Isaiah 39: The Envoys From Babylon
Hezekiah proudly shows Babylon's envoys all his treasures, and Isaiah foretells that those treasures and his sons will be carried to Babylon.
Isaiah 39 (WEB)
1 At that time, Merodach Baladan the 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 pleased with them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah, and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a country far from me, even from Babylon.”
4 Then he asked, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh of Armies:
6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh.
7 ‘They will take away your sons who will issue from you, whom you shall father, and they will be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace.’”
8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “Yahweh’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”
Isaiah 39 (KJV)
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.
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.
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.
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.
5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:
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.
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.
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.
Isaiah 39 (ASV)
1 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
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.
4 Then said he, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of Jehovah of hosts:
6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah.
7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Summary
After Hezekiah's recovery, Merodach-Baladan, king of Babylon, sends letters and a gift, having heard of the king's illness and healing. Hezekiah is pleased with the envoys and shows them everything—his silver and gold, his spices and precious oil, his armory and all his treasures, holding nothing back in all his house and realm. Then Isaiah the prophet comes and asks what the men said and where they came from; Hezekiah admits they came from the distant land of Babylon. When Isaiah asks what they saw, Hezekiah acknowledges that he showed them everything he owns. Isaiah then delivers a solemn word from the Lord of Armies: the days are coming when all that Hezekiah has shown, and all that his fathers stored up, will be carried away to Babylon, and nothing will be left. Even some of his own descendants will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah's reply is unsettling in its self-interest: he calls the Lord's word good, but reasons that at least there will be peace and security in his own days. The chapter quietly turns the whole book toward the coming exile, exposing how pride and short-sightedness can compromise even a faithful king, and preparing the way for the comfort and hope that fill the chapters to come.
Main Characters
- Hezekiah — The king who, lifted up after his healing, proudly displays all his treasures to Babylon's envoys, and receives Isaiah's word of coming exile with self-focused relief.
- Isaiah — The prophet who probes Hezekiah's actions and announces that his treasures and descendants will one day be carried away to Babylon.
- The envoys of Merodach-Baladan — Messengers from the king of Babylon, sent with letters and a gift, whose visit becomes the occasion for both Hezekiah's pride and a prophecy of exile.
Key Verse
Isaiah 39:6 (WEB)
‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh.
Lessons Learned
- Success and blessing can become an occasion for pride that forgets God.
- What we show off and take pride in often reveals where our heart truly rests.
- Sin and folly can have consequences that reach into future generations.
- True faith cares about more than peace and comfort in our own days.
- Pride often follows blessing. Hezekiah, freshly healed, “showed them the house of his precious things” and held nothing back (Isaiah 39:2, WEB); prosperity can quietly feed self-display.
- God sees the heart behind our actions. Isaiah's probing questions expose what Hezekiah's welcome of Babylon revealed (Isaiah 39:3-4, WEB); God weighs our motives, not just our deeds.
- Choices echo into the future. “The days are coming when all that is in your house… will be carried to Babylon” (Isaiah 39:6, WEB); our actions can affect generations beyond us.
- Self-interest can dull our concern. Hezekiah is content because “there will be peace and truth in my days” (Isaiah 39:8, WEB), revealing a narrow, short-sighted faith.
- God remains sovereign over coming exile. The word of judgment is still “the word of Yahweh of Armies” (Isaiah 39:5, WEB); even the looming Babylonian captivity is under God's control.
- Why does Hezekiah show the Babylonian envoys all his treasures, and what does that reveal?
- What is the significance of Isaiah's questions in verses 3-4?
- What does Isaiah prophesy will happen, and how does it set up the rest of Isaiah?
- How do you understand Hezekiah's response in verse 8, and what does it expose about his heart?
- Where might pride in your own blessings be quietly drawing your heart away from God?
- Hezekiah proudly displays all his wealth and armory to the envoys (39:2), apparently flattered by Babylon's attention. His eagerness to show off everything reveals a heart lifted up by success and perhaps tempted to trust an alliance rather than God.
- Isaiah's questions draw out exactly what Hezekiah did and what he revealed (39:3-4). They function as a gentle exposure, helping Hezekiah—and the reader—see the seriousness of his pride and misplaced openness to Babylon.
- Isaiah foretells that all Hezekiah's treasures and even his descendants will be carried to Babylon (39:6-7). This points beyond the Assyrian crisis to the coming exile, turning the book toward the chapters of comfort that follow in Isaiah 40 onward.
- Hezekiah accepts the word as good but takes comfort that the disaster will not fall in his lifetime (39:8). It exposes a self-focused faith content with personal peace while indifferent to the fate of future generations.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite gentle self-examination about the blessings we are tempted to flaunt or trust. As leader, point to the humility of Christ and encourage the group to hold every gift with open, grateful hands.