous deliverance, but probably courted him into a league against the Assyrians.
1 This is the first time Babylon is mentioned. Hitherto it had been a mere province under the Assyrians, now it asserts its independence, and takes the first step to that 'bad eminence,' from which it was hurled for its idolatry, cruelty, and pride.—C.
13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showedu them all the house of his precious things,2 the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his 3armour,4 and all that was found in his treasures: there was xnothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
14 Then ycame Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, zWhat said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
y Is.39.3-8.
z ch.5.25.
15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, aAll the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.5
A.M. 3291. B.C. 713.
a ver.13. 2 Ch.32.27. Jos.7.19. Job 31.33. Pr.28.13.
5 The fault lay not in showing, but in the vanity of showing them as his own, and as attractives to his alliance—in looking upon personal riches and national resources, as any means of protection or property, farther than as God should be pleased to command a blessing upon them.—C.
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 store6 unto this day, bshall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
6 This custom of heaping up treasure is common in the East. Vertomannus, describing the treasure of the king of Calicut, says that it was esteemed so immense, that it could not be contained in two very large cellars or warehouses. It consisted of precious stones, plates of gold, and as much coined gold as might load 100 mules.—I.
b ch.24.13; 25.13. Je.27.19-22; 52.17.
18 And of cthy 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.
c ch.24.12. 2 Ch.33.11. Da.1.3.
19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, dGood7 is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good,8 if peace and 9truth be in my days?
d Is.39.8. 1 Sa.3.18. Job 1.21. Ps.39.9. La.3.32,39.
7 Not that the evil threatened was good in itself—that is impossible—but good in its consequences, as correcting Hezekiah's sin, and bringing him to the remembrance of God.—C.
8 Or, shall there not be peace and truth, &c.
9 The union of peace with truth, is peace as Jesus, and not as the world, gives, Jn.14.27.—C.
20 Ande the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how fhe 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?
e 1 Ki.11.41,43. ch.12.19; 15.6,7,36,38.
f ch.18.7. 2 Ch.32.4,30. Ne.3.16.
Notes
Reflections.—Neither greatness nor goodness can exempt from sickness or death. Not a moment of life but the present is certain. And often God lays men aside from their work when we think there is most need of them. But, oh! the vast preparation of state, frame, and exercise that is necessary for a comfortable entrance into eternity! There is need for ministers to inculcate this in the most earnest and solemn manner. In dying moments it is the greatest mercy, and should be our greatest desire, to have all our hopes founded on Jesus' blood, and attended with the testimony of a good conscience: and to have the consolations of God enabling us to triumph over the natural fears and pains of death. How useful is prayer; it can prepare us for death, and recover us from distempers which are in themselves deadly. And God grants with pleasure his people's requests, and bestows on them exceedingly above what they ask or think. At best our life is limited: it is short, and had need to be well improved. In sickness we ought to use proper remedies, otherwise we but tempt God in desiring or expecting recovery: and the prayers and advices of God's prophets do us more good than the prescriptions of our physicians. How God condescends to the weakness of his saints! He will work wonders to strengthen their faith. Prosperous favourites of heaven are ordinarily courted into friendship by the wicked: and the best of men are apt to be thus ensnared, especially by their own pride. But if we walk in pride, God will certainly abase us or our seed. And what has ministered to our vanity and self-confidence will ere long cover us with confusion. May God then make us to accept of the punishment of our iniquity! We have cause of thankfulness if we are but out of hell. But, outward quietness and gospel preaching are singular mercies which we can never sufficiently acknowledge.