Isaiah 39:1-6

Hezekiah Shows His Treasures

1 ¹At 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 had recovered.

2 Hezekiah was ²pleased *, and showed them all his treasure house, the ³silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory * and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing * in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

3 Then Isaiah the ⁴prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far ⁵country, from Babylon."

4 He said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing * among my treasuries that I have not shown them."

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the ⁶word of the LORD of hosts,

6 'Behold, the days are coming when ⁷all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing * will be left,' says the LORD.

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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 20:12-19; 2 Chronicles 32:31; Isaiah 39:1-8
• 2. 2 Chronicles 32:25, 31; Job 31:25
• 3. 2 Kings 18:15, 16
• 4. 2 Samuel 12:1; 2 Chronicles 16:7
• 5. Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 5:15
• 6. 1 Samuel 13:13, 14; 1 Samuel 15:16
• 7. 2 Kings 24:13; 2 Kings 25:13-15; Jeremiah 20:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "rejoiced over them"
• [b]. Lit "said"