Isaiah 38:21
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)
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This verse highlights that even in miraculous healing, God often works through ordinary means, using a poultice of figs not just as a remedy, but as a tangible sign of His promised recovery. The application of this common remedy was meant to strengthen Hezekiah's faith, demonstrating that the cure was fully dependent on God's power, not just the figs.
King Hezekiah is recovering from a deadly illness, and the prophet Isaiah has just delivered God's word that he will not die but live. This verse reveals the specific, seemingly simple medical instruction Isaiah gave, which served as both a physical remedy and a sign of the divine intervention confirming Hezekiah's recovery. The placement of these verses suggests they were appended to the narrative after the initial account of Hezekiah's healing and the sign of the sun dial's shadow.
Hezekiah was facing a deadly illness, and the prophet Isaiah offered a seemingly simple remedy: a cake of figs. Was this just good medicine, or something more?
When Isaiah told Hezekiah's servants to apply a poultice of figs to his boil, it wasn't just a medical prescription. While figs could be used medicinally to help ripen sores, this situation was extraordinary.
Did God just perform magic, or did He use the natural world in a supernatural way? Isaiah's instruction to use figs points to a fascinating interplay.
It's easy to think of miracles as God bypassing His creation entirely. But often, His power works through the very means He has established.
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 application of a fig poultice wasn't just a mundane medical act but a divinely appointed sign and means to bolster Hezekiah's faith during a moment of miraculous healing. It highlights how God often works through tangible, earthly means, even in supernatural events.
c. 715-687 BC
Reign of Hezekiah
King Hezekiah of Judah reigned during a turbulent period, marked by Assyrian threats and internal reforms. This era forms the backdrop for the events in Isaiah 38.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Hezekiah faced immense pressure and sought divine intervention.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery
King Hezekiah fell gravely ill with a deadly boil. The prophet Isaiah delivered a message of both impending death and miraculous recovery, including a sign involving the sun-dial.
c. 701 BC
Isaiah's Medical Advice
As part of the miraculous recovery, Isaiah instructed Hezekiah's attendants to apply a poultice of figs to the boil, a remedy known in ancient medicine for ripened sores.
This passage parallels Isaiah's instruction directly, showing God working through a seemingly simple, natural remedy- a plaster of figs - to bring about a miraculous healing for Hezekiah.
John 9:6Jesus uses a similar approach, combining a natural substance (mud) with His divine power to restore sight, illustrating how God can use earthly means to accomplish His supernatural purposes.
1 Samuel 25:18This verse also mentions 'cakes of figs' (debelah), showing that this form of dried figs was a common and practical item in ancient Israel, giving context to the specific remedy prescribed.
Exodus 9:9The word for 'boil' here is the same used for the afflictions of the plague on Egypt, highlighting the severity of Hezekiah's illness and underscoring the miraculous nature of his recovery through this applied remedy.
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…
This verse highlights that even in miraculous healing, God often works through ordinary means, using a poultice of figs not just as a remedy, but as a tangible sign of His promised recovery. The application of this common remedy was meant to strengthen Hezekiah's faith, demonstrating that the cure was fully dependent on God's power, not just the figs.
King Hezekiah is recovering from a deadly illness, and the prophet Isaiah has just delivered God's word that he will not die but live. This verse reveals the specific, seemingly simple medical instruction Isaiah gave, which served as both a physical remedy and a sign of the divine intervention confirming Hezekiah's recovery. The placement of these verses suggests they were appended to the narrative after the initial account of Hezekiah's healing and the sign of the sun dial's shadow.
King Hezekiah is recovering from a deadly illness, and the prophet Isaiah has just delivered God's word that he will not die but live. This verse reveals the specific, seemingly simple medical instruction Isaiah gave, which served as both a physical remedy and a sign of the divine intervention confirming Hezekiah's recovery. The placement of these verses suggests they were appended to the narrative after the initial account of Hezekiah's healing and the sign of the sun dial's shadow.
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Unknown, likely soon after 701 BC
Assyrian Records
Assyrian records from Sennacherib's reign mention his campaign against Judah and the collection of tribute from Hezekiah, though they differ from the biblical account regarding Jerusalem's fate.
"Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”" — This verse highlights that even in miraculous healing, God often works through ordinary means, using a poultice of figs not just as a remedy, but as a tangible sign of His promised recovery. The appl…
