Isaiah 38:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised:

NIV: " ‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised:

NASB: And this shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will perform this word that He has spoken:

CSB: This is the sign to you from the Lord that he will do what he has promised:

NLT: ‘And this is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised:

KJV: And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;

NKJV: And this is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken:

Hezekiah asks for a sign confirming he will be well enough to worship in the temple on the third day (2 Kings 20:8). Unlike his father Ahaz, who refused God's offer of a sign (Isaiah 7:10–12), Hezekiah wants reassurance. His question is not framed as a demand for proof, but an expectant desire. God gladly grants the request, showing His power and faithfulness.

According to details given elsewhere (2 Kings 20:8–11), God allows Hezekiah to choose how the confirmation sign will work. Hezekiah's choice hints at God reversing the flow of time. The king opts for God to make the shadow on a time-keeping stair move backwards (Isaiah 38:8). This would be the equivalent of a sun dial moving in the "wrong" direction. Unlike a clock, where this could be explained away as a broken machine, this sign was physically impossible.

Scripture shows varied responses to requests for signs—sometimes patient (Judges 6:36–40), sometimes rebuking unbelief (Matthew 16:4). God often expects His people to trust what He has already revealed.

Isaiah 38:4–8 records the Lord's reaction to Hezekiah's faithful humility. The prophet Isaiah passed along Gods message that King Hezekiah should expect to die from his severe illness. When the king appeals to the Lord, God promises to give him another fifteen years to live. God also vows to preserve Israel from invading Assyrians. To prove that this will happen, God offers a miraculous sign: moving the shadow of a sundial so that the sun appears to be moving backwards.

Hezekiah becomes gravely ill. The only description given mentions a sort of "boil," so this may have been an aggressive tumor. Isaiah tells Hezekiah he will die, so the king prays and weeps. The Lord rewards Hezekiah's faithful dependence with a promise to add fifteen years to his life. God gives a miraculous sign by making the shadow on a staircase-like sundial move backward. After his recovery, Hezekiah writes a psalm describing his grief when he expected death and his joy after the Lord saved him. He commits to worshiping God in the temple for the rest of his life.

The events recorded here most likely happen before the Assyrian invasion described in the previous chapter. Isaiah is arranging his records to smoothly transition into later discussion of the Messiah. The Lord tells King Hezekiah to expect to die from an illness. When the king prays in grief, the Lord grants him fifteen more years and a miraculous sign. Hezekiah responds with a psalm describing both his despair and his renewed praise for the God who saves. Next, Isaiah records a visit from Babylonian messengers and God's prediction that peace will last until after Hezekiah has died.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 4/22/2026 9:18:48 AM