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The Hezekiah (Heb: Chizkiyahu) narrative in II Kings (chapters 17 – 20) and Isaiah (36 – 39) concludes on a dissonant and haunting confrontation between King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah has just shown his kingdom’s wealth to messengers of Brodach Baladan, King of Babylonia. Isaiah asks Hezekiah about his guests, and when Hezekiah tells him where they are from, Isaiah proclaims:
Behold, days are coming and everything in your house and what your
ancestors have collected until this day will be carried off to
Babylonia, nothing will remain saith the Lord. And the children that
you will beget will be taken to be eunuchs in the palace of the King
of Babylonia. And Hezekiah responded to Isaiah, the word of the Lord
that you have spoken is good, insomuch as there will be peace and
truth in my days. (II Kings 20:17-18, JPS translation).
This prophecy of doom is devastating and perplexing. Does Isaiah mean to say that Hezekiah is literally responsible for the future exile and destruction at the hands of Babylonians? If so, what did he do wrong? How should Hezekiah have known it was bad to receive foreign emissaries from Babylonia?
Neil Short
2 Kings 20:17 (NRSV)
17 Days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord.
Just because God sent Sennacherib back to Nineveh with his tail between his legs does not mean Jerusalem is eternally secure. The righteousness of Hezekiah is not sufficient to save the city. (Consider, after all, the next king of Judah will be Manasseh).
We must not forget that this account is a look-back from the perspective of Babylonian exile. The symptoms were already there in the history of Judah that betrayed a rejection of God’s favor.
Neil Short
Also…
2 Kings 20:19 (NRSV)
19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”
Is Hezekiah insane? He has seen the effectiveness of prayer. Shouldn’t he pray about this oracle?
Varnel Watson
so did he?
Steve Losee
of course. He opened the door for the Babylonian captivity.
Varnel Watson
So did many other kings to other captivities Steve Losee
Steve Losee
true, but that doesn’t excuse him.
Varnel Watson
oh not at all – I was just wondering WHY was his case was so special – maybe because of Babylon?
Steve Losee
possibly. Manasseh’s sins prevented Josiah’s revival from diverting the judgment; Hezekiah’s might have opened the door to Neb. specifically.
Varnel Watson
do you remember WHO put the 2 golden cows in a under ground river and worshiped them there ? Which river was it
Steve Losee
sounds like Jeroboam, but that’s it off the top of my head. Sorry; it’s almost dinner time & I can’t research right now. 🙂