The Meaning of 2 Kings 20:11 Explained

2 Kings 20:11

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Isaiah the prophet calleth unto Jehovah, and He bringeth back the shadow by the degrees that it had gone down in the degrees of Ahaz -- backward ten degrees.

Darby: And Isaiah the prophet cried to Jehovah, and he brought the shadow back on the degrees by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.

ASV: And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Jehovah; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 20:11 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 20:1-11 - The Shadow Turned Back On Life's Dial
What a contrast between Hezekiah and the Apostle Paul! To the great Christian hero, death seemed infinitely desirable. He was ready to be offered; it would be gain to depart and be with Christ. But Hezekiah, who had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart, turned his face to the wall and wept sore as the shadow of death fell upon him. Could anything prove more conclusively how much we owe to the Lord Jesus, who abolished death for those who trust Him?
Who does not know what it is to turn the face to the wall in unutterable anguish? There are moments when we are face to face with a blank wall, and only God can open a door in it. But He did for Hezekiah and He will for you. Only have faith and reckon on God's faithfulness. Has the shadow gone down on your dial? Has the day of your earnest zeal for God begun to wane? Have the bright promises of the morning become overcast? Then turn to God with true repentance! Let Him see thy tears of heart-sorrow, and He will restore the years that the cankerworm has eaten. It shall be with thee as in the past. The shadow shall return on the dial and the days of thy youth shall be renewed. There is a sense in which our sun never goes down, but leads our days forward, when the Lord becomes our Everlasting Light. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 20

1  Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer has his life lengthened
8  The sun goes ten degrees backward for a sign of that promise
12  Berodach-baladan sending to visit Hezekiah has notice of his treasures
14  Isaiah understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity
20  Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 20:11 mean?

So cried out Isaiah the prophet to Yahweh and He brought - the shadow bruised by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz Backward ten degrees -
וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא אֶל־ יְהוָ֑ה וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־ הַצֵּ֗ל בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרְדָ֜ה בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת אָחָ֛ז אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת פ

וַיִּקְרָ֛א  So  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ  Isaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְשַׁעְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem during the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah; author of the prophetic book by his name; tradition has it that he was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by king Manasseh and that this is the incident referred to in Heb :37.
הַנָּבִ֖יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיָּ֣שֶׁב  and  He  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַצֵּ֗ל  the  shadow 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת  bruised 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מָעַךְ  
Sense: to press, squeeze.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  by  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָרְדָ֜ה  it  had  gone  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת  on  the  sundial 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַעֲלָה 
Sense: what comes up, thoughts.
אָחָ֛ז  of  Ahaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחָז  
Sense: king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah.
אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית  Backward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אֲחֹרַנִּית  
Sense: backwards, back part, the rear.
עֶ֥שֶׂר  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
מַעֲלֽוֹת  degrees 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַעֲלָה 
Sense: what comes up, thoughts.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation