Isaiah 39:6
Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just about stolen treasures; it's about the complete removal of everything your fathers stored up. This emphasizes that the loss will be total, an erasure of generations of security and wealth, not just a temporary setback.
Fresh from surviving a serious illness and a miraculous recovery, King Hezekiah of Judah proudly displays all of his kingdom's wealth and treasures to ambassadors from Babylon. The prophet Isaiah then confronts him, revealing that this display of pride has sealed Judah's fate: not only will all these riches be plundered, but his own descendants will be taken captive to Babylon.
Hezekiah proudly displayed his kingdom's wealth, thinking he was impressing a foreign king. But God saw it differently.
Hezekiah's actions in Isaiah 39 were driven by pride and a desire for political alliance, not genuine faith.
A King's Vanity
When the king of Babylon sent envoys, Hezekiah didn't just welcome them; he showed them everything – his treasures, his armory, his riches (Isaiah 39:2). This wasn't hospitality; it was boasting.
God's Sharp Reprimand
Isaiah's prophecy cuts through Hezekiah's pride, revealing the true outcome: all these treasures, and even his descendants, would be taken to Babylon. What he displayed with pride would be plundered with contempt.
The Real Treasure
God's perspective is clear: true security isn't found in worldly wealth or political alliances, but in faithfulness to Him. Hezekiah's display revealed a heart more impressed by earthly power than by God's deliverance.
The name 'Babylon' appears for the first time as a place of exile here. Why was this specific mention so significant?
This prophecy in Isaiah 39 marks a pivotal moment: it's the first time the destination of Israel's exile is explicitly named as Babylon.
A New Threat
While earlier prophets like Moses, Ahijah, and Amos spoke of exile to foreign lands, Isaiah 39:6 specifically points to Babylon. This was a concentrated warning, narrowing down the vague future threat to a concrete, powerful empire.
A Delayed Judgment
This judgment wouldn't happen immediately. It was set for 'days to come,' a future that would unfold over generations, ultimately arriving about 120-150 years later. This timing highlights God's patience but also the certainty of His word.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His self-existence and faithfulness to His people. It is the name by which He entered into covenant relationship with Israel.
Babel · Hebrew Proper Noun
A city and empire that historically functioned as the arch-enemy of God’s people in the Old Testament. Symbolically, it often represents worldly power, rebellion against God, and the place of divine judgment and captivity.
This prophecy, delivered after Hezekiah's prideful display to Babylonian envoys, starkly contrasts the immediate 'peace and truth in my days' with the distant, devastating exile. It highlights how individual actions, even those seemingly justified by current prosperity, can have profound, long-term consequences for future generations.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. Hezekiah pays a heavy tribute to avoid conquest, stripping the Temple and royal treasury.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery
King Hezekiah falls gravely ill. Isaiah prophesies his death, but Hezekiah prays and God grants him fifteen more years of life, marked by a sign with the sun.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Babylonian Embassy to Jerusalem
Merodach-Baladan, king of Babylon, sends envoys to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery and to inquire about the sign of the sun. Hezekiah proudly shows them his vast treasures.
c. 701 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy of Exile
Isaiah confronts Hezekiah for displaying his wealth, revealing that all his treasures, and those of his descendants, will one day be carried off to Babylon.
This passage directly parallels Isaiah's prophecy, recounting Hezekiah's later interaction with Isaiah and God's foretelling of the Babylonian exile.
Jeremiah 20:5Jeremiah echoes the threat of Babylonian captivity, emphasizing the totality of the judgment and the inescapable nature of God's dealings with His people.
Daniel 1:1-2This passage shows the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, describing how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem and took some of its treasures and people, marking the beginning of the exile.
2 Chronicles 33:11This verse describes Manasseh, Hezekiah's descendant, being taken captive to Babylon, illustrating a more immediate, personal fulfillment of the prophecy of royal family members being taken to Babylon.
Deuteronomy 28:64This is a foundational Mosaic warning that foretold the scattering of Israel among the nations, providing the legal and historical context for the specific judgment of Babylonian exile prophesied by Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 39:6: "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."
Behold, the days come - The captivity of the Jews in Babylon commenced about one hundred and twenty years after this prediction (compare Jeremiah 20:5 ). That all that is in thine house - That is, all the treasures that are in the treasure-house Isaiah 39:2. And that which thy fathers have laid…
clarkeIsaiah 39:6: "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."
To Babylon - בבלה babelah, so two MSS., (one ancient); rightly, without doubt as the other copy ( 2 Kings 20:17 ) has it. This prediction was fulfilled about one hundred and fifty years after it was spoken: see Daniel 1:2 , Daniel 1:3-7 . What a proof of Divine omniscience!
This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just about stolen treasures; it's about the complete removal of everything your fathers stored up. This emphasizes that the loss will be total, an erasure of generations of security and wealth, not just a temporary setback.
Fresh from surviving a serious illness and a miraculous recovery, King Hezekiah of Judah proudly displays all of his kingdom's wealth and treasures to ambassadors from Babylon. The prophet Isaiah then confronts him, revealing that this display of pride has sealed Judah's fate: not only will all these riches be plundered, but his own descendants will be taken captive to Babylon.
Fresh from surviving a serious illness and a miraculous recovery, King Hezekiah of Judah proudly displays all of his kingdom's wealth and treasures to ambassadors from Babylon. The prophet Isaiah then confronts him, revealing that this display of pride has sealed Judah's fate: not only will all these riches be plundered, but his own descendants will be taken captive to Babylon.
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Justice and Mercy
Carrying treasures to Babylon was a direct consequence of Hezekiah showing those very treasures to the Babylonians. It demonstrates that God’s judgment, while severe, is often a precise and fitting response to sin.
c. 681-669 BC
Manasseh's Captivity in Babylon
Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, is later taken captive to Babylon by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon and briefly imprisoned there. This fulfills part of Isaiah's prophecy.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting skilled Judeans, including members of the royal family like Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and much of the Temple's treasury, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that 'nothing shall be left'.
"Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD." — This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just about stolen treasures; it's about the complete removal of everything your fathers stored up. This emphasizes that the loss will be total,…
