Devotional Commentary on Isaiah 39
Isaiah had a specific agenda in mind when he cited from his
diary the event of the illness of Hezekiah and especially the hymn of Hezekiah
at the end of chapter 38. The hymn is only mentioned by Isaiah. The later
historiographer of 2 Kings 20 did not select the hymn.
To cite Delitzsch Volume II 1890: 114 can give us a nice
analysis of how different the Book of Kings ' scribe later cited Isaiah: Isaiah 39:1, “’At
that time Merodach Baladan [K. Berodach Baladan], son of Baladan, king of
Babylon, sent a letter and present to Hezekiah, and heard [K. /or he had heard]
that he [K. Hezekiah] had been sick, and had recovered’ [K. omits].” It was
difficult times during the Exile and they could not see the texts, only heard
it by dictation since library robbing was at the order of the day, so good text
were hidden. The reader said “Merodach Baladan” but the listening copyist heard
with a slip of the ear “Berodach” instead of “Merodach”. Delitzsch did not say
it but in Akkadian script it was easy to misread bu and mu. It is not the only
slip and Delitzsch mentioned only about three of them. Doublets are placed in
the Bible by the Holy Spirit exactly for this purpose: sin brings exile and
exile has dire consequences for religion, also the Xerox process of the Word of
God.” It serves only as a window of warning. The Word of God was very well
preserved, these slips as well. It does not change the truth to misspell or to
have difficult syntax or a strange grammatical form. There is such a thing as
bilingualism and even geographical dialectics. It has nothing to do with “corruption”
and that the text should be “emended” or “glossed out” to socalled “correct”
the text. The scholar A. Speiser one time lamented that puritanic grammarians
too readily wants to “correct” the text. My professor, Charles Fensham was
complaining about the same thing in class.
The orthography or script shapes of the sixth century BCE in
Hebrew could easily caused a misreading of a mem /m/ and a kaph /k/ and as a
Hebrew reader will admit, kaph /k/ and beth /b/ are close also. This is the
reason for the misreading of Merodach as Berodach. There is also evidence of
the slip of the ear where an heth in Isaiah 39:2 is misheard by the later exilic
scribe as an ayin in verse 13 of 2 Kings.
Why did Isaiah enter into history in these chapters? The
answer is twofold: peace and truth. In fact, Isaiah cited the words of Hezekiah
thinking that there will be peace and truth in his days (39:8) and also the
reason why Hezekiah did not want to die but wanted to live, is to raise his
children with spiritual education by singing on harps and lyre in the house of
the Lord with them and to teach them truth and about God’s truth
(38:19b-20a-c).
Manasseh was only 12 when Hezekiah died in 687 BCE and he
was a product of this promise of Hezekiah to God. The mother of Manasseh was Heph-Ziba (2 Kings 21:1) and the Heph part of her name could have been
Egyptian since many words are either ḥep or ḥeb with meanings connected to festivals,
(ruler) staff, or the Aphis bull of Memphis. We are trying to see why a
religious upbringing for 12 years in a child’s life is suddenly turned upside
down by the spouse and who surrounded him, nullifying all what he has been
taught by his father Hezekiah.
Isaiah did not survive to life in the days of Manasseh. The
godless approach of the priesthood over Manasseh would need a reminder from
Isaiah about truth and peace promised to God by Hezekiah to his
offspring.
At the same time Hezekiah became sick in 702/701 BCE, a
Babylonian rebel took interest in his illness and recovery (v. 1). He was
Merodach-baladan the king of Babylon. It was probably the Babylonian rebel with
the name of Marduk-apal-iddina “the god Marduk has given a son”. Delitzsch
mentioned that he paid homage to Tiglath-Pilezer III in 731 BCE, that Merodach
was probably the king of southern land (šar mât tâmtȋm) in Sargon II first year in 721 BCE. Merodach was the
ruler of Bit-Iakin and with Elamite help he conquered Babylon for a short time
and was driven out by Sargon II in his 12th year, which was according to K.
3044 in the eponym of šamaš-bêla-uṣur, in the year of the month of Nisan 710 BCE (K. van Wyk,
Squatters in Moab [1996]: 150). According to another text O., 1141 the 12th
year was in the eponym of man-nu-ki-aš-šur-le of Nisan 709 BCE. Scholars view this text as an error
but the scribes of that area started their counting system different than the
scribes of another area. It is two different counting systems, not an error.
Text K. 3044 counted 710 BCE extending into 709 BCE. It is the eye of the
beholder that makes the difference.
Again Merodach rebelled and drove out the other ruler and
Sennacherib took Babylon from him in 704 BCE. Merodach was thus sitting on the
edges of Babylon wishing to reclaim the city when he contacted Hezekiah. About
taking the treasures of Babylon, Sennacherib said in the Taylor Prism: “I
entered his palace at Babylon as victor and opened his treasure-house”.
Dictators and conquerers cannot keep their hands off other people’s
possessions.
Hezekiah was very pleased and flattered by his men coming to
see him and he showed them all his treasures, silver, gold, spices, precious
oil, weapons. This was a big mistake of Hezekiah. To host a known rebel with a
long history of skeletons in the closet and a shadowy character, is like
raising a snake: the feeder always runs the risk to get bitten himself. Political
chess is a spiritual mess.
