Bible Strands
Isaiah 39:1
At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the moment Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon, dispatches letters and a gift to Hezekiah after learning of the Judean king’s illness and subsequent recovery.
The words — שָׁלַח (sha.Lach) means "he sent," denoting the diplomatic action that initiates the narrative. מֶלֶךְ (Me.lekh) translates as "king," identifying the political authority behind the Babylonian mission.
The thread — The same diplomatic exchange is recorded in 2 Kings 20:12, and the motif of foreign gifts directed toward Judah’s ruler appears in 2 Chronicles 32:23.
Why it lands — It demands the reader track how political curiosity and royal diplomacy intersect with historical timing, requiring attention to the tangible consequences of Hezekiah’s response.
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
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.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 20:12 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness.
- 2 Samuel 10:2 And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console Hanun concerning his father. But when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,
- 2 Chronicles 32:23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations.
- 2 Samuel 8:10 he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,
- Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 39:1 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery.
- 2 Chronicles 32:31 And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
- Isaiah 13:1 This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
- Isaiah 14:4 you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!
- Isaiah 23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.