The Meaning of 2 Kings 20:5 Explained

2 Kings 20:5

KJV: Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

YLT: 'Turn back, and thou hast said unto Hezekiah, leader of My people: Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I give healing to thee, on the third day thou dost go up to the house of Jehovah;

Darby: Return, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up to the house of Jehovah;

ASV: Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Turn again,  and tell  Hezekiah  the captain  of my people,  Thus saith  the LORD,  the God  of David  thy father,  I have heard  thy prayer,  I have seen  thy tears:  behold, I will heal  thee: on the third  day  thou shalt go up  unto the house  of the LORD. 

What does 2 Kings 20:5 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 20:5 mean?

Return and tell unto Hezekiah the leader of My people thus says Yahweh the God of David your father I have heard - your prayer I have seen your tears surely I will heal you On the day third you shall go up to the house of Yahweh
שׁ֣וּב וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ אֶל־ חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ נְגִיד־ עַמִּ֗י כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יךָ שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־ תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ רָאִ֖יתִי דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ הִנְנִי֙ רֹ֣פֶא לָ֔ךְ בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י תַּעֲלֶ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה

שׁ֣וּב  Return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞  and  tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ  Hezekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִזְקִיָּה 
Sense: 2th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices.
נְגִיד־  the  leader 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָגִיד  
Sense: leader, ruler, captain, prince.
עַמִּ֗י  of  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵי֙  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
דָּוִ֣ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אָבִ֔יךָ  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙  I  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
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.
תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ  your  prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
רָאִ֖יתִי  I  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ  your  tears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דִּמְעָה  
Sense: tears.
הִנְנִי֙  surely 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
רֹ֣פֶא  I  will  heal 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
בַּיּוֹם֙  On  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
תַּעֲלֶ֖ה  you  shall  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בֵּ֥ית  to  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.