Isaiah 39

Isaiah 39:1

C. Hezekiah’s Sin (Chap. 39)39:1-7 Chapter 39 records Hezekiah’s colossal mistake in showing all his resources to a delegation which came from the king of Babylon, ostensibly to congratulate him on his recovery. Hezekiah probably hoped that the Babylonians would help Judah against the menace of Assyria. When Isaiah heard what had happened, he pronounced God’s judgment. Judah will be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. The king’s sons will be eunuchs in the palace at Babylon. This prediction was made seventy years in advance of the events, when Assyria, not Babylon, was the major threat to Judah. 39:8 Hezekiah’s response, “The word of the Lord . . . is good!” reflects his submission and also his own relief that he personally would not live to see the disaster.