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THE MESSAGE
Isaiah 38:2
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.
Then Hizkiyahu turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord ,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed,
Hizkiyahu turned his face toward the wall and prayed to Adonai :
And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah,
Hezekiah turned toward the wall that faced the Temple and began praying to the Lord .
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed:
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh,
And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah,
Then Ezechias turned his face towarde the wall, & prayed vnto the LORDE,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah,
And Hezekiah, turning his face to the wall, made his prayer to the Lord, saying,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed vnto the Lord,
Then Hezekia turned his face toward the wall, and prayed vnto the Lorde,
And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
And Esechie turnede his face to the wal, and preiede the Lord, and seide, Lord, Y biseche;
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh,
Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord :
Then Hezekiah turned his face unto the wall, - and prayed unto Yahweh;
And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Contextual Overview
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
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.
Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute. He went to her. The news got around: "Samson's here." They gathered around in hiding, waiting all night for him at the city gate, quiet as mice, thinking, "At sunrise we'll kill him."
One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful. David sent to ask about her, and was told, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?" David sent his agents to get her. After she arrived, he went to bed with her. (This occurred during the time of "purification" following her period.) Then she returned home. Before long she realized she was pregnant. Later she sent word to David: "I'm pregnant."
Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, was so bad before God that God killed him. Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar—a total of five sons. Perez had Hezron and Hamul; Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda—five sons. Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban. Ethan's son was Azariah. And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God.
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.
