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Commentary on Isaiah 39 verses 5–8
Hence let us observe, 1. That, if God love us, he will humble us, and will find some way or other to pull down our spirits when they are lifted up above measure. A mortifying message is sent to Hezekiah, that he might be humbled for the pride of his heart, and be convinced of the folly of it; for though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, as he did Hezekiah here, to prove him, that he might know all that was in his heart, yet he will not suffer them to lie still in it. 2. It is just with God to take that from us which we make the matter of our pride, and on which we build a carnal confidence. When David was proud of the numbers of his people God took a course to make them fewer; and when Hezekiah boasts of his treasures, and looks upon them with too great a complacency, he is told that he acts like the foolish traveller who shows his money and gold to one that proves a thief and is thereby tempted to rob him. 3. If we could but see things that will be, we should be ashamed of our thoughts of things that are. If Hezekiah had known that the seed and successors of this king of Babylon would hereafter be the ruin of his family and kingdom, he would not have complimented his ambassadors as he did; and, when the prophet told him that it would be so, we may well imagine how he was vexed at himself for what he had done. We cannot certainly foresee what will be, but are told, in general, All is vanity, and therefore it is vanity for us to take complacency and put confidence in any thing that goes under that character. 4. Those that are fond of an acquaintance or alliance with irreligious men will first or last have enough of it, and will have cause to repent it. Hezekiah thought himself very happy in the friendship of Babylon, though it was the mother of harlots and idolatries; but Babylon, who now courted Jerusalem, in process of time conquered her and carried her captive. Leagues with sinners, and leagues with sin too, will end thus; it is therefore our wisdom to keep at a distance from them. 5. Those that truly repent of their sins will take it well to be reproved for them and will be willing to be told of their faults. Hezekiah reckoned that word of the Lord good which discovered sin to him, and made him sensible that he had done amiss, which before he was not aware of. The language of true penitents is, Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness; and the law is therefore good, because, being spiritual, in it sin appears sin, and exceedingly sinful. 6. True penitents will quietly submit, not only to the reproofs of the word, but to the rebukes of Providence for their sins. When Hezekiah was told of the punishment of his iniquity he said, Good is the word of the Lord, not only the mitigation of the sentence, but the sentence itself; he has nothing to object against the equity of it, but says Amen to the threatening. Those that see the evil of sin, and what it deserves, will justify God in all that is brought upon them for it, and own that he punishes them less than their iniquities deserve. 7. Though we must not be regardless of those that come after us, yet we must reckon ourselves well done by if there be peace and truth in our days, and better than we had reason to expect. If a storm be coming, we must reckon it a favour to get into the harbour before it comes, and be gathered to the grave in peace; yet we can never be secure of this, but must prepare for changes in our own time, that we may stand complete in all the will of God, and bid it welcome whatever it is.
(Verse 3 onwards) Then Isaiah the Prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him: What did these men say, and where did they come from to you? And Hezekiah said: They have come to me from a distant land, from Babylon. And he said: What did they see in your house? And Hezekiah said: They saw everything that is in my house; there was nothing, neither word nor thing, that I did not show them in my treasures. And Isaiah said to Hezekiah: Listen to the word of the Lord of hosts. Behold, the day will come, and everything that is in your house, and what your fathers have laid up until this day, will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And of your sons who shall come forth out of you, whom you shall beget, they will take away, and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: Good is the word of the Lord which he has spoken. And he said: Let there be only peace and truth in my days. The Hebrews report that Hezekiah fell ill for this reason: because after the unheard of victory of the Jews and the death of the Assyrian king, he did not sing praises to the Lord, which Moses sang after the drowning of Pharaoh (Exod. XV), and Deborah after the killing of Sisera (Judges IV), and Anna after the birth of Samuel (1 Samuel II). Hence, he was reminded of his weakness. And again, after regaining his health and the greatness of the sign, he offered another opportunity for pride, which as a wise man and worshiper of God, he should have avoided; not showing his wealth to foreigners, which he possessed by the grace of God. From which, according to the Laws of tropology, we learn that we should not throw pearls before swine, nor give what is holy to dogs (Matth. VII). For whoever has a faithful spirit conceals his affairs; and whoever does not do this, all his power is weakened; and his posterity perishes, and with the loss of manly strength, he is reduced to feminine softness (Prov. XI, 13-15). Therefore, Isaiah enters the king's presence and inquires as if unaware. What did these men say, and where did they come from? Two questions, what they said and where they came from, were asked. He responded to one, ignoring the other: this must be read with emphasis and a raised eyebrow: They came from a distant land, from Babylon: the longer the distance from where they came, the more glorious they are because of whom they came to see. And he said, they came to me; he should have said, they came to glorify God for the greatness of the sign, from Babylon, which is the most powerful city in the whole world. And Isaiah said again, 'What did they see in your house?' And he answered truthfully that they had seen everything in his house, and that he had not withheld anything from them in his treasuries. But he kept silent about the other, which he feared would offend them, because he had shown them everything he had in his power, undoubtedly including the furnishings of the Temple. Therefore, Isaiah delivers the judgment of God's word: 'Listen to the word of the Lord of Hosts: A time will come when all these things that are in your house, acquired not by your own labor but by the labor of your fathers, will be transferred to Babylon, and from your descendants they will become eunuchs in the royal palace.' From where the Hebrews want Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were of royal descent, to become eunuchs, it is beyond doubt that they served in the ministry of King Nebuchadnezzar. So Hezekiah said: It is a good word of the Lord that he has spoken. In this, he is criticized by the Hebrews for not imitating the goodness of Moses, who said to the Lord: Either forgive them this crime, or if you do not, then erase me from your book which you have written (Exodus 32:32). And so the Apostle Paul wishes to be accursed from Christ for his brethren who are Israelites (Rom. IX); and therefore, Hezekiah was not approved by God in His words who spoke in the following: 'Console, console my people,' says your God, so that by whom He had not prayed, they may be consoled by the mercy of the Lord.