2 Kings 20 2

2 Kings 20:2 kjv

Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

2 Kings 20:2 nkjv

Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying,

2 Kings 20:2 niv

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

2 Kings 20:2 esv

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,

2 Kings 20:2 nlt

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

2 Kings 20 verses

2 Kings 20 2 Meaning

In a moment of profound personal crisis, upon receiving a direct message from the prophet Isaiah that his illness was fatal, King Hezekiah immediately withdrew from all present company and external distractions. He intently turned himself physically towards a wall and began to earnestly pray to the Lord. This act demonstrates deep humility, intense focus, and desperate supplication directed solely towards God as his ultimate and only hope.

2 Kings 20 2 Context

Immediate Context (2 Kings 20:1 // Isaiah 38:1): The verse immediately follows a grim pronouncement from the prophet Isaiah, who told King Hezekiah, "Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live." Hezekiah was suffering from a life-threatening illness. There was no medical hope or human remedy available for his condition, making God his sole resort. His reaction is one of immediate, intense, and personal appeal to the divine.

Historical and Cultural Context: Hezekiah was a righteous king of Judah who led significant reforms, purged idolatry, and generally "did what was right in the sight of the Lord" (2 Kings 18:3). He famously trusted God during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem under Sennacherib (2 Kings 18-19). This personal crisis, however, puts his faith to a different test. The "wall" suggests his inner chamber, allowing privacy for this intensely personal plea. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, turning one's face away or to a wall could be a posture of mourning, profound distress, or seeking complete privacy from onlookers to focus entirely on one's plea to the deity. It demonstrates his profound distress and his decision to seek no human comfort or counsel, only divine intervention.

2 Kings 20 2 Word analysis

• Then: Hebrew: 'az (אָז). This adverb indicates immediate consequence or quick action. Upon hearing Isaiah's dire prophecy, Hezekiah wastes no time; his response is instant and direct.
• he turned: Hebrew: vayyasev (וַיַּסֵּב) from the root sabab (סָבַב), meaning "to turn, to turn oneself about." It signifies a deliberate and decisive movement, physically redirecting his attention.
• his face: Hebrew: panayv (פָּנָיו). While literally plural ("his faces"), it's an idiomatic expression for "his face." The face is the most expressive part of the human body and is often used to denote personal presence or intense focus. It implies Hezekiah turned his whole being, his most exposed and communicative part, towards the wall in solemn earnestness.
• toward the wall: Hebrew: 'el haqqîr (אֶל־הַקִּיר).
  • Qîr (קִיר) specifically means "wall" (of a house or city).
  • Significance:
    • Privacy and Seclusion: Hezekiah might have sought to remove himself from the immediate presence of Isaiah or others in the room, creating a sense of solitude for his intense prayer, echoing the idea of entering one's "inner room."
    • Undivided Focus: Turning to the wall cuts off visual distractions, allowing for complete concentration on God. It signifies a profound inward turning, a deliberate blocking out of the outside world.
    • Expression of Deep Distress/Humility: In some ancient contexts, facing a wall could signify intense sorrow, humiliation, or desperation, a way of shutting out the world and expressing extreme grief or submission. It’s a posture of one utterly helpless, throwing themselves entirely upon God’s mercy.
    • Intimacy with God: This private, focused action highlights the personal nature of Hezekiah’s relationship with Yahweh, whom he addresses directly.
• and prayed: Hebrew: vayyitpallel (וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל), from the root palal (פָּלַל). This is in the Hithpael stem, which often indicates a reflexive or intensive action. It implies a fervent, self-wrestling, intercessory, and earnest form of prayer, a deeply felt petition rather than a casual request. It denotes a person in a state of supplication and communion with God.
• unto the Lord: Hebrew: 'el Yahweh (אֶל־יְהוָה). Hezekiah directs his prayer specifically to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This underscores his trust in God's character, faithfulness, and power as revealed in His covenant relationship with His people. It is a direct appeal to the one true God, the sovereign over life and death.
• saying: This word simply introduces the words of Hezekiah's prayer, which follow in 2 Kings 20:3. It emphasizes that this was an articulate and fervent appeal, recorded for posterity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then he turned his face toward the wall": This phrase dramatically sets the scene. It conveys a complete physical and mental turning away from all earthly concerns, comforts, or potential human help, and an utter re-orientation towards God. It speaks of a soul concentrating every fiber of its being on the divine.
• "and prayed unto the Lord": This simple conjunction and declaration emphasize that prayer was his immediate, intuitive, and sole response. It highlights that Hezekiah understood where ultimate help came from. It points to the direct, personal nature of his communion with God.

2 Kings 20 2 Bonus section

• The passage reveals a theological depth that God’s declared will can be influenced by the earnest supplication of His people. While God’s character and ultimate plans are unchanging, His immediate responses and the specific course of events can be conditional on human faith and prayer, demonstrating His dynamic relationship with humanity.
• Hezekiah's turning to the wall for private prayer prefigures New Testament teachings on private devotion, as seen in Jesus' instruction to "go into your room and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret" (Matt 6:6), highlighting the value of undistracted, intimate communion with God.
• This act by Hezekiah serves as a timeless example of true faith: not a passive resignation to fate, but an active, hopeful, and fervent appeal to God even in the face of what appears to be an unalterable decree. He didn't question Isaiah's integrity but took his message as a prompt for urgent intercession.

2 Kings 20 2 Commentary

King Hezekiah's immediate and radical response to the prophet's death sentence speaks volumes about his character and his understanding of God. By turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah chose a posture of ultimate vulnerability, humility, and absolute focus. He purposefully shut out all worldly distractions—be they the comfort of his chambers, the presence of the prophet, or the thought of earthly power—to present himself completely to the Lord. This act was not a ritualistic gesture, but an outpouring of a soul in extreme distress, reflecting a profound trust that God, and God alone, held the power over life and death. His earnest "wrestling" in prayer demonstrates his faith that God is not bound by His own pronouncements but is compassionate and responsive to the heartfelt pleas of His righteous servants. This account profoundly underscores the power of earnest, persistent prayer, even when all seems lost and divine judgment has been pronounced. It illustrates that prayer can be a potent means through which God exercises His sovereignty, sometimes leading to outcomes seemingly contrary to prior decrees.