Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

King James Version

2 Kings 20:11

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.

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

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
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Genesis 20:1
And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
Genesis 20:4
But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord , wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
Genesis 42:18
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
Nehemiah 5:15
But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord , that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Psalms 14:4
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord .

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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