II Chronicles 32:24 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 32:24 Commentary: Hezekiah's Prayer & God's Sign
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the sign God gave Hezekiah in response to prayer, the miracle of the sundial, and what it teaches about humility and grace.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God answered Hezekiah's prayer for healing with a confirming miracle, compressing the longer account from 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38.
- Key words: “sick to death” (ad lamut), terminal; “prayed” (hitpallel), earnest intercession; “sign” (mophet), wonder, miracle, portent.
- Main debate: Whether the sign is the recovery itself or the shadow on the sundial; commentators agree it is the shadow reversal.
- Theological theme: Divine response to prayer and the human tendency toward pride after deliverance.
- Best use: Preaching on prayer, God's sovereignty, and the danger of forgetting grace.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.
KJV King James Version 1769
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto Jehovah; and he spake unto him, and gave him a sign.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In those days hath Hezekiah been sick even unto death, and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and He speaketh to him, and a wonder hath appointed for him;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death, and he prayed to Jehovah; and he spoke to him and gave him a sign.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord: and he heard him, and gave him a sign.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
En aquel tiempo Ezechîas enfermó de muerte: y oró á Jehová, el cual le respondió, y dióle una señal.
Naquele tempo Ezequias enfermou de morte: e orou ao SENHOR, o qual lhe respondeu, e deu-lhe um sinal.
En ce temps-là, Ézéchias fut malade à la mort. Il fit une prière à l’ Éternel; et l’ Éternel lui adressa la parole, et lui accorda un prodige.
Zu der Zeit ward Hiskia todkrank. Und er bat den HERRN; der redete zu ihm und gab ihm ein Wunderzeichen.
In die dagen werd Jehizkia krank tot stervens toe, en hij bad tot den HEERE, Die sprak tot hem, en Hij gaf hem een wonderteken.
In quel tempo, Ezechia fu malato a morte; egli pregò l’Eterno, e l’Eterno gli parlò, e gli concesse un segno.
W one dni zachorował Ezechyjasz aż na śmierć, i modlił się Panu; który mówił do niego, a dał mu znak.
В те дни заболел Езекия смертельно. И помолился Господу, и Он услышал его и дал ему знамение.
那 時 希西家 病 得要 死，就禱告 耶和華，耶和華 應允 他，賜 他 一個兆頭。
In those days Hezekiah was ill and near death; and he made prayer to the Lord, and the Lord in answer gave him a sign.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 32:24
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse is a compressed summary of Hezekiah's terminal illness and recovery, recorded fully in 2 Kings 20:1-11 and Isaiah 38. The subject of “he spoke” and “he gave” is God, as Keil and Delitzsch observe, Hezekiah prayed, and God answered by a promise delivered through Isaiah, confirmed by a visible sign. Barnes identifies the sign not as the miraculous cure itself but as the reversal of the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew verb for “he spoke” (’amar) can convey the idea of making a promise, so the sense is “God made him a promise and confirmed it by a wonder.” The word for “sign” is mophet, which means a wonder or portent, a special display of divine power. Matthew Henry highlights the pattern of prayer and divine response, and the Chronicler uses this to transition into the sobering account of Hezekiah's pride (vv. 25-26). A consistent thread runs through the sources: God does hear and answer prayer, often with more confirmation than we ask for, yet the human heart must guard against the pride that follows blessing.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God answered Hezekiah's prayer with a miraculous sign, confirming his recovery and demonstrating that God responds to sincere petition.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the sign | All traditions agree that God gave Hezekiah a confirming miracle after his prayer. | Some interpreters identify the sign as the healing itself; others insist it is the reversal of the sundial shadow (2 Kings 20:11). The majority of commentators on this verse adopt the latter view. |
| Timing of the illness | The illness occurred during Hezekiah's reign, after the events recorded earlier in chapter 32. | The phrase 'in those days' is ambiguous. Some place it before the Assyrian deliverance (based on 2 Kings 20:6), others after. The Chronicler does not resolve the chronology. |
| Hezekiah's pride (v. 25-26) | All traditions read Hezekiah's pride as a failure to respond appropriately to God's benefit. | The precise object of pride is debated: some focus on the king's wealth and building projects (vv. 27-29), others on his diplomatic overtures to Babylon (v. 31). |
| Role of Isaiah | Isaiah brought God's word to Hezekiah during the illness. | Isaiah is not named in this verse, leading some to ask whether the Chronicler assumed his readers knew the parallel accounts, while others see it as an intentional abbreviation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hezekiah ruled Judah during one of its most dangerous periods. The Assyrian empire under Sennacherib had swept through the northern kingdom and threatened Jerusalem itself. The narrative of chapter 32 celebrates a spectacular deliverance: the angel of Yahweh struck down the Assyrian army (v. 21). Into this context of national crisis and relief comes the personal crisis of the king's illness.
