Text: Isaiah 38:21-22
OT Text Referred to: 2 Kings 20:1-11
Subject: Prophetic declaration
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): None
Significance: The fig poultice and Hezekiah's request for a sign appear in different positions in the two accounts. In 2 Kings 20:7-8, Isaiah prescribes the fig cake and Hezekiah asks for the sign in the natural narrative flow. In Isaiah 38:21-22, these details appear appended after Hezekiah's psalm (vv. 9-20), almost as an afterthought. This positional difference suggests the Isaiah account was organized around the psalm as the centerpiece, with the practical healing details added as a narrative postscript. Both accounts use the same detail — a lump of figs (דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים, develet te'enim) applied to the boil — combining natural remedy with supernatural healing.