Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
While figs were a known remedy for boils, the ancient commentators stress that this was less about the figs' natural power and more about them serving as a visible sign of God's promised, miraculous healing. The application of the fig cake wasn't just a medical act; it was a tangible act of faith, making the unseen intervention of God manifest.
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from the prophet Isaiah, but after weeping and praying, God intervenes, promising him fifteen more years of life and a sign. Isaiah then gives the king instructions for a poultice of figs to apply to his painful boil, which will be instrumental in confirming his miraculous recovery. This instruction is presented as a step taken after God's promise and acts as a tangible sign to solidify Hezekiah's faith and the people's understanding of God's power.
Hezekiah was facing a deadly illness, and the prophet Isaiah prescribed a simple poultice of figs. Was this a natural remedy or something more?
The application of a fig poultice to Hezekiah's boil is a fascinating detail that blends the natural with the miraculous.
A Means, Not the Master
Ancient medical texts and commentators note that figs were used in the ancient world for various ailments, including helping to ripen or draw out sores. So, on the surface, it appears to be a sensible, albeit basic, medical treatment. The scholars suggest that such remedies were often part of a prophet's training, linking them to the priestly duties of diagnosing and treating certain diseases, especially those that were ritually unclean.
More Than Meets the Eye
However, the context makes it clear this was no ordinary recovery. Hezekiah was on his deathbed, and the illness was so severe that the entire situation was miraculous. The fig poultice, therefore, served a dual purpose: it was a visible sign that God's healing power was at work, and it was a tangible act of obedience for Hezekiah and his household to perform. The effectiveness of the remedy wasn't solely due to the figs, but because God ordained it as a sign of His promised healing.
The 'boil' that afflicted Hezekiah sounds terrifying, but the commentary suggests it was actually a sign of hope. How could a sickness be good news?
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The nature of Hezekiah's affliction, described as a 'boil,' is crucial to understanding the divine intervention.
A Deadly Diagnosis
Scholars point out that this 'boil' was likely not a minor inconvenience. The term used often refers to severe, inflamed sores, sometimes associated with serious diseases like the plague or even a form of leprosy. These were often life-threatening conditions in the ancient world, carrying a grim prognosis.
A Turning Point
However, for those familiar with ancient medicine and the patterns of divine judgment and mercy, the development of such a boil could paradoxically signal a turn for the better. While the boil itself was dangerous, its appearance could indicate that the disease was 'coming to a head,' preparing to break and release the deadly infection from the body. This made the application of the poultice a direct response to a specific, albeit dire, symptom, and its subsequent healing a clear sign that God's promise of recovery was being fulfilled.
Understand the original words
dĕbēlâ · Hebrew Noun
A dried fruit often used as food in the ancient Near East, but also utilized medicinally as a poultice to treat skin ailments or inflammation.
šĕḥîn · Hebrew Noun
A localized infection, inflammation, or ulcer on the skin. In the biblical context, such afflictions were often viewed with spiritual significance, sometimes representing divine judgment or physical frailty.
ḥāyâ · Hebrew Verb
To return to health, to be kept alive, or to be revived. In the Old Testament, it implies restoration by the power of God, often in the face of death or severe illness.
The mention of the fig poultice highlights how God, even in miraculous interventions, often works through ordinary means, making the miraculous even more astonishing.
c. 713 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's illness and Isaiah's prophecy
King Hezekiah falls gravely ill with a boil, and the prophet Isaiah declares he will die. Hezekiah weeps and prays, and God grants him fifteen more years of life.
c. 713 BC
Isaiah's instructions for a poultice
Isaiah instructs Hezekiah's servants to take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil as a sign and means of recovery. The application of figs was a recognized, though insufficient on its own, remedy for such afflictions.
c. 713 BC
Hezekiah seeks a sign of recovery
Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will recover and be able to go to the temple to worship God. God causes the sun dial's shadow to move backward ten steps.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's invasion of Judah
Assyrian King Sennacherib invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Hezekiah pays a heavy tribute to Assyria to avert disaster.
c. 701 BC
Angel of the Lord destroys Assyrian army
During the siege of Jerusalem, the Angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his army.
This passage is essentially the same account, showing Isaiah giving the same instruction for Hezekiah's recovery, highlighting the divine instruction behind the remedy.
John 9:6In this Gospel miracle, Jesus uses an earthly substance (mud) as part of the healing process, paralleling how Isaiah's use of figs, though seemingly mundane, was supernaturally empowered for healing.
Exodus 9:9The same Hebrew word for 'boil' is used here to describe the afflictions of the plague upon the Egyptians, underscoring the severity and perhaps the pestilential nature of Hezekiah's illness.
1 Samuel 25:18This verse also mentions a 'cake' or 'mass' of figs, showing that this was a common way dried figs were prepared and used in ancient Israel, lending a tangible, everyday element to the miraculous cure.
cambridgeIsaiah 38:21: "For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover."
21 . lay it for a plaister ] Lit. rub it . Lump should be cake , as in R.V. Many commentators suppose that the malady from which Hezekiah suffered was the plague; and Gesenius explains that the appearance of the “boil” would be a hopeful, though not a certain, symptom of recovery. He adds that the application of figs is resorted to by modern Arabian and Turkish physi…
bensonIsaiah 38:21: "For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover."
Isaiah 38:21-22 . For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs — See note on 2 Kings 20:7 . Hezekiah also had said — Or, for Hezekiah had said; What is the sign that I shall go up — Namely, within three days, as is more fully related 2 Kings 20:5 ; 2 Kings 20:8 ; to the house of the Lord? — For thither he designed to go first, partly that he might pay his vows a…
While figs were a known remedy for boils, the ancient commentators stress that this was less about the figs' natural power and more about them serving as a visible sign of God's promised, miraculous healing. The application of the fig cake wasn't just a medical act; it was a tangible act of faith, making the unseen intervention of God manifest.
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from the prophet Isaiah, but after weeping and praying, God intervenes, promising him fifteen more years of life and a sign. Isaiah then gives the king instructions for a poultice of figs to apply to his painful boil, which will be instrumental in confirming his miraculous recovery. This instruction is presented as a step taken after God's promise and acts as a tangible sign to solidify Hezekiah's faith and the people's understanding of God's power.
King Hezekiah has just received a death sentence from the prophet Isaiah, but after weeping and praying, God intervenes, promising him fifteen more years of life and a sign. Isaiah then gives the king instructions for a poultice of figs to apply to his painful boil, which will be instrumental in confirming his miraculous recovery. This instruction is presented as a step taken after God's promise and acts as a tangible sign to solidify Hezekiah's faith and the people's understanding of God's power.
"Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”" — While figs were a known remedy for boils, the ancient commentators stress that this was less about the figs' natural power and more about them serving as a visible sign of God's promised, miraculous…
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Last reviewed October 2026