II Kings 20:7 · Bible study
2 Kings 20:7 Commentary: Fig Poultice and Divine Healing
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God use an ordinary fig poultice to heal Hezekiah after promising supernatural healing? A study on means, miracle, and faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God heals Hezekiah through a fig poultice, using ordinary means to accomplish a supernatural promise.
- Key words: develet (cake of pressed figs), shechin (boil, inflammatory tumor), vayeḥi (he lived/recovered).
- Main debate: Whether the healing should be considered entirely miraculous or partly natural; commentators agree it was supernatural, as the condition was fatal and the figs were dry.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty working through secondary causes; faith expressed through practical obedience.
- Best use: Pastoral teaching on prayer and medicine, showing that using remedies does not diminish trust in God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” So they brought it and applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah recovered.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Isaiah saith, `Take ye a cake of figs;' and they take and lay it on the boil, and he reviveth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Isaias said: Bring me a lump of figs. And when they had brought it, and laid it upon his boil, he was healed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y dijo Isaías: Tomad masa de higos. Y tomándola, pusieron sobre la llaga, y sanó.
E disse Isaías: Tomai uma pasta de figos. E tomando-a, puseram sobre a chaga, e sanou.
Ésaïe dit: Prenez une masse de figues. On la prit, et on l’ appliqua sur l’ ulcère. Et Ézéchias guérit.
Und Jesaja sprach: Bringet her ein Pflaster von Feigen! Und da sie es brachten, legten sie es auf die Drüse; und er ward gesund.
Daarna zeide Jesaja: Neemt een klomp vijgen; en zij namen ze, en legden ze op de zweer, en hij werd genezen.
Ed Isaia disse: “Prendete un impiastro di fichi secchi!” Lo presero, e lo misero sull’ulcera, e il re guarì.
Przytem rzekł Izajasz: Przynieście bryłę fig suchych. Którą przyniósłszy włożyli na wrzód, i zgoił się.
И сказал Исаия: возьмите пласт смокв. И взяли, и приложили к нарыву; и он выздоровел.
以賽亞 說：「當取 一塊無花果 餅來。」人就取了來，貼 在 瘡上，王便痊癒了。
Then Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs. So they took it and put it on his wound, and he got better.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 20:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the fig poultice was a common ancient remedy for boils, but Hezekiah's condition was fatal and beyond natural cure. Adam Clarke notes that the Hebrew shechin (boil) could mean any inflammatory tumor, and while a fig poultice might ripen an ordinary boil, it could not heal a deadly one. Barnes adds that the means had “a tendency toward the result performed by them, but insufficient of themselves to produce that result.” Gill emphasizes that the figs were dry, not moist, making them less likely to work naturally, and the sudden recovery proved divine intervention. The Cambridge Bible observes that exactly this remedy was used in the ancient world for “hot and angry swellings,” yet the text shows Hezekiah recovered only after the poultice was applied, on the third day, as God had promised.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God healed Hezekiah after promising to do so, using a fig poultice as a tangible, ordinary means to accomplish the healing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the healing | All commentators affirm that God healed Hezekiah; the recovery was not merely natural. | Some (Barnes, Gill) stress that the figs were insufficient alone, others (Cambridge) note that figs had medicinal value, but all see divine intervention as necessary. |
| Identity of the disease | It was a severe inflammatory swelling (<em>shechin</em>), possibly a carbuncle or abscess. | Various theories: pleurisy, plague, elephantiasis, or quinsey. Most think a boil or carbuncle best fits the external treatment. |
| Timing of the poultice | The poultice was applied after God's promise of healing. | The parallel in Isaiah 38:21 says 'Isaiah had said' (pluperfect), suggesting the instruction may have been given earlier; the exact sequence is ambiguous. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hezekiah was about forty years old when he fell “sick unto death” (2 Kings 20:1). His illness struck during the Assyrian invasion of Judah, around 713 BC, adding political crisis to personal crisis. The king turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly, pleading with God to remember his faithful walk. God responded through Isaiah: Hezekiah would live fifteen more years, and Jerusalem would be delivered.
The boil (shechin) was likely a carbuncle or severe inflammatory swelling, the same Hebrew word used for Job's affliction (Job 2:7). Such an infection, especially on the neck or back, could quickly become fatal. In the ancient Near East, dried figs pressed into cakes (develet te'enim) were a standard treatment. Pliny the Elder recorded their use for maturing abscesses, and the herbalist Gerarde noted that figs “soften and ripen impostumes.” But a cake of dry figs would have limited effect on a lethal tumor.