The phrase “in those days” is taken from 2 Kings 20:1, and commentators admit the precise timing is uncertain. Cambridge notes that 2 Kings 20:6 implies the Assyrian danger had not yet passed, placing the illness around Hezekiah's fourteenth year. The king was “sick to death”, the Hebrew idiom ad lamut indicates a condition from which there was no natural recovery.
Hezekiah responded by praying directly to Yahweh. The parallel accounts (2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38) fill in the details: Isaiah the prophet brought a death sentence, Hezekiah wept and prayed, and before Isaiah left the palace, God relented and sent him back with a promise of fifteen more years and deliverance from Assyria. When Hezekiah asked for a confirming sign, God caused the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz to move backward ten steps, a cosmic miracle (2 Kings 20:11; Isaiah 38:8). The Chronicler compresses all of this into one verse, deliberately naming the “wonder” (mophet) and leaving the reader to consult the fuller records.
The sign had political implications as well. In verse 31 we learn that “ambassadors of the princes of Babylon” came to inquire about “the wonder that was done in the land.” This visit led to Hezekiah's pride, his ill-advised showing of his treasures, and Isaiah's prophecy of exile. The sign was a gift, but it also became a test, a pattern God repeats in our own lives.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 2 Chronicles 32:24. The Masoretic Text, Greek Septuagint, and Syriac Peshitta all render the verse with the same basic syntax and vocabulary. The Hebrew mophet appears in all witnesses, confirming the reading “sign” or “wonder.”
Reception History
This verse has been read primarily as a hinge between two episodes: the gracious deliverance and the tragic pride. Early rabbinic literature linked the sign with the sundial miracle and used it to illustrate God's sovereignty over creation. In the medieval period, Jewish commentators like Rashi focused on the word mophet and connected it to the Babylonian ambassadors' inquiry (v. 31).
Christian interpretation, exemplified by Matthew Henry and the Geneva Bible, treated the verse as an example of fervent prayer answered with abundant confirmation. The miracle of the shadow became a type of Christ's resurrection, a demonstration that God holds authority over both time and death. Modern evangelical and reformed traditions have continued this emphasis, while also using Hezekiah's later pride as a caution against spiritual complacency after seasons of remarkable blessing.
Across traditions, the verse has been cherished for its brevity: it says everything in one line, and the full story waits in the background for those who will dig deeper.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The crisis that drives us to prayer. Hezekiah faced a terminal diagnosis. No amount of reform or past faith could shield him from mortality. Sickness strips away our illusions of control and forces us to cry out to God, not as a religious ritual, but as a desperate plea.
- The God who answers with a sign. God not only healed Hezekiah; He gave a confirming wonder that defied the laws of nature. The shadow moved backward. This shows that God's answers often exceed our expectations and provide reassurance for weak faith.
- The danger of pride after deliverance. The very next verse (v. 25) records that Hezekiah did not reciprocate appropriately to the benefit done for him; his heart was lifted up. The miracle did not guarantee humility. The same grace that saves us can, if we are careless, become the occasion for conceit.
Five-point outline
- Sickness brings us to our knees, Hezekiah's illness exposed his dependence.
- Prayer moves the hand of God, the death sentence was reversed.
- God confirms His promise with a sign, the shadow on the sundial.
- Prosperity tests the heart, Hezekiah's wealth and success led to pride.
