Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights not just the sun’s movement, but the shadow's movement on Ahaz's specific dial. This subtle emphasis suggests the miracle wasn't just a celestial event, but a divinely orchestrated sign tied to a man-made object, emphasizing God’s power over even earthly mechanisms for His people.
Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This miraculous event occurs immediately after King Hezekiah receives a death sentence from Isaiah, followed by a plea for more time. God grants Hezekiah a sign, which involves reversing the shadow on a sun-dial invented by his ancestor Ahaz, extending the daylight by ten steps. This reversal, witnessed by Hezekiah and likely recorded for the Babylonians to inquire about later, serves as a profound pledge of his recovery.
Why a sun-dial? And why the specific number 'ten'? This wasn't just any miracle; it was a sign tailored for Hezekiah's faith.
The miracle recorded in Isaiah 38:8 wasn't a general display of power but a deeply personal sign given to King Hezekiah. God, through Isaiah, offered to make the shadow on Ahaz's sun-dial move backward ten steps.
What if the most significant aspect of this event wasn't the mechanics of the sun-dial, but the message it carried for a dying king?
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The miracle of the reversing shadow was far more than a fascinating astronomical event; it was a profound symbol of God's power over life and death.
The 'sun-dial of Ahaz' was likely a foreign invention introduced by Hezekiah's father, serving as a tangible, observable object for God to perform a miraculous sign. The choice given to Hezekiah to reverse the shadow, rather than let it proceed normally, emphasizes the supernatural nature of the event, directly confirming God's power over creation and His promise to heal.
c. 740 BC
Ahaz becomes King of Judah
King Ahaz introduces foreign inventions, including potentially a sun-dial, into Judah during his reign, marked by political instability and reliance on Assyria.
c. 705-701 BC
Hezekiah's Reign and Assyrian Threat
King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, faces threats from the Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib, while also initiating religious reforms and strengthening Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Hezekiah falls gravely ill
King Hezekiah is struck by a life-threatening illness. The prophet Isaiah visits him, conveying God's message that Hezekiah will not recover.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Plea and the Sign
Hezekiah pleads for a sign of his recovery. God offers him a choice: the shadow on Ahaz's sun-dial can move forward ten steps or backward ten steps.
c. 701 BC
The Shadow Recedes
Hezekiah chooses the more astonishing sign: the shadow moving backward ten steps. Isaiah prays, and the shadow on the sun-dial retrogresses, confirming God's promise of healing.
c. 701 BC
Babylonian Inquiry
News of the miraculous sign spreads, prompting ambassadors from Babylon to inquire about the wonder performed in the land, highlighting its significance beyond Judah.
This passage describes Joshua commanding the sun to stand still, which is a parallel miracle where God intervenes in the celestial mechanics, just as He did with the sun's shadow here.
2 Kings 20:9This provides the parallel account from the book of Kings, where Hezekiah is given the choice of the shadow going forward or backward ten steps, adding crucial detail to the event described in Isaiah.
John 11:4Jesus declares, 'This illness does not lead to death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' This echoes the divine purpose behind Hezekiah's miraculous healing – to bring glory to God.
Daniel 3:25Nebuchadnezzar exclaims, 'Look! I see four men unbound and walking in the midst of the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!' This highlights how God intervenes in extraordinary ways to deliver His faithful servants.
2 Chronicles 32:31This verse mentions that the Babylonian ambassadors inquired about 'the wonder that was done in the land,' indicating that the miracle was a public sign observed in the land, not just a private event for Hezekiah.
cambridgeIsaiah 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."
8 . The R.V. has (after Ahaz ) the phrase “with the sun,” which is wrongly taken by the A.V. as an adjunct of the word “dial” ( the sun dial ). It is necessary, however, to strike out the preposition “with” (as in the LXX.). The whole verse then reads literally: Behold I will turn the shadow of…
clarkeIsaiah 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."
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, ( 2 Kings 20:9-11 ), there is no mention at all made of the sun, but only of the going backwar…
The verse highlights not just the sun’s movement, but the shadow's movement on Ahaz's specific dial. This subtle emphasis suggests the miracle wasn't just a celestial event, but a divinely orchestrated sign tied to a man-made object, emphasizing God’s power over even earthly mechanisms for His people.
This miraculous event occurs immediately after King Hezekiah receives a death sentence from Isaiah, followed by a plea for more time. God grants Hezekiah a sign, which involves reversing the shadow on a sun-dial invented by his ancestor Ahaz, extending the daylight by ten steps. This reversal, witnessed by Hezekiah and likely recorded for the Babylonians to inquire about later, serves as a profound pledge of his recovery.
This miraculous event occurs immediately after King Hezekiah receives a death sentence from Isaiah, followed by a plea for more time. God grants Hezekiah a sign, which involves reversing the shadow on a sun-dial invented by his ancestor Ahaz, extending the daylight by ten steps. This reversal, witnessed by Hezekiah and likely recorded for the Babylonians to inquire about later, serves as a profound pledge of his recovery.
"Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined." — The verse highlights not just the sun’s movement, but the shadow's movement on Ahaz's specific dial. This subtle emphasis suggests the miracle wasn't just a celestial event, but a divinely orchestr…
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Last reviewed October 2026