2 Kings 20:10

10 "It's easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "So have it go back ten steps."

2 Kings 20:10 Meaning and Commentary

And Hezekiah answered, it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees,.... That is, it was comparatively so, otherwise to go down ten degrees at once would be extraordinary and miraculous; but that was more agreeable to the nature and course of it to go forward, and so the miracle would be less apparent:

nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees; which was directly contrary to its natural order and course, whereby the miracle would appear more clear and manifest: these degrees are by some said {x} to be half hours, and not full ones, since it is observed the sun shines not twenty full hours on any dial, unless under the pole; the sun is supposed to have been now at the fifth full hour; the sun was brought back five whole hours, then came forward five, then came forward two degrees, or one hour, to the sixth hour; which made sixteen; then it was six hours to sunset; so that day was prolonged twenty two hours: the Chinese {y} relate, that, in the time of Kingcungus, the planet Mars, for sake of the king, went back three degrees.

{x} Weemse's Christ. Synagog. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 6. p. 167. See his Exposition of the Judicial Laws, c. 25. p. 90. &c. {y} Martin. Sinic. Hist. l. 4. p. 138.

2 Kings 20:10 In-Context

8 Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "You say the LORD will heal me. You say that I'll go up to his temple on the third day from now. What will the miraculous sign be to prove he'll really do that?"

9 Isaiah answered, "The LORD will do what he has promised. Here is his sign to you. Do you want the shadow the sun makes to go forward ten steps? Or do you want it to go back ten steps?"

10 "It's easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "So have it go back ten steps."

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called out to the Lord. And the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps. It went back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway Ahaz had made.

12 At that time Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylonia, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Merodach-Baladan was the son of Baladan.