TRV
Study This Verse
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.
Be quiet, you who exalt yourself. Do not think you are better than you are! For if your wealth has caused your heart to be proud, it still is not more abundant than that of Hezekiah. He went in and boasted of his wealth before the Babylonians, yet it was all carried away to Babylon. And, if you glory in your children, they shall be led away from you to the beast, as the children of King Hezekiah were led away, and became eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon.
(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.
Isaiah offered this thought by the word of God: “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: ‘A time will come when all this that is in your house, not you, but the goods acquired through the labor of your fathers, will be taken to Babylon, and some of your children will be made eunuchs in its royal court.’ ” From this the Hebrews want Daniel, Ananiah, Mishael, Hazariah (each of them belonging to the royal line, who were without doubt in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar) to be made eunuchs. This is why Hezekiah said, “The word of the Lord which was spoken is good,” a statement for which he is reproached by the Hebrews, who ask why he should not have imitated the goodness of Moses, who said to the Lord: “Either forgive them for this crime or, if you will not, then remove me from the book which you have written.” Thus also the apostle Paul wished to be anathema to Christ for his brethren who belong to Israel. Hezekiah, therefore, who subsequently said: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God,” is not reproved by this address from God for not interceding that the people be consoled by the Lord’s mercy.
Continue studying Isaiah 39:8 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Isaiah 39:8 records King Hezekiah's perplexing response to a dire prophecy from Isaiah, foretelling the future Babylonian exile of Judah's treasures and his own descendants. Despite the gravity of the divine judgment, Hezekiah declares the word of the LORD "good," immediately qualifying his acceptance with the self-serving observation that "there shall be peace and truth in my days." This verse starkly reveals a human tendency to prioritize immediate personal comfort and present tranquility over the long-term consequences of actions or the future well-being of a nation and its posterity.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices that deepen its meaning. Irony is prominent, as Hezekiah declares a prophecy of future desolation and exile to be "good" simply because its worst effects will not impact him personally. This creates a stark contrast between the divine judgment and the king's self-centered relief, highlighting a moral and spiritual failing. Foreshadowing is inherent in Isaiah's prophecy, which points directly to the future Babylonian exile, a pivotal and devastating event in Israelite history. Hezekiah's response, though seemingly accepting, also serves as a subtle characterization of his leadership at this moment, revealing a flaw in his otherwise often-praised piety – a tendency towards immediate gratification and a lack of intergenerational concern. The phrase "peace and truth in my days" functions as a synecdoche, where a part (his own reign) stands for the whole (the nation's future), thereby emphasizing his narrow, self-focused perspective.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 39:8 offers a profound theological commentary on human nature, divine judgment, and the responsibilities of leadership. Hezekiah's response, while acknowledging God's word, reveals a chilling self-preservation and short-sightedness. His relief that the judgment would not fall "in my days" exposes a significant spiritual failing: a prioritization of personal comfort over the long-term well-being of his people and the future of God's covenant promises. This stands in stark contrast to the selfless concern expected of a righteous leader and highlights the human tendency to accept difficult truths only when they do not immediately inconvenience oneself. The passage serves as a sobering reminder that true faith involves not merely acknowledging God's word, but embracing its implications with a view towards God's broader redemptive plan and the welfare of His people across generations, even when it demands personal sacrifice or discomfort. It underscores that God's justice and His word will ultimately prevail, regardless of human convenience.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hezekiah's response in Isaiah 39:8 challenges us to critically examine our own reactions when confronted with uncomfortable truths, particularly those that may have long-term consequences for others but not immediately for ourselves. Do we, like Hezekiah, seek merely "peace and truth in our days," or do we cultivate a broader, more selfless perspective that considers the legacy we leave for future generations and the wider community? This verse calls us to move beyond a self-centered acceptance of God's will to a posture of genuine concern and stewardship for the future. It prompts us to ask whether our faith is robust enough to embrace difficult realities and to act with foresight and sacrificial love, even when the benefits may not be immediately apparent to us. True spiritual maturity involves aligning our desires with God's long-term purposes, which often extend far beyond our individual lifespans, recognizing that our actions (or inactions) today will impact those who come after us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Hezekiah's response truly "good" or selfish?
Answer: While Hezekiah acknowledges the divine origin of Isaiah's prophecy by saying "Good is the word of the LORD," his immediate follow-up, "For there shall be peace and truth in my days," reveals a profoundly selfish and short-sighted perspective. He deems the word "good" not because it is God's just decree, but because its most devastating consequences—the Babylonian exile—would not occur during his lifetime. This contrasts sharply with his earlier piety and reliance on God during the Assyrian crisis (e.g., Isaiah 37:1-7), suggesting a lapse in his spiritual character at this pivotal moment.
What was the significance of Hezekiah showing his treasures to the Babylonians?
Answer: As detailed in Isaiah 39:1-7, Hezekiah's act of displaying all his wealth and armaments to the Babylonian envoys was a significant misstep. It was likely an act of pride, an attempt to impress a rising power, or perhaps to forge a human alliance against Assyria, rather than relying solely on God's protection. This display exposed Judah's vast wealth and vulnerability, directly provoking the prophecy that these very treasures, and even Hezekiah's descendants, would one day be carried away to Babylon, thus setting the stage for the future exile. It demonstrated a trust in earthly might over divine provision.
How does this verse relate to the broader theme of trust in Isaiah?
Answer: The book of Isaiah is replete with calls for Judah to trust in the LORD alone, rather than in human alliances, military might, or material wealth. Hezekiah's initial display of treasures to Babylon, followed by his self-centered response in Isaiah 39:8, stands in stark contrast to this overarching theme. It illustrates a failure to fully embody the trust and quiet reliance on God that Isaiah consistently champions (e.g., Isaiah 30:15). The verse highlights the dangers of misplaced trust and the consequences of prioritizing immediate human comfort over faithful obedience to God's long-term purposes, ultimately demonstrating that true security comes only from the LORD.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hezekiah's self-serving desire for "peace and truth in my days" stands in stark contrast to the selfless, redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. While Hezekiah sought to preserve his own comfort and reign, Jesus, the true King, willingly embraced suffering and death, knowing it would bring ultimate and eternal peace and truth to all who believe, not just for a generation, but for all time (Philippians 2:5-8). Unlike Hezekiah, who was concerned with the temporal security of his earthly kingdom, Jesus' kingdom is eternal and transcends all human reigns (Daniel 7:14). His sacrifice on the cross secured a new covenant of peace with God, fulfilling the deepest meaning of "shalom" and "emet" through His truth and grace. He is the true Prince of Peace whose reign brings not merely the absence of conflict, but comprehensive well-being, reconciliation, and righteousness that endures forever, extending far beyond "my days" to encompass all of history and eternity, culminating in a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.