2 Kings 20:17

Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

Behold, the days {H3117} come {H935}, that all that is in thine house {H1004}, and that which thy fathers {H1} have laid up in store {H686} unto this day {H3117}, shall be carried {H5375} into Babylon {H894}: nothing {H1697} shall be left {H3498}, saith {H559} the LORD {H3068}.

'The day will come when everything in your palace, along with everything your ancestors stored up until today, will be carried off to Bavel. Nothing will be left,' says ADONAI.

The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.

Behold, the days come, that all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah.

Commentary

2 Kings 20:17 delivers a stark prophecy from the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah, foretelling the future plundering of Judah's treasures and the Babylonian captivity. This verse is a direct consequence of Hezekiah’s actions and a powerful reminder of God’s sovereign control over history.

Context

This prophecy immediately follows King Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery from a terminal illness, where God added fifteen years to his life (2 Kings 20:6). Subsequently, envoys from Babylon, led by Merodach-baladan, came to visit Hezekiah, ostensibly to congratulate him on his recovery. In a moment of pride or perhaps a desire to forge an alliance, Hezekiah unwisely displayed all his royal treasures, armories, and possessions to these Babylonian delegates (2 Kings 20:13). The prophet Isaiah then confronts Hezekiah about this display, leading directly to the pronouncement of judgment found in this verse and the following one (2 Kings 20:18).

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse reveals God's judgment against Hezekiah's pride and his reliance on human power and alliances rather than complete trust in the Lord. It signifies the consequences of spiritual missteps, even for a generally righteous king.
  • Foretelling the Babylonian Exile: This is a clear and early prophecy of the impending Babylonian captivity, a pivotal event in Israelite history. It predicts the complete despoiling of Jerusalem and Judah's wealth.
  • God's Sovereignty in History: Despite human actions and intentions, God’s prophetic word stands firm. This prophecy, delivered well before the actual events, demonstrates God's ultimate control over nations and their destinies.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "Behold, the days come" (Hebrew: Hinneh yamim ba’im) is a common prophetic formula used to introduce a future, certain event. It emphasizes the inevitability and divine decree behind the forthcoming judgment. The declaration "nothing shall be left, saith the LORD" underscores the totality of the coming desolation, reinforcing the absolute nature of God's word.

Practical Application

For believers today, 2 Kings 20:17 serves as a powerful reminder of several principles:

  • Humility Over Pride: Hezekiah’s display of wealth highlights the dangers of pride and seeking human affirmation. We are called to walk in humility before God.
  • Trust in God Alone: The temptation to rely on worldly resources, political alliances, or personal achievements instead of God's provision and protection is ever-present. This verse encourages absolute trust in the Lord's power and wisdom.
  • The Certainty of God's Word: Just as this prophecy concerning Judah and Babylon was fulfilled (as documented in books like Daniel 1:1-2 and 2 Chronicles 36:18-20), so too will all of God's promises and warnings come to pass. This builds confidence in the reliability of Scripture.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Kings 24:13

    And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:10

    And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Jeremiah 52:17

    Also the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 52:19

    And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; [that] which [was] of gold [in] gold, and [that] which [was] of silver [in] silver, took the captain of the guard away.

  • Jeremiah 27:21

    Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain [in] the house of the LORD, and [in] the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

  • Jeremiah 27:22

    They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

  • 2 Kings 25:13

    And the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.