Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The captain of my people - This phrase (which does not occur elsewhere in Kings) is remarkable, and speaks for the authenticity of this full report of the actual words of the prophet‘s message (abbreviated in Isaiah 38:1, etc.). The title, “Captain נגיד nāgı̂yd of God‘s people,” commonly used of David, is applied to Hezekiah, as David‘s true follower 2 Kings 18:3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people,.... The king of them, as the Targum:

thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; See Gill on Isaiah 38:5.

behold, I will heal thee; instantly, miraculously; and none but God could heal him, his disease being in its kind mortal, and he had been told from the Lord that he should die:

on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord: the temple, to give thanks for his recovery; and this he should do on the third day from thence; so soon should he be well, which would show the cure to be miraculous.

Geneva Study Bible

Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy ^d prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the ^e house of the LORD.

(d) Because of his true repentance and prayer, God turned away his wrath.

(e) To give thanks for your deliverance.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

the God of David thy father — An immediate answer was given to his prayer, containing an assurance that the Lord was mindful of His promise to David and would accomplish it in Hezekiah‘s experience, both by the prolongation of his life, and his deliverance from the Assyrians.

on the third day — The perfect recovery from a dangerous sickness, within so short a time, shows the miraculous character of the cure (see his thanksgiving song, Isaiah 38:9). The disease cannot be ascertained; but the text gives no hint that the plague was raging then in Jerusalem; and although Arab physicians apply a cataplasm of figs to plague-boils, they also do so in other cases, as figs are considered useful in ripening and soothing inflammatory ulcers.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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.

God of, … — I am mindful of my promise made to David and his house, and will make it good in thy person.

Shalt go — To give me solemn praise for this mercy.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 20:5 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.

Ver. 5. The captain of my people,] Antecessor. See on 1 Samuel 9:16.

The God of David.] To whom I promised a continued succession on the throne of Judah; and will therefore lengthen thy life, and give thee a son.

To the house of the Lord.] Hezekiah’s both duty and disposition, as a right son of David, whose song was, "I shall yet praise him in his holy temple, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The God of David thy father; I am mindful of my promise made to David and his house, and will make it good in thy person.

On the third day; which shows that the cure was miraculous.

Thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord, to give me solemn praise for this mercy; which proves the perfection of the cure.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5.I will heal thee — This change from the former announcement, that he should not live, (2 Kings 20:1,) shows that that announcement was not irrevocable but conditional.

On the third day thou shalt go up — This would be to the king a pledge and token of Divine interposition, and place beyond doubt the miraculous character of his cure.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Day, dating from the time when Isaias spoke. (Tostat) --- This shewed that the cure was miraculous, and not effected by natural remedies only. (Tirinus)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

God of David (Hebrew. Elohim. This tells us the nature of Hezekiah"s prayer. He had no heir to the throne, but remembered Jehovah"s word to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. Hence his anxiety, as manifested in his "Songs of the degrees". Compare Psalms 127:3-5; Psalms 138; Psalms 132. See App-67. (Manasseh not born till three years later, 600 B.C.)

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. Introducing the fivefold (App-10) promise and answer to his prayer in verses: 2 Kings 20:5 and 2 Kings 20:6.

go up, &c. This also must have been a subject of prayer.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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.

Thus saith ... the God of David thy father. An immediate answer was given to his prayer, containing an assurance that the Lord was mindful of His promise to David, and would accomplish it in Hezekiah's experience, both by the prolongation of his life and his deliverance from the Assyrians.

On the third day. The perfect recovery from a dangerous sickness, within so short a time, shows the miraculous character of the cure (see his thanksgiving song, Isaiah 38:9). The disease cannot be ascertained; but the text gives no hint that the plague was raking then in Jerusalem; and although Arabian as well as Persian (Morier) physicians apply a cataplasm of figs to plague-boils, they also do so in other cases, as figs are considered useful in ripening and soothing inflammatory ulcers.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) The captain of my people.—Or, ruler (nâgîd); a designation of honour (1 Kings 1:35; 1 Samuel 10:1). This is wanting in Isaiah 38, as well as the end of the verse “I will heal thee,” &c. That narrative looks like an abbreviated transcript of the present, or of a common original.

On the third day.—Comp. Hosea 6:2. Here, however, there is no ground for understanding the expression other than literally. The precise nature of Hezekiah’s malady cannot be ascertained.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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.

Turn again

2 Samuel 7:3-5; 1 Chronicles 17:2-4

the captain

Joshua 5:14,15; 1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Chronicles 13:12; Hebrews 2:10

the God

2 Chronicles 34:3; Isaiah 38:5; 55:3; Matthew 22:32

I have heard

19:20; Psalms 65:2; 66:19,20; Luke 1:13

I have seen

Psalms 39:12; 56:8; 126:5; Revelation 7:17

I will heal

7; Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 33:19-26; Psalms 147:3; James 5:14,15

thou shalt go

8; Psalms 66:13-15,19,20; 116:12-14; 118:17-19; Isaiah 38:22; John 5:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:4 - third;  Joshua 1:11 - three days;  1 Samuel 13:14 - captain over;  1 Samuel 22:2 - a captain;  1 Kings 9:3 - I have heard;  2 Kings 22:19 - I also have;  2 Chronicles 7:12 - I have heard;  Psalm 30:2 - and;  Psalm 41:3 - strengthen;  Psalm 107:20 - He sent;  Hosea 6:2 - two;  Mark 9:24 - with