Isaiah 38:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:7

And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord ,.... And which it seems Hezekiah asked, and it was put to him which he would choose, whether the shadow on the sundial should go forward or backward ten degrees, and he chose the latter, 2 Kings 20:8 , which was a token confirming and assuring that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken ; recover Hezekiah from his sickness, so that on the third day he should go up to the temple; have fifteen years added to his days; and the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 38:1-8

Sickness and recovery of Hezekiah. All pathos ultimately turns upon contrast, and the greatest of all contrasts is that between death and life. All who have passed through a dangerous illness, and have been brought nigh unto the gates of death, will feel touched by this narrative, which hints meanings that lie below the surface. I. THE WARNING . The king falls into deadly sickness; and the prophet's voice assures him that his days are numbered. "Thou shalt die, and not live." The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 38:1-22

SECTION II .— HEZEKIAH 'S ILLNESS , AND THE EMBASSY OF MERODACH - BALADAN ( Isaiah 38:1-22 ; Isaiah 39:1-8 .). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 38:7

And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord . It was the day of the free offering of "signs" by God to those whom his providence had placed at the head of his people. Ahaz had been offered a sign ( Isaiah 7:11 ), but had refused the offer made him ( Isaiah 7:12 ); the Lord had then "himself" given him a sign." Hezekiah received a sign to assure him of the complete discomfiture of Sennacherib ( Isaiah 37:30 ); an offer was here made him of a sign of a peculiar kind, and it was... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 38:7-8

Signs for the help of faith. In this case, as in that of Gideon, God granted signs. For the people of Palestine, and for his disciples, our Lord wrought miracles, which were signs; but he utterly refused to meet the demand of the Pharisees. "There shall no sign be given you." Our Lord, however, reproved the desire for signs as showing some weakness of character in those who desired them. "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe." Exactly what the sign granted to Hezekiah was... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 38:7

And this shall be a sign unto thee - That is, a sign, or proof that God would do what he had promised, and that Hezekiah would recover and be permitted to go again to the temple of the Lord Isa 38:22; 2 Kings 20:8. On the meaning of the word ‘sign,’ see Isaiah 7:11, note; Isaiah 7:14, note; compare the note at Isaiah 37:30. The promise was, that he should be permitted to go to the temple in three days 2 Kings 20:5. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 38:1-8

Isaiah 38:1-8. In those days was Hezekiah sick See notes on 2 Kings 20:1-11. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Isaiah 38:1-22

Hezekiah’s illness and recovery (38:1-22)The events recorded in Chapters 38 and 39 probably happened before those of the previous chapters. Hezekiah was about to die (38:1), but in answer to his prayer God gave him an extension of life. It seems that the reason for preserving Hezekiah’s life was to enable him to bring Judah through the time of conflict with Assyria (2-6). God gave Hezekiah a miraculous sign to confirm that this extension of life was according to the divine will (7-8).Hezekiah... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Isaiah 38:7

a sign = the sign. Hezekiah had asked for this sign (see Isaiah 38:22 ). This shows that Isaiah 38:22 is not "displaced" as alleged. compare note on Isaiah 7:11 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Isaiah 38:7

"And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken: behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down."The account in 2Kings mentions that it was by the specific request of Hezekiah that this sign was given in preference to a sign in which the shadow on the dial would have advanced ten steps. We... read more

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