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 39:6 presents a somber and definitive prophetic declaration from the LORD to King Hezekiah, foretelling the complete and utter removal of all the accumulated wealth within his royal household and the treasures amassed by his ancestors. This vast patrimony, built over generations, is destined to be carried away to Babylon, with nothing remaining. This pronouncement serves as a stark divine judgment, directly responding to Hezekiah's imprudent display of his kingdom's riches to Babylonian envoys, thereby powerfully underscoring God's unwavering sovereignty over human affairs, the transience of earthly power, and the severe consequences of pride and misplaced trust.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 39:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with striking impact. The most prominent is Prophecy, as the verse explicitly foretells a future event—the Babylonian exile and the comprehensive plundering of Judah's treasures—decades before its historical fulfillment. This prophetic declaration serves to demonstrate God's omniscience and His sovereign control over the course of human history. Foreshadowing is also powerfully evident, as Hezekiah's immediate act of prideful display directly foreshadows the ultimate downfall of Judah at the hands of the very nation he sought to impress. The phrase "nothing shall be left" functions as Hyperbole, an exaggeration used for dramatic emphasis. While it's possible some minor items might have remained, the phrase powerfully conveys the near-total and devastating nature of the confiscation, emphasizing the completeness of the loss beyond mere literal interpretation. The entire verse is delivered as a Divine Oracle, signaled by the authoritative concluding phrase "saith the LORD," which asserts the divine origin and unchallengeable authority of the message. This structure elevates the warning from a human prediction to an immutable divine decree, demanding solemn attention and recognition of God's ultimate authority.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 39:6 stands as a profound theological statement on the devastating consequences of human pride and misplaced trust, set against the backdrop of God's unwavering sovereignty. Hezekiah's exhibition of his treasures to the Babylonians, rather than relying on the LORD who had just miraculously healed him and delivered Judah from the formidable Assyrian threat, represented a profound lack of faith and a dangerous flirtation with worldly alliances. This act of self-reliance and pride directly provoked a divine judgment that would see the very wealth he flaunted become the spoil of the nation he sought to impress. The prophecy underscores that God's covenant people are not exempt from the consequences of disobedience and that true security lies not in accumulated riches or political maneuvering, but in humble trust and unwavering obedience to the Almighty. It serves as a stark reminder that God remains in control of history, using even pagan empires as instruments of His righteous judgment against His own people when they stray from His path.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 39:6 offers a timeless and potent lesson for believers today, primarily concerning the pervasive dangers of pride and the critical importance of placing our trust solely in God. Hezekiah, a king who had experienced profound divine intervention and miraculous deliverance, still succumbed to the temptation to display his earthly power and wealth, perhaps seeking human validation or an earthly alliance. This serves as a powerful and sobering warning against relying on our own resources, achievements, or material possessions for security, significance, or identity. When we allow our blessings to inflate our ego or divert our gaze from the Giver, we open ourselves to spiritual vulnerability and the potential for divine correction. The verse challenges us to deeply examine where our true security and confidence lie: Is it in our financial portfolios, our professional accomplishments, our influential relationships, or our social reputation? Or is it in the unchanging, sovereign God who holds all things in His hands and whose power transcends all earthly limitations? True spiritual prosperity and lasting security are found not in what we accumulate or display, but in humble dependence on the LORD, recognizing that all we have is from Him and ultimately belongs to Him, to be used for His glory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Hezekiah judged so severely for showing his treasures?
Answer: Hezekiah's judgment was severe because his action, while seemingly a diplomatic courtesy, revealed a deeper spiritual failing: pride and a misplaced trust in earthly alliances and wealth rather than in the LORD. After experiencing miraculous healing and divine deliverance from the mighty Assyrian Empire, Hezekiah's lavish display of his vast treasures to the Babylonian envoys (Isaiah 39:2) suggested a desire to impress a rising world power and perhaps forge an alliance independent of God's counsel. This was a profound deviation from the covenant expectation that Judah's security and prosperity rested solely on their faithfulness to Yahweh. The judgment served as a prophetic warning that the very nation Hezekiah sought to impress would become the instrument of God's discipline, highlighting the dangers of human pride and self-reliance in the face of divine sovereignty and the importance of recognizing that all blessings come from God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Isaiah 39:6 speaks of the plundering of earthly treasures and the exile of Judah, it ultimately points to the ultimate and eternal security found in Christ, contrasting the transient nature of worldly possessions with the enduring kingdom of God. The judgment pronounced upon Hezekiah's house foreshadows the complete dismantling of all earthly kingdoms and their fleeting glories in the face of God's eternal purposes. In Christ, believers find a "house" not made with hands, an inheritance that "can never perish, spoil or fade" (1 Peter 1:4). Unlike the treasures carried away to Babylon, the spiritual riches we gain in Christ—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17)—can never be plundered or lost. Jesus Himself taught His disciples to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). The ultimate "carrying away" is not of our possessions, but of our sins by the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), securing for us an eternal inheritance that "nothing shall be left" behind from, for it is perfectly preserved in Him. The Lord Jesus is the true King whose kingdom cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28), offering a security that transcends all earthly threats and judgments, and in whom all the promises of God find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20).