Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Merodach king of Babylon sends envoys to congratulate Hezekiah on his health miraculously recovered: and Hezekiah shows them all his treasures. Hence, in verse 3, he is rebuked by Isaiah, and hears that all his treasures are to be carried off by the Babylonians, and that his sons will be eunuchs in the king's palace. This hard decree of God, in verse 8, the king accepts calmly, and prays that at least in his days there may be peace and truth.
Vulgate Text: Isaiah 39:1-8
1. At that time Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and gifts to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2. And Hezekiah rejoiced over them, and showed them the storeroom of spices, and of silver, and of gold, and of perfumes, and of the finest ointment, and all the storehouses of his furniture, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing that Hezekiah did not show them in his house, and in all his dominion. 3. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him: What did these men say, and from where did they come to you? And Hezekiah said: They came to me from a far country, from Babylon. 4. And he said: What did they see in your house? And Hezekiah said: They have seen everything that is in my house: there was nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries. 5. And Isaiah said to Hezekiah: Hear the word of the Lord of hosts. 6. Behold, the days are coming when everything that is in your house, and that your fathers have stored up until this day, shall be carried off to Babylon: nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7. And of your sons, who shall come from you, whom you shall beget, they shall take them, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 8. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: The word of the Lord which He has spoken is good. And he said: Only let there be peace and truth in my days.
Verse 1: MERODACH-BALADAN SENT. — That is, King Baladan sent. For "Merodach" was a common name o...
1. MERODACH-BALADAN SENT. — That is, King Baladan sent. For "Merodach" was a common name of the kings of Babylon, just as Ptolemy was of Egypt, and Caesar of the Romans. Hence the son of Nebuchadnezzar was called Evil-Merodach, and Belshazzar is called "Merodach," Jeremiah L, 2, perhaps from the first king of Babylon, who was called Merodach and was placed among the gods. Just as, therefore, one says Ptolemy Philadelphus, Ptolemy Euergetes, Ptolemy Philopator: so one says Merodach-Baladan, Merodach-Belshazzar, etc. Therefore the Jews err who think "Merodach" is Nebuchadnezzar, who transferred the monarchy from the Assyrians to the Chaldeans: for from the 15th year of Hezekiah, when his illness and healing occurred, to the 4th year of Jehoiakim, when Nebuchadnezzar began to reign, 106 years elapsed.
Scaliger, in book V of De Emendatione Temporum, and following him Torniellus, at the year of the world 3306, probably judge that this Baladan is Nabonassar, from whom the era of the Babylonians was established, and from whom Ptolemy, in book III of the Almagest, chapter VIII — who flourished in the time of Emperor Hadrian — writes that he received the ancient astronomical observations down to his own times; and consequently that Merodach, son of Baladan, is the one whom Ptolemy calls Mardokempad, the son of Nabonassar. For Nabonassar, as is deduced from Ptolemy, began to reign around the 6th year of Hezekiah, at the same time as Baladan, in Babylon. On this see more at Ezekiel I, 1.
LETTERS (that is, epistles: so the Chaldean and Septuagint; for this is the Hebrew ספר sepher). For he had heard THAT HE HAD BEEN SICK AND HAD RECOVERED — and that because of his illness the sun had gone backward. He therefore sent envoys both for the sake of friendship, to congratulate Hezekiah on his health, and to inquire into and learn the truth, manner, and cause of this portent, namely the sun's regression, as is stated in II Chronicles XXXII, 31. The books of the Babylonian astrologers have perished; otherwise this would be established from them. For there is no doubt that they recorded it in their tablets. So Cajetan on IV Kings chapter XX.
Note here how kings in ancient times, even pagans, cultivated friendship and the duties of greeting and other courtesies with other neighboring princes, including Jews, so that they would send envoys to congratulate them on their good fortune and to condole with them on their misfortune. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob established friendship with Abimelech and other kings of the Canaanites. Thus Hiram king of Tyre, Tou king of Hamath, and others made alliances with and congratulated David and Solomon: David himself also sent envoys to console Hanon king of Ammon on the death of his father, II Kings X. Thus Jonathan and Simon Maccabees entered into close treaties of alliance with the Romans and the Spartans.
Verse 2: THERE WAS NOTHING (there was no thing; Septuagint: there was not anything) IN ALL HIS D...
2. THERE WAS NOTHING (there was no thing; Septuagint: there was not anything) IN ALL HIS DOMINION — in all his kingdom; the Chaldean: in all his domain.
Verse 6: BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, AND EVERYTHING SHALL BE CARRIED OFF. — From this punishmen...
6. BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, AND EVERYTHING SHALL BE CARRIED OFF. — From this punishment it appears that Hezekiah sinned here by some vanity and pride, namely by the ostentatious display of his riches, to which so honorable an embassy from the Babylonians impelled him: for from this he became self-satisfied and puffed up (although perhaps this pride of his was only venial). So St. Jerome, Tertullian, book IV Against Marcion, chapter XXI; Ambrose on Psalm CXVIII, at the words: "I have been greatly humbled;" Cajetan and others. Note the just punishment: he who ostentatiously displays his wealth deserves to be stripped of it. Hence tropologically Eucherius and Bede, on IV Kings XX: "Hezekiah," they say, "vainly displaying his treasures represents the servant of God; when he has betrayed his virtues to vainglory, he soon loses them, and the treasures of his good works pass by an unhappy exchange into the dominion of demons."
