Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 20:5
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.
5. tell [R.V. say to ] Hezekiah the captain [R.V. prince ] of my people ] The first of these changes is in conformity with Isaiah. The latter clause ‘the captain &c.’ is not in the parallel place in Isaiah, where, in this portion of the narrative, the whole record is much briefer.
The name ‘prince’ (Heb. nagid) is that which was applied by Jehovah Himself to the first elected king of Israel (1Sa 9:16), Saul.
behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord ] These words are not found in Isaiah. But there is given there the thanksgiving of Hezekiah which expresses the feelings with which the king would go up to the temple to acknowledge the goodness which had spared his life. It is called ‘the writing of Hezekiah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness’ (Isa 38:9), and is a sort of psalm of thanksgiving.
Though the promise of God ‘thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord’ is omitted in Isaiah we yet see from the concluding words of Isaiah 38. that the thought of it was in the writer’s mind, for he tells us ‘Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The captain of my people – This phrase (which does not occur elsewhere in Kings) is remarkable, and speaks for the authenticity of this full report of the actual words of the prophets message (abbreviated in Isa 38:1, etc.). The title, Captain nagyd of Gods people, commonly used of David, is applied to Hezekiah, as Davids true follower 2Ki 18:3.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The God of David thy father; I am mindful of my promise made to David and his house, and will make it good in thy person.
On the third day; which shows that the cure was miraculous.
Thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord, to give me solemn praise for this mercy; which proves the perfection of the cure.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Thus saith . . . the God of Davidthy fatherAn immediate answer was given to his prayer,containing an assurance that the Lord was mindful of His promise toDavid and would accomplish it in Hezekiah’s experience, both by theprolongation of his life, and his deliverance from the Assyrians.
on the third dayTheperfect recovery from a dangerous sickness, within so short a time,shows the miraculous character of the cure (see his thanksgivingsong, Isa 38:9). The diseasecannot be ascertained; but the text gives no hint that the plague wasraging then in Jerusalem; and although Arab physicians apply acataplasm of figs to plague-boils, they also do so in other cases, asfigs are considered useful in ripening and soothing inflammatoryulcers.
2Ki20:8-20. THE SUNGOES TENDEGREES BACKWARD.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people,…. The king of them, as the Targum:
thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; [See comments on Isa 38:5]
behold, I will heal thee; instantly, miraculously; and none but God could heal him, his disease being in its kind mortal, and he had been told from the Lord that he should die:
on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord: the temple, to give thanks for his recovery; and this he should do on the third day from thence; so soon should he be well, which would show the cure to be miraculous.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) The captain of my people.Or, ruler (ngd); a designation of honour (1Ki. 1:35; 1Sa. 10:1). This is wanting in Isaiah 38, as well as the end of the verse I will heal thee, &c. That narrative looks like an abbreviated transcript of the present, or of a common original.
On the third day.Comp. Hos. 6:2. Here, however, there is no ground for understanding the expression other than literally. The precise nature of Hezekiahs malady cannot be ascertained.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. I will heal thee This change from the former announcement, that he should not live, (2Ki 20:1,) shows that that announcement was not irrevocable but conditional.
On the third day thou shalt go up This would be to the king a pledge and token of Divine interposition, and place beyond doubt the miraculous character of his cure.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 20:5 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.
Ver. 5. The captain of my people, ] Antecessor. See on 1Sa 9:16 .
The God of David.
To the house of the Lord.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God of David (Hebrew. Elohim. This tells us the nature of Hezekiah’s prayer. He had no heir to the throne, but remembered Jehovah’s word to David in 2Sa 7:12-16. Hence his anxiety, as manifested in his “Songs of the degrees”. Compare Psa 127:3-5; Psalms 138; Psalms 132. See App-67. (Manasseh not born till three years later, 600 B.C.)
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. Introducing the fivefold (App-10) promise and answer to his prayer in verses: 2Ki 20:5 and 2Ki 20:6.
go up, &c. This also must have been a subject of prayer.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Turn again: 2Sa 7:3-5, 1Ch 17:2-4
the captain: Jos 5:14, Jos 5:15, 1Sa 9:16, 1Sa 10:1, 2Sa 5:2, 2Ch 13:12, Heb 2:10
the God: 2Ch 34:3, Isa 38:5, Isa 55:3, Mat 22:32
I have heard: 2Ki 19:20, Psa 65:2, Psa 66:19, Psa 66:20, Luk 1:13
I have seen: Psa 39:12, Psa 56:8, Psa 126:5, Rev 7:17
I will heal: 2Ki 20:7, Exo 15:26, Deu 32:39, Job 33:19-26, Psa 147:3, Jam 5:14, Jam 5:15
thou shalt go: 2Ki 20:8, Psa 66:13-15, Psa 66:19, Psa 66:20, Psa 116:12-14, Psa 118:17-19, Isa 38:22, Joh 5:14
Reciprocal: Gen 22:4 – third Jos 1:11 – three days 1Sa 13:14 – captain over 1Sa 22:2 – a captain 1Ki 9:3 – I have heard 2Ki 22:19 – I also have 2Ch 7:12 – I have heard Psa 30:2 – and Psa 41:3 – strengthen Psa 107:20 – He sent Hos 6:2 – two Mar 9:24 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
20:5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy {d} prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the {e} house of the LORD.
(d) Because of his true repentance and prayer, God turned away his wrath.
(e) To give thanks for your deliverance.