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Green's Literal Translation

Isaiah 38:2

And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Disease;   Hezekiah;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hezekiah;   Prayer;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Life, Natural;   Sickness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dial;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hezekiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ararat;   Hezekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Life;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hezekiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.
Hebrew Names Version
Then Hizkiyahu turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
King James Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord ,
English Standard Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
New American Standard Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
New Century Version
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
Amplified Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
World English Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh
Berean Standard Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Contemporary English Version
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed,
Complete Jewish Bible
Hizkiyahu turned his face toward the wall and prayed to Adonai :
Darby Translation
And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah,
Easy-to-Read Version
Hezekiah turned toward the wall that faced the Temple and began praying to the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,
Good News Translation
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed:
Lexham English Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Ezechias turned his face towarde the wall, & prayed vnto the LORDE,
American Standard Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah,
Bible in Basic English
And Hezekiah, turning his face to the wall, made his prayer to the Lord, saying,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
King James Version (1611)
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed vnto the Lord,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Hezekia turned his face toward the wall, and prayed vnto the Lorde,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,
English Revised Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Esechie turnede his face to the wal, and preiede the Lord, and seide, Lord, Y biseche;
Update Bible Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh,
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
New English Translation
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
New King James Version
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
New Living Translation
When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
New Life Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
New Revised Standard
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord :
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Hezekiah turned his face unto the wall, - and prayed unto Yahweh;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Revised Standard Version
Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
Young's Literal Translation
And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah,
THE MESSAGE
Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God : " God , please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

Contextual Overview

1 In those days Hezekiah was sick to death. And Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, So says Jehovah, Command your house, for you are dying, and shall not live. 2 And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah, 3 and said, O Jehovah, I beg You to remember now that I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart; and I have done the good in Your eyes. And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping. 4 Then the Word of Jehovah was to Isaiah, saying, 5 Go and say to Hezekiah, So says Jehovah the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days. 6 And I will deliver you and this city out of the king of Assyria's hand. And I will shield over this city. 7 So this shall be the sign to you from Jehovah, that Jehovah shall do this thing that He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will bring back the shadow of the steps which has gone down in the steps of Ahaz with the sun, backward ten steps. So the sun went back up ten steps, by which steps it had gone down!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

turned: Hezekiah's couch was probably placed in a corner, which is the place of honour in the East; in which, turning on either side, he must turn his face to the wall; by which he would withdraw himself from those attending him in his apartment. 1 Kings 8:30, Psalms 50:15, Psalms 91:15, Matthew 6:6

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 18:42 - put his face 2 Kings 20:2 - he turned Esther 8:3 - besought him with tears Psalms 120:1 - my distress

