Explanation of Isaiah 39
Napsal(a) Rev. John H. Smithson
THE EXPLANATION Isaiah Chapter Isaiah 39
(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)
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 rejoiced at them; and he showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and his whole arsenal, and all that was found in his treasures: there was not anything in his house, and in all his kingdom, that Hezekiah did not show them.
3. And Isaiah the prophet came unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What say these men? and from whence came they unto you? And Hezekiah said, They are come to me from a distant country, from Babylon.
4. And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah said, They have seen everything in my house: there is nothing in my treasures which I have not shown them.
5. And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear you the word of Jehovah of Hosts:
6. Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that your fathers have treasured up unto this day, shall be carried away, to Babylon: there shall not be anything left, says Jehovah.
7. And of your sons that shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, shall they take; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which you have spoken! For, said he, there shall be peace and truth in my days.
VERSES 6, 7. Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that your fathers have treasured up until this day, shall be carried away to Babylon, etc.
- [This act of Hezekiah, in showing the things in his own house, and the treasures of the Lord's house, or of the temple, to the messengers from the king of Babylon, represented the profanation of everything belonging to the church, and the consequent destruction of everything heavenly and spiritual in the human mind.
To "show these things to the messengers from Babylon", is to expose all the Goods and Truths of the Word and of the church, which are the real treasures, to profanation, by bringing them under the influence of what is signified by "Babylon", which, as we have seen in the Exposition of chapters xiii. and xiv., is the infernal lust of power and of dominion grounded in the love of self.
In the act, itself "there was nothing sinful in showing these" treasures" to the messengers from Babylon, but the doctrine of representatives shows us in what this sin consisted. See Apocalypse Explained 1029.]
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Isaiah Chapter 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.
2. And Hezekiah was rejoiced at them; and he showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and his whole arsenal, and all that was found in his treasures: there was not anything in his house, and in all his kingdom, that Hezekiah did not show them.
3. And Isaiah the prophet came unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What say these men? and from whence came they unto you? And Hezekiah said, They are come to me from a distant country, from Babylon.
4. And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah said, They have seen everything in my house: there is nothing in my treasures which I have not shown them.
5. And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear you the word of Jehovah of Hosts:
6. Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that your fathers have treasured up unto this day, shall be carried away, to Babylon: there shall not be anything left, says Jehovah.
7. And of your sons that shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, shall they take; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which you have spoken! For, said he, there shall be peace and truth in my days.
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.
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.
