King James Version
2 Kings 20:10 in the King James Version says “And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backwar...” — study this verse from 2 Kings chapter 20 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.”
2 Kings 20:10 · KJV
And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. dial: Heb. degrees
At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Berodachbaladan: or, Merodachbaladan
KJV Study — Public Domain
“It is a light thing”
H7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)
“to go down”
H5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
“degrees”
H4609elevation, i.e., the act (literally, a journey to a higher place, figuratively, a thought arising), or (concretely) the condition (literally, a step o
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
“return”
H7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
“degrees”
H4609elevation, i.e., the act (literally, a journey to a higher place, figuratively, a thought arising), or (concretely) the condition (literally, a step o
This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
2 Kings 20:10 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
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