And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah,.... Heard his prayer, and accepted of it, and granted what he desired:

and healed his people; that is, forgave their sins, as Kimchi interprets it; forgiveness being expressed by healing, for which he refers to Psalm 41:4 to which may be added Psalm 103:3 and which was known either by a prophet sent to declare it, or by not punishing them for their offence.

God heard this intercession, and healed the people. רפא, sanare, is not to be explained by supposing, with Bertheau, that first sickness, and then even death, were to be expected as the results of transgression of the law, according to Leviticus 15:31, and that the people might be already regarded as sick, as being on the point of becoming so. The use of the word is explained by the fact that sin was regarded as a spiritual disease, so that רפא is to be understood of healing the soul (as Psalm 41:5), or the transgression (Hosea 14:5; Jeremiah 3:22).

And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and {o} healed the people.

(o) That is, accepted them as purified.

30:20 Healed - That is, pardoned this their sin, and accepting them and their services, as if they had been clean.

20. the Lord . healed the people-We imagine the whole affair to have been the following: In consequence of their transgressions they had cause to fear disease and even death (Le 15:31). Hezekiah prayed for the nation, which was on the point of being diseased, and might therefore be regarded as sick already [Bertheau].

30:13-20 The great thing needful in attendance upon God in solemn ordinances, is, that we make heart-work of it; all is nothing without this. Where this sincerity and fixedness of heart are, there may yet be many things short of the purification of the sanctuary. These defects need pardoning, healing grace; for omissions in duty are sins, as well as omissions of duty. If God should deal with us in strict justice, even as to the very best of our doings, we should be undone. The way to obtain pardon, is to seek it of God by prayer; it must be gotten by petition through the blood of Christ. Yet every defect is sin, and needs forgiveness; and should be matter to humble, but not to discourage us, though nothing can make up for the want of a heart prepared to seek the Lord.