Isaiah 39:7

7 And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."

Isaiah 39:7 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 39:7

And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt
beget, shall they take away
Manasseh his immediate son was taken and carried to Babylon, though afterwards released; nor does it appear that he was made a eunuch or an officer there; this had its fulfilment in Jeconiah and his children, and in others that were of the seed royal, as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, to whom the Jewish commentators apply this; this is expressed in different words, signifying much the same, to affect the mind of Hezekiah the more: and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon;
or "chamberlains"; and who very often were castrated for that purpose, though it does not necessarily signify such, being used of officers in general. The Targum renders it "princes" F6; and such an one was Daniel in the court of the king of Babylon; and his three companions were also promoted, ( Daniel 2:48 Daniel 2:49 ) ( 3:30 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F6 So Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it princes and governors.

Isaiah 39:7 In-Context

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Now listen to this Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
6 I have to warn you, the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. God says that there will be nothing left. Nothing.
7 And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
8 Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, "Good. If God says so, it's good." Within himself he was thinking, "But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I'll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.