Isaiah 38:21-22
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This verse isn't just about a plaster; it reveals a profound partnership between divine power and human action. God doesn't bypass practical means—He uses them, showing that even in miraculous healing, there's a role for earthly remedies like a poultice of figs.
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse and the one following are a bit out of place in the narrative, likely appended from a parallel account in Kings. They reveal God's specific instructions and the sign He gave to King Hezekiah to confirm his recovery from a life-threatening illness. The narrative context is that Hezekiah has just been told by Isaiah that he will recover and that a sign would be given, and this verse explains the practical step taken as part of that miraculous healing process.
Why would a prophet suggest a common remedy for such a dire illness? Was this a medical prescription or something more?
Isaiah's instruction to apply a cake of figs to Hezekiah's boil wasn't just a suggestion for a natural remedy. While figs could be used medicinally in the ancient world to help ripen or draw out an infection, the context here points to something divinely orchestrated.
Isaiah wasn't just a messenger; he was deeply involved in the physical well-being of God's people. What does this reveal about prophetic ministry?
The instruction given in Isaiah 38:21 highlights a multifaceted role for the prophets in ancient Israel. They were not solely prognosticators of future events or deliverers of God's judgment.
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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.
’ôt · Hebrew Noun
An objective evidence or supernatural token given by God to confirm a word, promise, or prophetic message. It serves to strengthen the faith of the recipient and certify the truth of divine revelation.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel, YHWH. It signifies His eternal self-existence, His faithfulness to His covenant promises, and His holiness.
This verse reveals God using a natural remedy – a fig poultice – not just as a medical treatment but as a tangible sign of His miraculous intervention and promise to heal King Hezekiah during a time of national crisis.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion and Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event put immense pressure on King Hezekiah and the people of Judah.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Hezekiah's Life-Threatening Illness
During the Assyrian crisis, King Hezekiah falls gravely ill with a boil or abscess that threatens his life. This crisis occurs while Jerusalem is still under threat.
c. 701 BC
Isaiah's Divine Intervention and Sign
Prophet Isaiah advises Hezekiah, giving him a divine sign of recovery: a poultice of figs applied to the boil. This signifies God's direct intervention and promise of healing.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Recovery and Prayer
Hezekiah recovers from his illness, and in gratitude, he offers a prayer of thanksgiving. The book of Isaiah records his prayer and God's subsequent promise to deliver Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC
Divine Deliverance of Jerusalem
The Angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his siege from Jerusalem. The city is miraculously saved.
This passage is the parallel account where the same instruction for using figs is given, highlighting the divine instruction behind the seemingly simple remedy.
1 Samuel 25:18This verse describes David's servant bringing a 'cake of figs,' showing that such preparations were a common, practical item for sustenance and possibly for remedies in ancient times.
Job 2:7This verse describes Job afflicted with 'loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head,' painting a picture of the severe, painful afflictions that could befall individuals, similar to Hezekiah's deadly boil.
John 9:6In this New Testament miracle, Jesus uses an earthly substance (mud) and applies it to the blind man's eyes, paralleling the use of a physical application (figs) to bring about healing, demonstrating God's consistent method of using means to accomplish His will.
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 isn't just about a plaster; it reveals a profound partnership between divine power and human action. God doesn't bypass practical means—He uses them, showing that even in miraculous healing, there's a role for earthly remedies like a poultice of figs.
This verse and the one following are a bit out of place in the narrative, likely appended from a parallel account in Kings. They reveal God's specific instructions and the sign He gave to King Hezekiah to confirm his recovery from a life-threatening illness. The narrative context is that Hezekiah has just been told by Isaiah that he will recover and that a sign would be given, and this verse explains the practical step taken as part of that miraculous healing process.
This verse and the one following are a bit out of place in the narrative, likely appended from a parallel account in Kings. They reveal God's specific instructions and the sign He gave to King Hezekiah to confirm his recovery from a life-threatening illness. The narrative context is that Hezekiah has just been told by Isaiah that he will recover and that a sign would be given, and this verse explains the practical step taken as part of that miraculous healing process.
"Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”" — This verse isn't just about a plaster; it reveals a profound partnership between divine power and human action. God doesn't bypass practical means—He uses them, showing that even in miraculous heal…
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Last reviewed October 2026