- Humility averts judgment, Hezekiah and Jerusalem repented, and wrath was postponed.
Illustration hooks
- A person receives a fearful medical report, prays, and then witnesses unexpected improvement that doctors cannot explain. They look back and recognise a sign, not a shadow moving, but a quiet providence that felt like a direct answer.
- A small business survives bankruptcy against all odds. In the aftermath, the owner feels invincible and makes risky decisions. The very success that saved them becomes a snare. The story of Hezekiah is replayed in boardrooms and bank accounts every day.
- In a local church, a long-time member receives healing after sustained prayer. The congregation rejoices, but within a year the same person drifts away, busy with other interests. The sign fades from memory, and the heart grows proud of independence.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God answers prayer so clearly in the Bible, why does He sometimes seem silent to me?
- How do I know if a “sign” is from God or just a coincidence?
- After God does something big in my life, how do I keep from becoming proud?
Leading a Discussion
When you or someone you love faces a terminal diagnosis, the question of prayer becomes urgent. Hezekiah was a good king, yet he got sick anyway. He prayed honestly and directly, not quoting Scripture or bargaining, just crying out to God. The response was immediate and powerful. But the same king who prayed so well later became proud. This study helps a small group examine both the power of prayer and the danger of forgetting God's kindness.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse tell you about Hezekiah's situation? How serious was his illness?
- The Chronicler gives almost no details about the sign here. Why do you think he wrote such a short summary? What does that choice suggest about his purposes?
- Read 2 Kings 20:1-11 aloud. What did Hezekiah's prayer look like? How did God respond, and what sign did He give?
- The Hebrew word for sign is mophet, wonder, miracle, portent. What does it tell us about God that He gave a confirming sign rather than just healing quietly?
- In verse 25 we learn Hezekiah became proud. How does the same blessing that humbles us at first later tempt us to think too highly of ourselves?
- Hezekiah humbled himself (v. 26) after his pride was exposed. What does genuine humility look like when you realize you have taken credit for something God did?
- What “signs” of God's care have you experienced in your own life? How do you keep those memories fresh so they lead to gratitude rather than pride?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 20:1 | In those days Hezekiah was sick and dying. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order; for you will die, and not live.’” |
| II Kings 20:4 | Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, |
| II Kings 20:11 | Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. |
| Isaiah 38:1 | In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’” |
| Isaiah 38:4 | Then Yahweh’s word came to Isaiah, saying, |
| Isaiah 38:8 | Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down. |
| Isaiah 38:21 | Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.” |
| Isaiah 38:22 | Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to Yahweh’s house?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Hezekiah was sick - See 2 Kgs 20:1 (note), etc., and the notes there.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the sign given to Hezekiah was not the miraculous cure itself, as the margin might suggest, but rather the shadow moving backward on the dial of Ahaz. This distinction focuses attention on the specific celestial phenomenon as the confirming sign.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that the phrase “In those days” likely refers to a time when the Assyrian threat still loomed, around Hezekiah’s fourteenth year. It also points out that the Hebrew word for “spake” means “to promise,” and that the sign is better called a “wonder” — a miraculous confirmation of God’s word.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that God's response to Hezekiah's prayer came in two distinct forms: a spoken word and a confirming sign. This underscores that the Lord answered both audibly and visibly, providing a complete assurance of His promise to the king.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill simply directs the reader to the fuller account in Isaiah 38, where the details of Hezekiah's sickness, his prayer, and the sign given to him are described. He offers no additional comment on the verse itself beyond this cross-reference.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death —(See on 2 Ki 20:1 -11 [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8-11 ]). 2 Ch 32:27-33 . HIS RICHES AND WORKS.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Hezekiah's pride after his recovery showed itself in showing off his treasures to the Babylonian embassy. This pride brought God's wrath on him and on Judah, who shared his attitude. The threatened judgment was postponed when Hezekiah humbled himself, but it fell later in the Chaldean invasion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Hezekiah's greatest failure came right after his greatest blessing: his heart swelled with pride over God's healing. Though his humility turned aside immediate wrath, God still tested him by withdrawing conscious support during the Babylonian visit, exposing what truly lay in his heart.