Verse 8: THE WORD OF THE LORD IS GOOD. — That is, the sentence of the Lord punishing my vanity h...
8. THE WORD OF THE LORD IS GOOD. — That is, the sentence of the Lord punishing my vanity has pleased me; I accept it; I submit myself to Him. So Shimei, hearing from Solomon: "On whatever day you cross the brook Kidron, know that you shall be killed," accepting the sentence replied: "The word is good; as my lord the king has spoken, so will your servant do," III Kings II, verses 38 and 43.
Therefore the Jews wrongly reproach Hezekiah as being less concerned about his posterity than about himself. For he was compelled to accept the sentence of divine vengeance, and since he could not entirely avert it, he asked for such mitigation as could be hoped for — namely, that it not be carried out in his days.
ONLY LET THERE BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS — That is, that God may preserve me in life and in my kingdom peacefully, and that He may rout my enemy Sennacherib, as He has promised; for this is truth, that is, the faithfulness of God, which he requests. Others by truth understand Christ, promised to David and to me, that I may see Him before I die.
Ptolemy, book III of the Almagest, chapter VIII, who flourished in the time of Emperor Hadrian, and consequently Merodach the son of Baladan is the one whom Ptolemy calls Mardokempad, the son of Nabonassar. For Nabonassar, as is deduced from Ptolemy, began to reign around the 6th year of Hezekiah, at the same time as Baladan in Babylon. On this see more at Ezekiel I, 1.
LETTERS (that is, epistles: so the Chaldean and Septuagint; for this is the Hebrew ספר sepher). For he had heard THAT HE HAD BEEN SICK AND HAD RECOVERED — and that because of his illness the sun had gone backward. He therefore sent envoys both for the sake of friendship, to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, and to inquire into and learn the truth, manner, and cause of this portent, namely the sun's regression, as is stated in II Chronicles XXXII, 31. The books of the Babylonian astrologers have perished; otherwise this would be established from them. For there is no doubt that they recorded it in their tablets. So Cajetan on IV Kings chapter XX. Note here how kings in ancient times, even pagans, cultivated friendship and the duties of greeting and other courtesies with other neighboring princes, including Jews, so that they would send envoys to congratulate them on their good fortune and to condole with them on their misfortune. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob established friendship with Abimelech and other kings of the Canaanites. Thus Hiram king of Tyre, Tou king of Hamath, and others made alliances with and congratulated David and Solomon: David himself also sent envoys to console Hanon king of Ammon on the death of his father, II Kings X. Thus Jonathan and Simon Maccabees entered into close treaties of alliance with the Romans and the Spartans.
Verse 2: THERE WAS NOTHING (there was no thing; Septuagint: there was not anything) IN ALL HIS D...
2. THERE WAS NOTHING (there was no thing; Septuagint: there was not anything) IN ALL HIS DOMINION — in all his kingdom; the Chaldean: in all his domain. 6. BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, AND EVERYTHING SHALL BE CARRIED OFF. — From this punishment it appears that Hezekiah sinned here by some vanity and pride, namely by the ostentatious display of his riches, to which so honorable an embassy from the Babylonians impelled him: for from this he became self-satisfied and puffed up (although perhaps this pride of his was only venial). So St. Jerome, Tertullian, book IV Against Marcion, chapter XXI; Ambrose on Psalm CXVIII, at the words: "I have been greatly humbled;" Cajetan and others. Note the just punishment: he who ostentatiously displays his wealth deserves to be stripped of it. Hence tropologically Eucherius and Bede, on IV Kings XX: "Hezekiah," they say, "vainly displaying his treasures represents the servant of God; when he has betrayed his virtues to vainglory, he soon loses them, and the treasures of his good works pass by an unhappy exchange into the dominion of demons." 8. THE WORD OF THE LORD IS GOOD. — That is, the sentence of the Lord punishing my vanity has pleased me; I accept it; I submit myself to Him. So Shimei, hearing from Solomon: "On whatever day you cross the brook Kidron, know that you shall be killed," accepting the sentence replied: "The word is good; as my lord the king has spoken, so will your servant do," III Kings II, verses 38 and 43. Therefore the Jews wrongly reproach Hezekiah as being less concerned about his posterity than about himself. For he was compelled to accept the sentence of divine vengeance, and since he could not entirely avert it, he asked for such mitigation as could be hoped for — namely, that it not be carried out in his days. ONLY LET THERE BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS — That is, that God may preserve me in life and in my kingdom peacefully, and that He may rout my enemy Sennacherib, as He has promised; for this is truth, that is, the faithfulness of God, which he requests. Others by truth understand Christ, promised to David and to me, that I may see Him before I die.