Isaiah 38 · Verse 8

Isaiah 38:8

Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

Isaiah 38:8, King James Version

Isaiah 38:8 in other translations

BSB	I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.
WEB	Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.
ASV	behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.
YLT	Lo, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it hath gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees:' and the sun turneth back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.
DARBY	behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which hath gone down with the sun on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned on the dial ten degrees, by which it had gone down.
BBE	See, I will make the shade which has gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, go back ten steps. So the shade went back the ten steps by which it had gone down.
Webster	Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which hath gone down on the sun-dial of Ahaz ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it had gone down.

What does Isaiah 38:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

8. bring again--cause to return (Jos 10:12-14). In 2Ki 20:9, 11, the choice is stated to have been given to Hezekiah, whether the shadow should go forward, or go back, ten degrees. Hezekiah replied, "It is a light thing (a less decisive miracle) for the shadow to go down (its usual direction) ten degrees: nay, but let it return backward ten degrees"; so Isaiah cried to Jehovah that it should be so, and it was so (compare Jos 10:12, 14). sundial of Ahaz--Herodotus (2.109) states that the sundial and the division of the day into twelve hours, were invented by the Babylonians; from them Ahaz borrowed the invention. He was one, from his connection with Tiglath-pileser, likely to have done so (2Ki 16:7, 10). "Shadow of the degrees" means the shadow made on the degrees. Josephus thinks these degrees were steps ascending to the palace of Ahaz; the time of day was indicated by the number of steps reached by the shadow. But probably a sundial, strictly so called, is meant; it was of such a size, and so placed, that Hezekiah, when convalescent, could witness the miracle from his chamber. Compare Is 38:21, 22 with 2Ki 20:9, where translate, shall this shadow go forward, &c.; the dial was no doubt in sight, probably "in the middle court" (2Ki 20:4), the point where Isaiah turned back to announce God's gracious answers to Hezekiah. Hence this particular sign was given. The retrogression of the shadow may have been effected by refraction; a cloud denser than the air interposing between the gnomon and dial would cause the phenomenon, which does not take from the miracle, for God gave him the choice whether the shadow should go forward or back, and regulated the time and place. Bosanquet makes the fourteenth year of Hezekiah to be 689 B.C., the known year of a solar eclipse, to which he ascribes the recession of the shadow. At all events, there is no need for supposing any revolution of the relative positions of the sun and earth, but merely an effect produced on the shadow (2Ki 20:9-11); that effect was only local, and designed for the satisfaction of Hezekiah, for the Babylonian astronomers and king "sent to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land" (2Ch 32:31), implying that it had not extended to their country. No mention of any instrument for marking time occurs before this dial of Ahaz, 700 B.C. The first mention of the "hour" is made by Daniel at Babylon (Da 3:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 8 Which is gone down "By which the sun is gone down" - For בשמש bashshemesh, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee read השמש, hashshemesh. - Houbigant. In the history of this miracle in the book of Kings, (2Kgs 20:9-11), there is no mention at all made of the sun, but only of the going backward of the shadow: which might be effected by a supernatural refraction. The first ὁ ἡλιος, the sun, in this verse is omitted in the Septuagint, MS. Pachom.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 38:1-8

Hezekiah's sickness and recovery. (Is. 38:1-8) His thanksgiving. (Is. 38:9-22) Verses 1-8 When we pray in our sickness, though God send not to us such an answer as he here sent to Hezekiah, yet, if by his Spirit he bids us be of good cheer, assures us that our sins are forgiven, and that, whether we live or die, we shall be his, we do not pray in vain. See II Kin. 20:1-11.

Read the full comment on Isaiah 38:1-8 →

Isaiah 38:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הִנְנִ֣יhi.Nihere IH2005

מֵשִׁ֣יבme.Shiv[am] about to turn backH7725

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

צֵ֣לtzel[the] shadow ofH6738

הַֽמַּעֲל֡וֹתha.ma.'a.Lotthe stepsH4609

אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834

יָרְדָה֩ya.re.Dahit had gone downH3381

בְמַעֲל֨וֹתve.ma.'a.Loton [the] steps ofH4609

אָחָ֥ז'a.ChazAhazH271

בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁba.She.meshwith the sunH8121

אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית'a.cho.ra.NitbackwardsH322

עֶ֣שֶׂר'E.sertenH6235

מַעֲל֑וֹתma.'a.LotstepsH4609

וַתָּ֤שָׁבva.Ta.shovand it went backH7725

הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshthe sunH8121

עֶ֣שֶׂר'E.sertenH6235

מַעֲל֔וֹתma.'a.LotstepsH4609

בַּֽמַּעֲל֖וֹתba.ma.'a.Loton the stepsH4609

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834

יָרָֽדָה\׃\ \סya.Ra.dahit had gone downH3381

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 38:8

2 Kings 20:9-11
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.
Joshua 10:12-14
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Matthew 16:1
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 Chronicles 32:24
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
2 Chronicles 32:31
Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

I will bring.
Jos 10:12-14; 2Ki 20:11; 2Ch 32:24,31; Mt 16:1
the sun dial. Heb. the degrees by, or, with the sun.Or, as the Hebrew might be rendered, "the steps of Ahaz." The researches of curious travellers in Hindostan, observes Bp. Stock, have lately discovered in that country, three observatories of similar form, the most remarkable of which is to be seen within four miles of Delhi, the ancient capital of the Mogul empire. A rectangled triangle, whose hypotenuse is a staircase, (apparently parallel to the axis of the earth,) bisects a zone, or coping of a wall, which wall connects the two terminating towers at right and left. The coping itself is of a circular form, and accurately graduated, to mark, by the gnomon above, the sun's progress before and after noon.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 38:7
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
Isaiah 38:8
Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Isaiah 38:9
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

Read all of Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	He aquí que yo vuelvo atrás la sombra de los grados, que ha descendido en el reloj de Achâz por el sol, diez grados. Y el sol fué tornado diez grados atrás, por los cuales había ya descendido.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Voici, je ferai retourner en arrière, de dix degrés, l’ombre des degrés qui est descendue sur le cadran d’Achaz, par le soleil. Et le soleil retourna sur le cadran de dix degrés, dont il était descendu.
German Elberfelder 1871	Siehe, ich lasse den Schatten der Grade, welche er an dem Sonnenzeiger Ahas durch die Sonne niederwärts gegangen ist, um zehn Grade rückwärts gehen. Und die Sonne kehrte an dem Sonnenzeiger zehn Grade zurück, welche sie niederwärts gegangen war.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	ecce ego reverti faciam umbram linearum per quas descenderat in horologio Achaz in sole, retrorsum decem lineis. Et reversus est sol decem lineis per gradus quos descenderat.