Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 2 King 20:12 - 20:12
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The Babylonian embassy, and Hezekiah's imprudence (cf. Isa 39:1-8). - 2Ki 20:12. “At that time Berodach Baladan, king of Babel, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick.” By הַהִיא בָּעֵת the arrival of these ambassadors is merely assigned in the most general manner to the period following Hezekiah's recovery. But from the object of their mission, it is evident that they did not arrive in Jerusalem till after the overthrow and departure of Sennacherib, and therefore at least half a year after Hezekiah's recovery. The ostensible reason given is, that Berodach Baladan had heard of Hezekiah's illness, and therefore sent to congratulate him on his recovery; but in 2Ch 32:31 the further reason is mentioned, that he wished to inquire concerning the miracle upon the sun-dial. But, as Josephus has shown, the true object, no doubt, was to make sure of Hezekiah's friendship in anticipation of his intended revolt from the Assyrian rule. Berodach Baladan, for Merodach Baladan (Isa.), with the labial changed, is the same person as the Marodach Baladan who reigned in Babylon for six months, according to Alex. Polyhistor, or rather Berosus (Euseb. Chr. armen. i. pp. 42, 43), and was slain by Elibus, and also the same as the Mardokempad who reigned, according to the Can. Ptol., from 26 to 38 aer. Nab., i.e., from 721 to 709 b.c. The first part of the name, מְרֹדָךְ, occurs in Jer 50:2 in connection with Bel as the name of a Babylonian idol; and the whole name is found on a cylinder (in the British Museum) which contains the first expeditions of Sennacherib against Babylon and Media, and upon the inscriptions at Khorsabad spelt either Merodak-pal-dsana (according to Brandis, Ueber der Gewinn, pp. 44 and 53) or Marduk bal iddin (according to Oppert).
(Note: Compare M. v. Niebuhr, Gesch. Ass. p. 40; and with regard to the chronological differences, on account of which many have called in question the identity of Merodach Baladan either with the Marudach-Baladan of Berosus or with the Mardokempad of the Can. Ptol., see the discussion of this point at pp. 75ff.)
Instead of שָׁמַע כִּי we have וַיִּשְׁמַע in Isaiah, which is not so clear, though it is probably more original; whereas the clause in Isaiah, וַיֶּחֱזָק חָלָה כִּי, “that he had been sick and had become strengthened, i.e., well again,” is simply an elucidation of the הִזְקִיָּהוּ חָלָה כִּי of our text, in which the recovery is implied in the pluperfect “had been sick.”
2Ki 20:13
In 2Ki 20:13 וַיִּשְׁמַע is apparently a copyist's error for וַיִּשְׂמַח of Isaiah, which many of the codd. and ancient versions have even in our text. At the same time, the construction of שָׁמַע with עַל is also found in 2Ki 22:13. - עֲלֵיהֶם, concerning them, i.e., the ambassadors who had brought the letter and the present. In his delight at the honour paid to him by this embassy, Hezekiah showed the ambassadors all his treasure-house, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the costly oil, and all his arsenal, etc. The literal meaning of נְכֹת בֵּית is probably spice-house (Aquila, Symm., Vulg.), נְכֹת being a contraction of נְכֹאת in Gen 37:25, whereas the derivation suggested from the Arabic kayyata, farsit, implevit locum, is much more wide of the mark. The house received its name from the spices for the storing of which it was really intended, although it was also used for the storing of silver and gold. הַטֹּוב שֶׁמֶן is not fine olive oil, but, according to the Rabbins and Movers (Phöniz. iii. p. 227), the valuable balsam oil which was obtained in the royal gardens; for olive oil, which was obtained in all Judaea, was not stored in the treasure-chambers along with gold, silver, and perfumes, but in special storehouses (1Ch 27:28). בְּכָל־מֶמְשַׁלְתֹּו, in all his dominion, i.e., in all the district which he was able to govern or control. - The existence of such treasures, of which, according to 2Ki 20:17, the ancestors of Hezekiah had collected a very large store, at so short a period after the departure of the Assyrians, is not at variance with 2Ki 18:15-16, according to which Hezekiah had sent to Sennacherib all the silver in his treasuries, and even the gold plate upon