Cross-References

Genesis 3:6
And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise. And she took of its fruit andate; and she also gave to her husband with her,and he ate.
Genesis 6:2
The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were good, and they took wives for themselves from all those whom they chose.
Genesis 6:4
The giants were in the earth in those days, and even afterwards when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore to them; they were heroes which existed from ancient time, the men of name.
Genesis 24:3
And I will cause you to swear by Jehovah, God of the heavens and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, among whom I dwell.
Genesis 34:2
And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah. And Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez: Hezron, and Hamul.
Judges 14:2
And he came up and told his father and mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines. And now get her for me for a wife.
Judges 16:1
And Samson went to Gaza, and saw a woman there, a harlot, and went in to her.
2 Samuel 11:2
And it happened at evening time, David rose up from his bed and walked up and down on the roof of the king's house. And he saw from the roof a woman bathing. And the woman was very good of form.
1 Chronicles 2:3
The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him from the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the first-born of Judah, was evil in Jehovah's sight, and He killed him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall,.... Not figuratively to the wall of his heart, as Jerom; but literally, either to the wall of his bedchamber where he lay sick, that his tears might not be seen, and his prayers interrupted, and that he might deliver them with more privacy, freedom, and fervency; or else to the wall of the temple, as the Targum, towards which good men used to look when they prayed, 1 Kings 8:38, which was a type of Christ, to whom we should have respect in all our petitions, as being the only Mediator between God and man: and prayed unto the Lord; as follows:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall - The wall of the room in which he was lying He was probably lying on a couch next the wall of his room. Eastern houses usually have such couches or ottomans running along on the sides of the room on which they recline, and on which they lie when they are sick. Hezekiah probably turned his face to the wall in order that his emotion and his tears might not be seen by the bystanders, or in order that he might compose himself the better for devotion. His prayer he wished, doubtless, to be as secret as possible. The Chaldee renders this, ‘Turned his face to the wall of the house of the sanctuary;’ that is, of the temple, so that it might appear that be prayed toward the temple. Thus Daniel; when in Babylon, is said to have prayed with his windows opened toward Jerusalem Daniel 6:10. The Mahometans pray everywhere with their faces turned toward Mecca. But there is no evidence in the Hebrew text that Hezekiah prayed in that manner. The simple idea is, that he turned over on his couch toward the wall of his room, doubtless, for the greater privacy, and to hide his deep emotion.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 38:2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall — The furniture of an eastern divan or chamber, either for the reception of company or for private use, consists chiefly of carpets spread on the floor in the middle; and of sofas, or couches ranged on one or more sides of the room, on a part raised somewhat above the floor. On these they repose themselves in the day, and sleep at night. It is to be observed that the corner of the room is the place of honour. Dr. Pococke, when he was introduced to the Sheikh of Furshout, found him sitting in the corner of his room. He describes another Arab Sheikh "as sitting in the corner of a large green tent, pitched in the middle of an encampment of Arabs; and the Bey of Girge as placed on a sofa in a corner to the right as one entered the room." - Harmer's Observ. ii. p. 60. Lady Mary Montague, giving an account of a visit which she made to the Kahya's lady at Adrianople, says, "She ordered cushions to be given me; and took care to place me in the corner, which is the place of honour." - Letter xxxiii. The reason of this seems to be, that the person so placed is distinguished, and in a manner separated, from the rest of the company, and as it were guarded by the wall on each side. We are to suppose Hezekiah's couch placed in the same situation; in which turning on either side, he must turn his face to the wall; by which he would withdraw himself from those who were attending upon him in his apartment, in order to address his private prayer to God.

Isaiah 38:3. And he said, I beseech thee, O JEHOVAH, remember now how I have endeavoured to walk before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart; and have done that which is good in thine eyes. And Hezekiah wept, and lamented grievously. - L.

Isaiah 38:4. Now [before Isaiah was gone out into the middle court] the word of JEHOVAH came unto him, saying, Go [back,] and say unto Hezekiah, Thus saith JEHOVAH the God of David thy father, I have heard thy supplication; I have seen thy tears. Behold [I will heal thee; and on the third day thou shalt go up into the house of JEHOVAH.

Isaiah 38:5. And] I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee, and this city, from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city. And [Hezekiah said, By what sign shall I know that I shall go up into the house of JEHOVAH?

Isaiah 38:7. And Isaiah said,] This shall be the sign unto thee from JEHOVAH, that JEHOVAH still bring to effect this word which he hath spoken.

The words in the translation included within crotchets are supplied from the parallel place, 2 Kings 20:4-5, to make the narration more perfect. I have also taken the liberty, with Houbigant, of bringing forward the two last verses of this chapter, and inserting them in their proper places of the narration with the same mark. Kimchi's note on these two verses is as follows: "This and the following verse belong not to the writing of Hezekiah; and I see no reason why they are written here after the writing; for their right place is above, after And I will protect this city, Isaiah 38:6. And so they stand in the book of Kings," 2 Kings 20:7-8. The narration of this chapter seems to be in some parts an abridgment of that of 2 Kings 20:1-6. The abridger, having finished his extract here with the eleventh verse, seems to have observed, that the seventh and eighth verses of 2 Kings 20:7-8 were wanted to complete the narration: he therefore added them at the end of the chapter, after he had inserted the song of Hezekiah, probably with marks for their insertion in their proper places; which marks were afterwards neglected by transcribers. Or a transcriber might omit them by mistake, and add them at the end of the chapter with such marks. Many transpositions are, with great probability, to be accounted for in the same way.


 
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