2 Kings 20:1

In those days. This was about the time of Sennacherib’s first invasion in Hezekiah’s 14th year. In connection with the promise of Hezekiah’s healing, the Lord said that He would deliver Jerusalem out of the hand of the king of Assyria and that He would add 15 years to Hezekiah’s reign (ch. 20:6). This fits in with the details of Sennacherib’s first campaign against Judah in Hezekiah’s 14th year, and the fact that Hezekiah reigned 29 years (ch. 18:2). Parallel accounts of Hezekiah’s illness and recovery are found in Isa. 38, 39 and in 2 Chron. 32:24-31.

Set thine house in order. This injunction reveals the reason why the message was given to Hezekiah. There were certain things to be set in order by way of turning over the rulership of the realm, perhaps certain preparations of soul to be made.

For thou shalt die. The normal course of the disease would bring certain death. The prophecy was a forecast of the results that would follow the circumstances as they existed at that time. With an alteration in circumstances the prediction was changed (see v. 5). Some prophetic predictions are not necessarily absolute but may be conditional, as was the case with Jonah’s message to Nineveh (Jonah 3:4-10).