Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

2 Kings 20:11

Isaiah prayed to the Lord , and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway set up by King Ahaz.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahaz;   Degrees;   Dial;   Disease;   Faith;   Hezekiah;   Isaiah;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Rulers;   Sun;   Sun-Dial;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Time;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ahaz;   Miracles;   Sun-Dial;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Day;   Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;   Prayer, Private;   Sun, the;   Time;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dial;   Miracle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heal, Health;   Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Miracle;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dial;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahaz;   Joshua;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Sundial;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dial;   Isaiah, Book of;   Israel;   Miracles;   Sun;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   Time;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dial, Sun-Dial;   Merodachbaladan ;   Miracles;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Manasseh;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Dial;   Hezekiah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Dial;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Urim and Thummim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ahaz;   Degree;   Dial of Ahaz, the;   Hezekiah (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the prophet Isaiah called out to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.
Hebrew Names Version
Yesha`yahu the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Achaz.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord , and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.
New Century Version
Then Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord , and the Lord brought the shadow ten steps back up the stairway of Ahaz that it had gone down.
New English Translation
Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord , and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.
Amplified Bible
So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the steps ten steps backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.
New American Standard Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
World English Bible
Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Isaiah the Prophet called vnto the Lorde, and he brought againe the shadowe ten degrees backe by the degrees whereby it had gone downe in the diall of Ahaz.
Legacy Standard Bible
Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh, and He turned the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
Berean Standard Bible
So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah prayed, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway built for King Ahaz.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yesha‘yahu called out to Adonai , and he brought the shadow on the sundial of Achaz ten intervals backward after it had gone down that far.
Darby Translation
And Isaiah the prophet cried to Jehovah, and he brought the shadow back on the degrees by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Isaiah prayed, and the Lord made the shadow move back ten steps. It went back up the steps that it had already been on.
George Lamsa Translation
And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
Lexham English Bible
Isaiah the prophet called to Yahweh, and he brought back the shadow on the steps where it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz, backwards ten steps.
Literal Translation
And Isaiah the prophet cried to Jehovah; and He brought back the shadow by the steps the shadow had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz, ten steps backward.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then cryed the prophet Esay vnto the LORDE, and the shadowe wente backe ten degrees in Achas Dyall, which he was descended afore.
American Standard Version
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Jehovah; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
Bible in Basic English
Then Isaiah the prophet made prayer to the Lord, and he made the shade go back ten degrees from its position on the steps of Ahaz.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Isai the prophete called vnto the Lord, and he brought the shadowe ten degrees backewarde, by whiche it had gone downe in the dyall of Ahaz,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
King James Version (1611)
And Isaiah the Prophet cryed vnto the Lord, and he brought the shadow tenne degrees backeward, by which it had gone downe in the diall of Ahaz.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Esaias the prophet cried to the Lord: and the shadow returned back ten degrees on the dial.
English Revised Version
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Ysaie, the prophete, clepide inwardli the Lord, and brouyte ayen bacward bi ten degrees the schadewe bi lynes, bi whiche it hadde go doun thanne in the orologie of Achaz.
Update Bible Version
And Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought back the shadow on the steps it had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, backward ten steps.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
New King James Version
So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.
New Living Translation
So Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!
New Life Bible
So Isaiah the man of God cried to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow back ten steps, on the steps set up by King Ahaz.
New Revised Standard
The prophet Isaiah cried to the Lord ; and he brought the shadow back the ten intervals, by which the sun had declined on the dial of Ahaz.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Yahweh, and he caused the shadow on the steps by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz to go back, ten steps.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Isaias, the prophet, called upon the Lord, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backwards by the lines, by which it had already gone down on the dial of Achaz.
Revised Standard Version
And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which the sun had declined on the dial of Ahaz.
Young's Literal Translation
And Isaiah the prophet calleth unto Jehovah, and He bringeth back the shadow by the degrees that it had gone down in the degrees of Ahaz -- backward ten degrees.
THE MESSAGE
So Isaiah called out in prayer to God , and the shadow went back ten degrees on Ahaz's sundial.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

Contextual Overview

1 About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and said to him, "The Lord tells you that you are to put everything in order, because you will not recover. Get ready to die." 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed: 3 "Remember, Lord , that I have served you faithfully and loyally and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to." And he began to cry bitterly. 4 Isaiah left the king, but before he had passed through the central courtyard of the palace the Lord told him 5 to go back to Hezekiah, ruler of the Lord 's people, and say to him, "I, the Lord , the God of your ancestor David, have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and in three days you will go to the Temple. 6 I will let you live fifteen years longer. I will rescue you and this city Jerusalem from the emperor of Assyria. I will defend this city, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David." 7 Then Isaiah told the king's attendants to put on his boil a paste made of figs, and he would get well. 8 King Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign to prove that the Lord will heal me and that three days later I will be able to go to the Temple?" 9 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?" 10 Hezekiah answered, "It's easy to have the shadow go forward ten steps! Have it go back ten steps."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cried unto: Exodus 14:15, 1 Kings 17:20, 1 Kings 17:21, 1 Kings 18:36-38, Acts 9:40

he brought: Joshua 10:12-14, 2 Chronicles 32:24, 2 Chronicles 32:31, Isaiah 38:8

dial: Heb. degrees

Reciprocal: Joshua 10:14 - there was

Cross-References

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live.
Genesis 20:1
Abraham moved from Mamre to the southern part of Canaan and lived between Kadesh and Shur. Later, while he was living in Gerar,
Genesis 20:4
But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, "Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy me and my people?
Genesis 22:12
"Don't hurt the boy or do anything to him," he said. "Now I know that you honor and obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him."
Genesis 26:7
When the men there asked about his wife, he said that she was his sister. He would not admit that she was his wife, because he was afraid that the men there would kill him to get Rebecca, who was very beautiful.
Genesis 42:18
On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man, and I will spare your lives on one condition.
Nehemiah 5:15
Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God.
Job 1:1
There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil.
Job 28:28
God said to us humans, "To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord. To understand, you must turn from evil."
Psalms 14:4
"Don't they know?" asks the Lord . "Are all these evildoers ignorant? They live by robbing my people, and they never pray to me."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord,.... Or prayed, as the Targum; and was very earnest in prayer, that what Hezekiah had desired might be granted:

and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz; Ben Gersom understands it not of the sun itself, but of the shadow of it only; :-.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 20:11. He brought the shadow ten degrees backward — We cannot suppose that these ten degrees meant ten hours; there were ten divisions of time on this dial: and perhaps it would not be right to suppose that the sun went ten degrees back in the heavens, or that the earth turned back upon its axis from east to west, in a contrary direction to its natural course. But the miracle might be effected by means of refraction, for a ray of light we know can be varied or refracted from a right line by passing through a dense medium; and we know also, by means of the refracting power of the atmosphere, the sun, when near rising and setting, seems to be higher above the horizon than he really is, and, by horizontal refraction, we find that the sun appears above the horizon when he is actually below it, and literally out of sight: therefore, by using dense clouds or vapours, the rays of light in that place might be refracted from their direct course ten, or any other number of degrees; so that the miracle might have been wrought by occasioning this extraordinary refraction, rather than by disturbing the course of the earth, or any other of the celestial bodies.

The dial of Ahaz.2 Kings 9:13, and the observations and diagram at the end of this chapter. 2 Kings 20:20.


 
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