Bible Strands
2 Kings 20:13
And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Hezekiah displays his palace stores and armory to envoys from Babylon who arrived bearing letters and gifts after hearing of his illness. This moment follows the diplomatic visit described in 2 Kings 20:12 and precedes Isaiah's inquiry in 2 Kings 20:14.
The words — וַיַּרְאֵם (va.yar.'em) means "and he showed them," and בֵּית נְכֹתוֹ (beit ne.kho.to) literally renders "house of his treasure." These lexical choices emphasize the physical exposure of Judah's accumulated resources rather than a mere verbal report.
The thread — The inventory of silver, gold, spices, and precious oil echoes the material accounts in 1 Kings 10:2 and 1 Kings 10:10. Those passages record the Queen of Sheba bringing and presenting such wealth to Solomon, not Solomon exhibiting it to her.
Why it lands — The text records a king's voluntary disclosure of national strength to foreign diplomats without editorial commentary. A reader must confront the plain action of exposing political and economic capital before weighing the diplomatic or theological consequences.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all 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.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 10:2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
- 1 Kings 10:10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
- 1 Kings 10:15 not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
- 1 Kings 10:25 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
- 2 Chronicles 32:25 But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
- Proverbs 23:5 When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
- Isaiah 39:2 And Hezekiah welcomed the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his entire armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.