R. Gane in his 2004 Sabbath School Quarterly page 61 brings
an insightful connection between solar shift, Babylonian astrology and Hezekiah’s
illness to play here: “The Babylonians studied movements of heavenly bodies and
recorded them accurately. Thus, they would have noticed the sun's strange
behavior and wondered what it meant. The fact that King Merodach-baladan sent
envoys at this time is no accident. The Babylonians had learned of the
connection between Hezekiah's recovery and the miraculous sign. Now we know why
God chose this particular sign. Just as He later used the star of Bethlehem to
bring wise men from the East, he used a solar shift to bring messengers from
Babylon. This was a unique opportunity for them to learn about the true God.
Merodach-baladan spent his entire career trying to win lasting independence
from Assyria. He needed powerful allies, which explains his motivation for
contacting Hezekiah. If the sun itself moved at Hezekiah's request, what could
he do to Assyria?” It is very true that they were very superstitious as the
Hemerological texts indicate, which was whole year of 360 days with every month
30 days in which the kings should or should not do things to avoid evil from
trapping him. There is the example of a Hemerological text V R 48-49 (R. Labat
1948: 13-40 et al). In month VIII or APIN which is Arahsamma, day 19 it reads
on the Hemerological text to help the king against the evil-bringing gods: “The
crisis of the disease will be swerved”. If their Hemerological text is saying
that it is unfavorable days for the king but he heard of Hezekiah’s healing,
then obviously Merodach-Baladan would be curious why his own gods are cracy but
Hezekiah’s not.
Actually, Ellen White already said it in Prophets and Kings:
“In the fertile valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates there dwelt an ancient
race which, though at that time subject to Assyria, was destined to rule the
world. Among its people were wise men who gave much attention to the study of
astronomy; and when they noticed that the shadow on the sundial had been turned
back ten degrees, they marveled greatly. Their king, Merodach-baladan, upon
learning that this miracle had been wrought as a sign to the king of Judah that
the God of heaven had granted him a new lease of life, sent ambassadors to
Hezekiah to congratulate him .on his recovery, and to learn, if possible, more
of the God who was able to perform so great a wonder.”— Ellen White, Prophets
and Kings, page 344 cited by M. L. Andreasen in his 1928 Sabbath-School on
Isaiah page 36. The online Sabbath-School Quarterlies are available at
Sabbath-School.net under archive.
Ellen White pointed out the spiritual fall of Hezekiah here:
“The visit of the ambassadors to Hezekiah was a test of his gratitude and
devotion.. . . Had Hezekiah improved the opportunity given him to bear witness
to the power, the goodness, the compassion, of the God of Israel, the report of
the ambassadors would have been as light piercing darkness. But he magnified
himself above the Lord of hosts. He ‘rendered not again according .to the
benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up.’“ Ellen White, Prophets and
Kings, page 346.
“There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that
Hezekiah did not show him” (v. 2). Isaiah heard of this visit by the officials
of the palace of Babylon and wanted to know what the men said (v. 3). Hezekiah
said that they came from Babylon to him. Isaiah wanted to know what Hezekiah
showed them in the house (v. 4). Hezekiah said that he showed them all that is
in the house and that there was nothing that he did not show to them (v. 4).
Isaiah then said the Word of the Lord of hosts to Hezekiah (v. 5). The Lord
predicted the 605; 597 and 586 onslaught against Jerusalem by Babylon to
Hezekiah by the word of the prophet Isaiah (v. 6).
All that is the house of Hezekiah will go to Babylon and his
sons and offspring “shall be taken away and they shall become officials in the
palace of the king of Babylon” (v. 7).
Ellen White said: “The story of Hezekiah's failure to prove
true to his trust at the time of the visit of the ambassadors, is fraught with
an important , lesson for all. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the
precious chapters in our experience, of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of
the matchless depths of the Saviour's love. When mind and heart are filled with
the love of God, it will not be difficult to impart that which enters into the
spiritual life. Great thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth,
unselfish purposes, yearnings for, piety and holiness, will find expression in
words that reveal the character of the heart treasure. "Those with whom we
associate day by day need our help, our guidance. They may be in such a
condition of mind that a word spoken in season will be as a nail in a sure
place. To-morrow some of these souls many be where we can never reach them
again. What is our influence over these fellow travelers?”— Ellen White,
Prophets and Kings, pages 347, 348.
Isaiah had insight into the dreadfulness of the single coded
situation revealed by God but for Hezekiah it was a double-coded message that
gave him the impression that it would be wonderful if his offspring can be
ambassadors in Babylon for there will be peace and truth in those days (v. 8).
He chose to believe his own deception.
Ellen White said: “Filled with remorse, ‘Hezekiah humbled
himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.’ But the
evil seed had been sown, and in time was to spring up and yield a harvest of
desolation and woe. During his remaining years, the king of Judah was to have
much prosperity because of his steadfast purpose .o redeem the past and to
bring honor to the name of the God whom he served; yet his faith was to be
severely tried, and he was to learn that only by putting his trust fully in
Jehovah could he hope to triumph over the powers of darkness that were plotting
his ruin and the utter destruction of his people.”—Ellen White, Prophets and
Kings, page 347 cited by M. L. Andreasen in the Sabbath School Quarterly of
1928, page 37.
Dear
God
Hezekiah
chose to believe himself and his own deception making a single coded reality
outlined by God double-coded realities ending in a fake dream. Guard us from
our own fake dreams and obstinacy to accept and follow Your clear Word. Amen.