2 Kings 20:2-6 Meaning: He Turned to the Wall
2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, saying,
3“Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying,
5“Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the prince of my people, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you will go up to Yahweh’s house.
6I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”’”
2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5Turn 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.
6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah, saying,
3Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out into the middle part of the city, that the word of Jehovah came to him, saying,
5Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, 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 Jehovah.
6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
2And he turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah, saying,
3`I pray Thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which is good in Thine eyes I have done;' and Hezekiah weepeth--a great weeping.
4And it cometh to pass--Isaiah hath not gone out to the middle court--that the word of Jehovah hath been unto him, saying,
5`Turn back, and thou hast said unto Hezekiah, leader of My people: Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I give healing to thee, on the third day thou dost go up to the house of Jehovah;
6and I have added to thy days fifteen years, and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city for Mine own sake, and for the sake of David My servant.'
2And he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah saying,
3Ah! Jehovah, remember, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done what is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept much.
4And it came to pass before Isaiah had gone out into the middle city that the word of Jehovah came to him saying,
5Return, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, 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 to the house of Jehovah;
6and I will add to thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
Meaning in one sentence
When told he would die, King Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept. God heard his prayer and gave him fifteen more years. Discover the meaning.
Context
This passage is set in the final years before the Assyrian invasion. Hezekiah, king of Judah, lies sick and has just received a blunt word from the prophet Isaiah: set your house in order, for you will die and not live. The king does not argue or bargain. Instead, he turns his face to the wall and prays. Within moments, before Isaiah has even left the palace courtyard, God sends him back with a completely different message, healing, fifteen more years, and deliverance from Assyria. The speed of the answer matters. Hezekiah's prayer rises and God responds before the prophet reaches the outer court. The whole unit shows a king who knows how to bring his whole self before God, tears and all.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind 'turned his face' (vayyassev, from savav H5437) means to turn about, to rotate toward something. Hezekiah deliberately faced away from the room, from Isaiah, from everything, and toward the wall. Barnes notes that this contrasts sharply with Ahab, who turned his face to the wall in sullen anger (1 Kings 21:4). Hezekiah turned in order to pray undisturbed, to give his full attention to God.
'I have walked before you in truth' uses the verb hithalakhti (from halak H1980, the same word used of Enoch walking with God). It pictures a habitual, steady way of life, not a single moment. The word for 'truth' (emet) carries the sense of firmness and reliability, Hezekiah claims consistency, not perfection.
And his heart is described as shalem (from H8003), whole, complete, at peace. This is the word behind the common English 'perfect heart.' It does not mean sinless. It means undivided, offered fully to God. Hezekiah's tears show that the prayer came from that whole heart, not just from his lips.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have focused on different aspects of this moment. Matthew Henry (Reformed) stresses that Hezekiah turned from the company to converse with God, and that his weeping came from the natural fear of death, not from lack of faith. Wesley (Methodist) adds that Hezekiah 'could not retire to his closet, but he retired as well as he could.'
Adam Clarke (Methodist) sees an important principle: Hezekiah knew that even a prophetic word of judgment could be conditional, so he prayed. 'This passage is a key to many prophecies and Divine declarations,' Clarke writes. The traditional understanding is that God always intended mercy, but He drew Hezekiah into prayer first.
Barnes (Protestant) points out that the covenant promised temporal blessings to the faithful. Hezekiah's prayer rests on that promise, not on personal merit. The unity across these readings is that Hezekiah's honest, wholehearted cry was heard and answered.
A common misunderstanding
Some read Hezekiah's prayer as a proud claim: 'I have been good, so I deserve to live.' In fact, he is not bargaining. His words echo the promise God made to David (1 Kings 8:25), that a faithful descendant would sit on the throne. Hezekiah appeals to God's own covenant faithfulness, not his own record. The tears confirm his humility, not his arrogance.
Living This Out
This week, you may receive news that shakes you. A health report. A relationship ending. A loss you didn't see coming. Before you call everyone or spiral into worry, try what Hezekiah did. Turn your face away from the noise. Literally turn if you need to. Then speak to God with the same raw honesty, remind Him of the ways you have tried to walk faithfully, even imperfectly. Let the tears come if they are there. God does not need polished prayers. He answers before the prophet leaves the courtyard. The fifteen years were a gift; so is whatever time remains for you. Use it to walk before Him again.
Main takeaway: God hears the honest cry of a whole heart and answers with mercy before we even finish speaking.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Hezekiah was very sick and was told he would die. He turned his face to the wall and prayed to God with big tears. God heard him and made him well again.
For ages 9, 12
King Hezekiah got terrible news: he was going to die soon. Instead of getting angry or giving up, he turned his face to the wall so he could pray without distractions. He cried hard and reminded God how he had tried to live faithfully. Before the prophet Isaiah even left the building, God sent him back with good news, Hezekiah would live another fifteen years. God pays attention when we pray honestly, even with tears.
Questions People Ask
Why did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall?
He turned to the wall to focus completely on prayer, away from distractions. Unlike Ahab in 1 Kings 21:4, who turned in sullen anger, Hezekiah turned in devotion. Commentators agree he wanted to pray without being observed or interrupted.
Was Hezekiah being selfish to ask for more life?
Not necessarily. The Old Testament promised long life to the faithful (Exodus 20:12). Hezekiah was likely still childless at this point, his son Manasseh was born three years later. He asked within the covenant God had made with David, not purely for his own comfort.
What does 'walk before you in truth and with a perfect heart' mean?
The Hebrew word for 'truth' (emet) means reliability and faithfulness. 'Perfect heart' (levav shalem) means whole or complete, not sinless. Hezekiah was saying he had been consistently faithful, not that he had never failed.
Did God change His mind about Hezekiah dying?
God's initial message through Isaiah may have been a warning designed to drive Hezekiah to prayer. Many commentators (like Adam Clarke) see this as a key to understanding prophetic declarations, they often carry conditions. God's final word always included mercy.
What happened to Hezekiah after these fifteen years?
Hezekiah enjoyed fifteen more years of life, but his later actions included showing the Babylonian envoys his treasures, which Isaiah warned would lead to exile (2 Kings 20:12-19). His son Manasseh, born during those extra years, became one of Judah's worst kings.
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