A harsh prophecy of doom had just been delivered to King Hezekiah, yet the divine response to his tears is immediate and surprising. The prophet Isaiah had only just turned to leave, and before he could get very far, the word of God stops him in his tracks to reverse the decree. He had not even managed to exit the middle courtyard of the royal palace [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].
A fascinating tradition exists regarding the exact location where Isaiah was stopped, describing the area simultaneously as a courtyard and a city [מנחת שי, רד״ק]. Commentators offer two ways to understand this overlap. One approach explains that this highlights the massive scale of the royal grounds, as the courtyards of kings are often as large as medium-sized towns [רד״ק]. Another perspective views this as a sign of divine urgency. God rushed to halt Isaiah and inform him of the king's recovery before the devastating rumor of the death sentence could escape the palace and spread throughout the entire city [רש״י, רד״ק]. This sudden urgency arose because the moment God saw the king crying in deep regret, He wanted to deliver the good news of the reversed decree right away [אברבנאל].
The severe illness originally struck Hezekiah as a punishment for neglecting to bring children into the world, a serious failure for a monarch responsible for securing the royal succession. Nevertheless, God chose to heal him miraculously, even though his physical condition was naturally terminal. This rapid recovery would allow the king to go up to the House of God in full health by the third day. The cure was granted to him in honor of his position as the leader of the people and out of respect for the oath God swore to King David that his throne would endure forever. God acted with profound historical vision. Even though extending Hezekiah's life would eventually lead to the birth of wicked sons like Manasseh and Amon, God foresaw that from this royal line a truly righteous and upright descendant like King Josiah would one day be born [אברבנאל].