Bible Strands
2 Kings 20:4
Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The text states that the Lord speaks to the prophet Isaiah while Isaiah is still inside the middle courtyard, before he has exited. This interruption occurs immediately after King Hezekiah concludes his prayer and weeps.
The words — וּ/דְבַר־ יְהוָה (u./de.var- YHWH) translates literally to "and the word of Yahweh." This phrasing marks a direct divine utterance that takes precedence over the prophet's intended route.
The thread — The narrative places the divine message within the architectural space of the royal palace, paralleling the courtyard descriptions in 1 Kings 7:8. The pattern of a prophetic word arriving mid-transit also aligns with the messenger interruptions recorded in 2 Kings 22:14.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize that divine communication operates on its own timeline, overriding human schedules. It demands attention to the exact moment God intervenes in a physical space before a message is delivered.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 7:8 And the palace where Solomon would live, set further back, was of similar construction. He also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.
- 2 Kings 22:14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went and spoke to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.