Isaiah said: Since Isaiah’s words in this verse are in response to Hezekiah’s question, the verb said may be more naturally translated “responded” or “answered” in some languages.

Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?: While the first part of this verse seems quite intelligible, the wording of Revised Standard Version here at the end of the verse is very difficult and the meaning is unclear. What is the actual sign that Isaiah promises? This has long been debated by scholars, but it is impossible to be absolutely certain of the meaning. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project indicates that “The Masoretic Text may be interpreted in two ways, either ‘the shadow has gone forward ten steps: will/would it come back ten steps?’ [so New Revised Standard Version] or ‘does the shadow go forward ten steps or does it come back ten steps?’ [so Revised Standard Version]”.

The Masoretic Text seems most naturally to have two parts, the first part making a statement and the second one asking a question. American Bible, for example, says “The shadow has moved ahead ten steps; can it return ten steps?” Some scholars, however, suggest that the entire sentence in the original text was a question, as in the Targum and Latin Vulgate. The translation would then read as in the Revised Standard Version. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, but the meaning is basically the same either way. If the question format is retained for the whole sentence, this is not an objective question about what might happen. It has to do rather with the preference of Hezekiah. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, translates “would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or to go back ten steps?” It is probably a good idea in most languages to make this information explicit as Good News Translation and certain other versions have done. New Century Version similarly begins the question with the words “Do you want….” Bijbel in Gewone Taal provides another helpful model: “The shadow will go forward ten steps or go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. You may choose.”

The Hebrew word translated steps may be taken as a reference to the degrees or gradations on a sundial. Sundials were designed to cast a shadow on the markers or degrees of the dial to show the time of day. Since the sun always moves in the same direction, the possibility of the shadow reversing itself was thought to be impossible unless there was some sort of divine intervention. However, as indicated in the Good News Translation footnote at verse 11, discoveries made in Egypt show that these particular steps may have been part of a stairway constructed in such a way as to perform the same function as a sundial indicating the time of day. The reference is then not to a sundial but to a stairway constructed to function as a sundial.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .