Chapter 39
39:1 At that time Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan king of Babylon, sent books and presents to Ezechias: for he had heard that he had been sick and was recovered.
39:2 And Ezechias rejoiced at their coming, and he showed them the storehouses of his aromatical spices, and of the silver, and of the gold, and of the sweet odors, and of the precious ointment, and all the storehouses of his furniture, and all things that were found in his treasures. There was no word in his house, nor in all his dominion that Ezechias showed them not.
39:3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Ezechias, and said to him: what said these men, and from whence came they to you? And Ezechias said: from a far country they came to me, from Babylon.
39:4 And he said: what saw they in your house? And Ezechias said: all things that are in my house have they seen, there was not any thing which I have not shown them in my treasures.
39:5 And Isaiah said to Ezechias: hear the word of the Lord of hosts.
39:6 Behold the days shall come that all that is in your house, and that your fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried away into Babylon: there shall not any thing be left, says the Lord.
39:7 And of your children, that shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, they shall take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
39:8 And Ezechias said to Isaiah: the word of the Lord, which he has spoken, is good. And he said: only let peace and truth be in my days.
782 . At that time . Here he sets out the congratulation of friends, shown in the sending of messengers and gifts; and concerning this, he does three things.
First, he sets out the sending of messengers: the king of Babylon , who was then under the Assyrians; books , letters; for he had heard that he had been sick and was recovered , but especially because of the sign which he had seen in the turning back of the sun: he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia (Ps 71[72]:15).
783 . Second, he sets out the vainglory of Ezechias himself, which he derived from this, setting out the joy of vainglory: Ezechias rejoiced ; against this is what is said in Job 31:25: if I have rejoiced over my great riches ; and the manifestation of vainglory in his works, in the exhibition of his riches: and he showed them the storehouses of his aromatical spices , which are called fragrant species, either the place where kings were buried, or the lower part of the house of the forest, which was of alabaster, where things of this kind were best preserved; storehouses , cellars; no word , nothing worthy of a word, in all his dominion , as to those things which were in the temple, which indeed had been usurped in the dominion of the king: bring not every man into your house (Sir 11:31[29]).
784 . Third, he sets out the reprimand of his vainglory: then Isaiah the prophet came .
And first, he sets out the inquiry and the manifestation of his fault: there was not any thing which I have not shown them in my treasures : counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water (Prov 20:5).
Second, he threatens punishment: and Isaiah said ; as to the loss of his goods: all that is in your house : thus says the Lord to you: I have given all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon (Jer 27:6). As to the servitude of his children: and of your children , which they say was fulfilled in Daniel and his companions, not because they were such in body, but in mind and office: your sons and your daughters will be given to another people (Deut 28:32).
Third, he sets out his acceptance of the punishment: and Ezechias said ; good , just; peace , from the Assyrians; truth , of religion, above: Lord, you will give us peace (Isa 26:12).