What Does Isaiah 38:2 Mean in the King James?
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The first thing prayer does here is turn the face: direction comes before words.
THE MEANING
A wall can fill your immediate field of sight while your attention turns toward the LORD. Prayer begins as an orientation of the whole person, then takes the form of address.
THE ROOT
פָּנָיו
pānāw
GROWS FROM
פנה
pānāh
Turn, face, attend.
The word for face is linked with turning or facing toward, so it carries a sense of presence and orientation as well as appearance. When Hezekiah turns his face, the verse makes the direction of his attention visible.
ALSO GROWS
pānāh: Turn, face, attend.
פָּנָה
This root’s movement makes the face an image of where attention is directed.
liphnê: Before, in front of, in the presence of.
לִפְנֵי
The word for presence grows from the same face-word family, joining facing with being present.
וַיַּסֵּב
wayyassēḇ
GROWS FROM
סבב
sāḇaḇ
Turn around, go around, surround.
“turned” in this verse is wayyassēḇ. The verb carries the sense of turning or redirecting, not simply looking. Joined to the word for face, it makes the prayer’s direction a deliberate movement of the whole person.
ALSO GROWS
sāḇaḇ: Go around, turn, surround.
סָבַב
This wider motion clarifies that the verse describes a change of orientation, not a passing glance.
hēsēḇ: Turn aside; cause to turn.
הֵסֵב
This causative form highlights the act of redirecting the face toward a chosen direction.
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל
wayyitpallēl
GROWS FROM
פלל
pālal
Judge, arbitrate, intercede.
“prayed” in this verse is wayyitpallēl. This prayer verb comes from a root associated with judging and interceding, giving prayer the shade of bringing a matter before someone who can respond. The verse places that appeal after the turn of the face, joining petition to direction.
ALSO GROWS
pelilim: Judges, arbitrators.
פְּלִילִים
This legal branch shows the root’s association with bringing a matter before judgment.
tefillāh: Prayer.
תְּפִלָּה
This noun from the same root names the appeal that Hezekiah directs toward the LORD.
THE PATTERN
Prayer gathers around the direction of attention: the eyes or face turn toward God as words carry the appeal.
A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.THE THREAD
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.The same Hebrew verb for turning and the same face-word appear in both verses. Ahab turns away into grievance, while Hezekiah turns his face and addresses the LORD; the shared motion reveals how much depends on the direction of the turn.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
You can read any verse this way in the app, keep it as a card, and send it on.
A Bible app where you send verses from your keyboard and in Messages, and every verse has a Deep Dive.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us