Isaiah
Chapter 39
Envoys of the King of Babylon
At that time, Merodach-baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah after hearing that he was recovering from an illness.
Hezekiah was pleased and showed the envoys everything in his treasure house—the silver, gold, spices, and fine oil, his entire armory, and all that was in his treasury. In fact, there was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Isaiah the prophet approached Hezekiah and inquired of him: “What did these men say, and where did they come from?” Hezekiah answered: “They arrived from a faraway country—from Babylon.”
And Isaiah said: “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied: “They have seen everything in my palace; there’s nothing among my treasures that I haven’t shown them.”
Isaiah then said: “Hear this word from the Lord, the God of Hosts:
Behold, the days are coming when everything in your palace, which your ancestors have treasured to this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will remain.
And some of your descendants, born of you, will be taken and will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Hezekiah then said to Isaiah: “The word of the Lord which you have spoken to me is good!” For he thought: there will be peace and truth in my lifetime.
Commentaries
Historical Section.
Aside from Hezekiah’s prayer of thanksgiving (Isaiah 38:9-20), this historical account closely matches 2 Kings 18:13-20, which describes the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. and its miraculous deliverance (2 Kgs 19:35-37). Isaiah does not mention that Hezekiah surrendered to Senna-cherib and paid him tribute, as stated in 2 Kings 18:14-16.
Envoys of the King of Babylon.
Hezekiah, now healed from his illness, welcomes the envoys of the king of Babylon, who was looking for allies against Assyria. The king of Judah shows off his wealth to the embassy, unaware that Babylon will later cause Jerusalem’s fall more than a century later in 587 B.C. (6).