Isaiah 39:1-6

The Delegation from Babylon

1 At that time, Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and recovered.
2 And Hezekiah rejoiced over them and showed them his house of aromatic gum, the silver, gold, spices, good oil, all the house of his weapons, and all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing that Hezekiah had not shown them in his house or in all his dominion.
3 And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" And Hezekiah {answered}, "They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon."
4 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" And Hezekiah {answered}, "They have seen all that [is] in my house. There is nothing that I have not shown them in my storehouses."
5 And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of Yahweh of hosts:
6 'Look! days [are] coming, and all that [is] in your house and that which your ancestors have stored up to this day shall be carried off [to] Babylon. Nothing shall be left,' says Yahweh.

Isaiah 39:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 39

This chapter gives an account of Hezekiah's fall into sin after his recovery, and the correction he had for it. The king of Babylon sent messengers to him to congratulate him upon his recovery, Isa 39:1. Hezekiah received them with great joy, and in the pride of his heart showed them all his treasures, Isa 39:2. Isaiah the prophet examined him about it, which he readily owned, Isa 39:3,4 upon which the Babylonish captivity is foretold, when all his riches and his children too should be carried into that land, Isa 39:5-7, to which sentence he quietly and patiently submitted, Isa 39:8.

Footnotes 5

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.