21
Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָהוּsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Let them takeיִשְׂאוּa cakeדְּבֶלֶתof figsתְּאֵנִיםand rub itוְיִמְרְחוּon the boil,עַל הַשְּׁחִיןand he will live.”וְיֶחִי
Isaiah 38:21
Study it in the app“Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs and rub it on the boil, and he will live.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Isaiah 38:21, word by word
- Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָהוּyeshayahu
Isaiah
Isaiah: a name meaning "YHWH is salvation." Best known is the prophet, son of Amoz, of the time of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (2 Kings 19-20; book of Isaiah); other men also bear it (1 Chronicles 25:3; Ezra 8:7).
Where else “yeshayahu” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- “Let them takeיִשְׂאוּyisu
take
To get something; with "a wife", to marry.
Where else “yisu” appears- a cakeדְּבֶלֶתdevelet
fig cake
Cake of dried, pressed figs; a food that keeps and is carried on journeys.
Where else “develet” appears- of figsתְּאֵנִיםteenim
fig
The fruit of the fig tree, eaten fresh or pressed into cakes.
Where else “teenim” appears- and rub itיִמְרְחוּyimrchu
rub on, apply
To rub on, to apply something by rubbing (as a remedy).
Where else “yimrchu” appears- on the boilשְּׁחִיןshechin
boil
Boil: a painful inflammation of the skin (Exodus 9:9; Job 2:7).
Where else “shechin” appears- and he will liveיֶחִיyechi
live
To have breath and remain in this world, not die.
Where else “yechi” appears
Translation note
Verses 21-22 tell what happened before the song; in 2 Kings 20:7-8 they are in their place in the narrative.
Parallel passages
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
Hezekiah's illness
2 Kings 20:1-11Isaiah 38:1-82 Chronicles 32:24-26
An account told more fully or more briefly in one of the books.
See them side by side
Isaiah 38:21-22
21Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs and rub it on the boil, and he will live.” 22Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the house of YHWH?”
1In those days Hezekiah fell sick to the point of death. And Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says YHWH: ‘Give orders to your house, for you are going to die and will not live.’” 2He turned his face to the wall and prayed to YHWH, saying, 3“Ah, YHWH, remember, please, how I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping. 4And it happened, when Isaiah had not yet gone out of the middle court, that the word of YHWH came to him, saying, 5“Go back and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of YHWH. 6And I will add to your days fifteen years, and from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you and this city; and I will protect this city for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant.’” 7Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” They took it and put it on the boil, and he lived. 8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that YHWH will heal me and that I will go up on the third day to the house of YHWH?” 9Isaiah said, “This shall be to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH will do the thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10Hezekiah said, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn back ten steps backward.” 11Isaiah the prophet cried out to YHWH, and he brought back the shadow on the steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz, backward ten steps.
1In those days Hezekiah fell sick to the point of death. And Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says YHWH: ‘Give orders to your house, for you are going to die and will not live.’” 2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to YHWH, 3and said, “Ah, YHWH, remember, please, how I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping. 4The word of YHWH came to Isaiah, saying, 5“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am adding to your days fifteen years. 6And from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you and this city; and I will protect this city. 7And this shall be to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH will do this thing that he has spoken: 8Look, I am bringing back the shadow on the steps, which has gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, backward ten steps.’” And the sun went back ten steps on the steps by which it had gone down.
24In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death; he prayed to YHWH, and he spoke to him and gave him a wonder. 25But Hezekiah did not repay according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was lifted up; and there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the lifting up of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of YHWH did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
The context
20YHWH is there to save me; and my stringed instruments we will play all the days of our life at the house of YHWH.”
21 · This verse (above)
22Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the house of YHWH?”