the temple doors. For, in the first place, it is not stated that there was much silver and gold in the treasure-house, but the silver and gold are simply mentioned along with the spices; and, secondly, Hezekiah may have kept back from Sennacherib many a valuable piece of silver or gold, and have taken off the gold plate from the temple doors, to show the ambassadors of Sennacherib, who came to receive the money demanded as compensation, that he was not in a condition to give anything more. Moreover a great deal may have flowed into the treasuries since the payment of that tribute, partly from the presents which Hezekiah received from many quarters after the overthrow of Sennacherib (2Ch 32:23), and partly from the booty that had been collected in the camp of the Assyrians after their hurried departure. And again, the treasures which the ancestors of Hezekiah had collected (2Ki 20:17) may not have consisted of gold and silver exactly, but of different jewels and objects of art, which could not be applied to the payment of the tribute demanded by Sennacherib. And, lastly, “we must not overlook the fact, that it answered the purpose of the reporter to crowd together as much as possible, in order to show how anxious Hezekiah was to bring out and exhibit everything whatever that could contribute to the folly” (Drechsler). Hezekiah evidently wanted to show all his glory, because the arrival of the Babylonian ambassadors had flattered his vanity.
2Ki 20:14-17
Isaiah therefore announced to him the word of the Lord, that all his treasures would one day be carried to Babel, and some even of his sons would serve as chamberlains in the palace of the king of Babel. The sin of vanity was to be punished by the carrying away of that of which his heart was proud. Isaiah did not go to Hezekiah by his own impulse, but by the direction of God. His inquiries: “What have these men said, and whence do they come to thee?” were simply intended to lead the king to give expression to the thoughts of his heart. In the answer, “From a distant land have they come, from Babel,” his vanity at the great honour that had been paid him comes clearly to light.
2Ki 20:18
The words, “of thy sons, which shall proceed from thee, which thou shalt beget,” do not necessarily refer to the actual sons, but only to lineal descendants. The Chethîb יִקַּח, “will one take,” is to be preferred to the יִקָּחוּ of Isaiah and the Keri, as being the more difficult reading. סָרִיסִים, chamberlains, courtiers, not necessarily eunuchs, as in 1Sa 8:15, etc. - For the fulfilment of this threat see Dan 1:2.
2Ki 20:19
The first part of Hezekiah's reply, “Good is the word of Jehovah, which thou hast spoken,” is an expression of submission to the will of the Lord, like Eli's answer in 1Sa 3:18 (cf. 1Ki 2:38, 1Ki 2:42);
(Note: “He calls that good in which it is right to acquiesce, as having proceeded from Him who does nothing but what is not only most just, but tempered with the greatest goodness, even when He inflicts punishment.” - Clericus.)
the second part, which the repetition of וַיֹּאמֶר shows to have been spoken after a pause, and which was not addressed directly to Isaiah, “Is it not so (i.e., is it not purely goodness), if there are to be peace and truth in my days (during my life)?” is a candid acknowledgment of the grace and truth of the Lord.
(Note: “He praises the moderation of the divine decree, because when God, in accordance with His justice, might have brought this calamity upon him in his own person, for His mercy's sake He was willing to spare him and to put off the evil to a future day.” - Vitringa.)
הֲלֹוא is used, as is frequently the case, in the sense of a lively affirmation. Instead of אִם הֲלֹוא we have in Isaiah כִּי, “for there will be peace and truth,” by which this clause is attached more clearly to the first declaration as a reason for it: the word of the Lord is good, for the Lord proves His goodness and truth in the fact, that He will not inflict the merited punishment in my lifetime. “Peace and truth” are connected as in Jer 33:6. אֱמֶת does not mean continuance (Ges.), security (Knobel), but fides, faithfulness-not human faithfulness, however, which preserves peace, and observes a tacit treaty (Hitzig), but the faithfulness of God, which preserves the promised grace to the humble.