The literary structure is important: God had already promised healing in verse 5 (“I will heal you,” Hezekiah would go to the temple on the third day). The instruction to apply figs comes after that promise, not as the means of healing but as the concrete sign that the promise was being enacted. This parallels other prophetic miracles where ordinary substances become vehicles of divine power: Elisha throwing salt into bad water (2 Kings 2:20-22) and meal into a poisoned pot (2 Kings 4:41). In each case, the object had some natural property, but the result exceeded what nature could accomplish. The sign of the shadow moving backward (vv. 8-11) further confirms that the healing was God's work, not herbal medicine.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 2 Kings 20:7. The Masoretic text is stable across manuscripts, and the parallel in Isaiah 38:21 agrees closely. Some Hebrew manuscripts read 'cake' or 'lump,' but the meaning is unchanged.
Reception History
In early and medieval interpretation, Hezekiah's fig poultice was often read as an example of using natural means while trusting God. Augustine used it to argue that medicine is a gift from God and should not be rejected by those who pray for healing. Reformation commentators (Calvin, Matthew Henry) emphasized that the means did not produce the miracle; God worked through them. Modern discussions focus on the relationship between faith and medicine, with this verse frequently cited to counter the view that prayer and medical treatment are in competition. The story has also been used in pastoral care for the sick, encouraging both prayer and practical care.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's promise precedes and exceeds the means He uses. The healing was decreed before the poultice was applied. Our actions do not earn God's gifts; they receive them.
- Ordinary things become extraordinary when God chooses to work through them. A cake of figs, a handful of meal, water and salt, these humble materials carry divine power when the Lord commands.
- Faith engages both prayer and practice. Hezekiah prayed, and he also accepted a poultice. Trusting God does not mean refusing medical help; it means seeing every remedy as a gift from the Healer.
Five-point outline
- The severity of Hezekiah's condition shows the depth of human need.
- God's response to prayer is immediate and gracious, healing and extra years.
- The fig poultice represents God's willingness to use secondary causes.
- The third-day recovery ties to temple worship and God's covenant presence.
- The sign of the shadow confirms that the Lord rules over nature and time.
Illustration hooks
- The farmer and the rain: A farmer prays for his crops, then waters them. He knows the rain comes from God, but the watering is also part of his trust.
- The surgery and the surgeon: A patient prays before an operation. She trusts God for the outcome, but she still submits to the knife and the medicines.
- The burnt dinner: A cook prays the meal will be edible, then adds salt and adjusts the heat. The prayer doesn't replace the action.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God promised to heal, why didn't He just do it instantly without a poultice?
- Does this verse mean I should always use medicine when I'm sick? Is it okay to also pray for a miracle?
- How can I tell if my healing is from God or from natural causes?
Leading a Discussion
Hezekiah's recovery raises a tension every believer faces: God promises to heal, and yet He instructs the use of a common remedy. This story invites us to think about how divine power and human action work together. Read the passage aloud, then discuss.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the order of events: the promise, the tears, the poultice, the recovery?
- Why do you think God used a fig poultice instead of simply saying “be healed”? What does that choice tell us about His character?
- How does the parallel account in Isaiah 38:21 affect your reading of this verse?
- In what areas of life do you tend to rely on “natural means” without asking God for help? Where do you ask God for help without using the means He has provided?
- How can this story guide how we pray for the sick and how we care for them practically?
- Hezekiah received fifteen extra years. How would you live differently if you knew you had a set number of years left?
- Share a time when God worked through ordinary circumstances to answer a prayer. What did that teach you?
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 2:20 | He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him. |
| II Kings 2:22 | So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke. |
| II Kings 4:41 | But he said, “Then bring meal.” He threw it into the pot; and he said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. |
| Job 2:7 | So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head. |
| 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.” |
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
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that we cannot be certain what disease Hezekiah suffered from, since the Hebrew term can mean any inflammatory swelling. He therefore refuses to judge the fig poultice's medical propriety, but affirms it as the natural means God chose to work through for the king's recovery.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the figs were a common remedy for ordinary boils, but Hezekiah's condition was a deadly tumor they could not naturally cure. The treatment had a tendency toward healing yet was insufficient by itself, showing God worked through ordinary means to accomplish a supernatural result.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that Hezekiah's illness was most likely a carbuncle, since a fig plaster was used to treat it. Other conjectures like pleurisy or plague are less probable, as those would not have been treated with a poultice.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then Isaiah sayde, Take a lumpe of dry figges. And they tooke it, and layed it on the boyle, and he recouered.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the figs were dried, not moist, making them an unlikely cure for a deadly boil. Though figs have some medicinal properties, the sudden and complete recovery shows this was a supernatural healing accomplished through ordinary means.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch places Hezekiah's illness at the start of Sennacherib's invasion, not after the Assyrian retreat, and identifies the Hebrew term for his boil as a carbuncle, not plague. They see the king's prayer as a faithful appeal, not self-righteousness, and treat the prophecy's precise fifteen-year extension as a genuine supernatural promise.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Hezekiah's illness came after the Assyrian retreat, not before, based on