Isaiah Chapter 39
[Isaiah 39:1] AT THAT TIME MERODACH BALADAN, THE SON OF BALADAN, KING
OF BABYLON, SENT LETTERS AND A PRESENT TO HEZEKIAH: FOR HE HAD HEARD THAT
HE HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS RECOVERED.
“MERODACH BALADAN” rebelled against Assyria. He was eventually defeated by
King Sancherib. At this point he would have considered Hezekiah a natural
ally. Babylon was always an important factor in the Assyrian Empire.
[Isaiah 39:2] AND HEZEKIAH WAS GLAD OF THEM, AND SHEWED THEM THE HOUSE
OF HIS PRECIOUS THINGS, THE SILVER, AND THE GOLD, AND THE SPICES, AND THE
PRECIOUS OINTMENT, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF HIS ARMOUR, AND ALL THAT WAS
FOUND IN HIS TREASURES: THERE WAS NOTHING IN HIS HOUSE, NOR IN ALL HIS
DOMINION, THAT HEZEKIAH SHEWED THEM NOT.
[Isaiah 39:3] THEN CAME ISAIAH THE PROPHET UNTO KING HEZEKIAH, AND
SAID UNTO HIM, WHAT SAID THESE MEN? AND FROM WHENCE CAME THEY UNTO THEE?
AND HEZEKIAH SAID, THEY ARE COME FROM A FAR COUNTRY UNTO ME, EVEN FROM BABYLON.
“A FAR COUNTRY UNTO ME” He calls Babylon a far country. Hezekiah was saying
that he was important in their eyes. Hezekiah had in fact
lost most of his populace. Who had been exiled to Assyria. He had been
humilated by the Assyrians several times and it was only by a miracle that
he had been rescued from them. He was a holy man. Holy men do not always
realize their own worth. They sometimes feel inadequate. Good and bad thinks
had happened in his kingdom and technically he was responsible for all of
them. He may have felt a certain need for re-assurance regarding his own
worth.
[Isaiah 39:4] THEN SAID HE, WHAT HAVE THEY SEEN IN THINE HOUSE? AND
HEZEKIAH ANSWERED, ALL THAT IS IN MINE HOUSE HAVE THEY SEEN: THERE IS NOTHING
AMONG MY TREASURES THAT I HAVE NOT SHEWED THEM.
Why did he feel a need tro show them everything? Why does he stress thiss in his reply to Isiah?
[Isaiah 39:5] THEN SAID ISAIAH TO HEZEKIAH, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS:
[Isaiah 39:6] BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, THAT ALL THAT IS IN THINE HOUSE,
AND THAT WHICH THY FATHERS HAVE LAID UP IN STORE UNTIL THIS DAY, SHALL BE
CARRIED TO BABYLON: NOTHING SHALL BE LEFT, SAITH THE LORD.
[Isaiah 39:7] AND OF THY SONS THAT SHALL ISSUE FROM THEE, WHICH THOU
SHALT BEGET, SHALL THEY TAKE AWAY; AND THEY SHALL BE EUNUCHS IN THE PALACE
OF THE KING OF BABYLON.
“THY SONS THAT SHALL ISSUE FROM THEE” Meaning the sons of his sons that were still not born at that time.
“EUNUCHS” in Hebrew “sarisim” (singular: “saris”) which usually does mean
eunuch but can also mean simply a servant. The original meaning of “saris”
was servant or guardian of the king. This is how the word is employed in
Akkadian the official language of Assyria. Later the name came to mean “eunuch”.
In the Bible the word appears to be capable of bearing either or both meanings.
It appears that here the meaning is that his descendants will be servants
of the Babylonian king. Daniel was one of these servants. Sannecherib employed
a group of captive Judaeans from Lachish as his personal bodyguard. These
later rebelled. See “Lost Israelite Identity” by Yair Davidy.
[Isaiah 39:8] THEN SAID HEZEKIAH TO ISAIAH, GOOD IS THE WORD OF THE
LORD WHICH THOU HAST SPOKEN. HE SAID MOREOVER, FOR THERE SHALL BE PEACE AND
TRUTH IN MY DAYS.
“BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS” This shows the character of Hezekiah. He
was a king. He felt responsibility towards his subjects. How he discharged
his duties as monarch was important to him.
This hints at the fault that had been found in him. He never sinned but it
was as if in his attitude he placed the discharge of his own responsibilities
(in his eyes and in the eyes of others) before submission to the Almighty.
Chapter Forty
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