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Isaiah 39

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Babylonian Envoys Visit Hezekiah 1–4

1
At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. ​
2
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not. ​
3
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. ​
4
Then said he, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.

Isaiah Prophesies the Babylonian Exile 5–8

5
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of Jehovah of hosts:
6
Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah. ​
7
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. ​
8
Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 39

Verse 1

sent letters and a present — The same sentence, without 'and was recovered', stands in 2 Kings 20:12, where the king's name is spelled 'Berodachbaladan'. 'Recovered' here is chazaq, to be strong, the root of Hezekiah's own name, not the chayah of 38:9. Chronicles adds that the envoys came 'to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land' (2 Chr 32:31).

Verse 2

the house of his precious things — Nekoth, valuables, a word found only here and in 2 Kings 20:13. Chronicles gives the reading of the visit: 'his heart was lifted up' (2 Chr 32:25), and 'God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart' (2 Chr 32:31).

Verse 3

from a far country — Isaiah asks two questions, 'What said these men?' and 'from whence came they unto thee?', and the answer given covers only the second. 'Far' (rachoq) is the word of the nation the LORD brings 'from far' against disobedient Israel (Deut 28:49).

Verse 6

shall be carried to Babylon — Fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar 'carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house' (2 Kings 24:13), as Jeremiah also foretold, 'carry them to Babylon' (Jer 20:5). The sentence is total: 'nothing shall be left, saith the LORD'.

Verse 7

eunuchs in the palace — Saris is a court officer, a word the KJV renders 'eunuch' or 'officer' (2 Kings 24:12). Its fulfilment is in Daniel 1:3, where the king orders the master of his eunuchs to bring Israelites 'of the king's seed, and of the princes'. 2 Kings 20:18 repeats the verse.

Verse 8

Good is the word of the LORD — The reply accepts the sentence. 'Truth' (emeth) is the word of 38:3, 'walked before thee in truth'. Chronicles records that he 'humbled himself for the pride of his heart… so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah' (2 Chr 32:26).