Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps: These words are a direct quote of Yahweh. Good News Translation uses indirect speech, which may be helpful in other languages. The word Behold calls Hezekiah’s attention to the divine sign here. It is unclear what the actual sign is, but it involves reversing the setting sun’s shadow. The declining sun probably refers to “the setting sun” (Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible), but many versions do not state that the sun was setting (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The Hebrew word rendered dial is the same word translated steps. It may refer to a sundial and the degrees or gradations on a sundial (so GNB footnote|prj:GNTD.Isa 38.8). A sundial is designed to cast a shadow on the degrees of the dial to show the time of day. It is more likely that the Hebrew word here refers to an outside stairway and its steps, which was used to measure time (so Good News Translation and most other versions). Ahaz, a former king of Judah (see 1.1), built the stairway, but not necessarily for telling time. New Jerusalem Bible says the stairway went to the roof of his palace, but the text does not specify this. In any case, Yahweh says the shadow of the sun will go back ten steps on this staircase to prove that he will keep his promise to Hezekiah.

So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined: Yahweh immediately made the sign occur. This second half of the verse repeats much of the first half, so Good News Translation abbreviates it, which translators may find helpful.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• The shadow of the setting sun is visible on the staircase that Ahaz built. See, I am about to make it retreat by ten steps.’” Then it happened.

• Look, I will cause the shadow of the setting sun to go back ten steps on the staircase of Ahaz.’” Then the shadow retreated ten steps.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .