In brief
Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, is a king of Babylon who was a contemporary of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hearing of Hezekiah's illness and recovery, he sends him a letter and a gift. Hezekiah, pleased by the visit, shows his envoys all his treasures. The prophet Isaiah then announces that everything will one day be carried off to Babylon. The lesson to keep is the danger of pride after a grace received, which the text notes in Hezekiah.
What does the name Merodach-Baladan mean?
Merodach-Baladan is the biblical form of a Babylonian name joining Marduk, the name of the chief god of Babylon, with a formula generally understood as has given a son. In 2 Kings 20:12, the text calls him Berodach-baladan, son of Baladan.
The story of Merodach-Baladan
A letter and a gift
Isaiah 39:1After Hezekiah's recovery, Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sends him a letter and a gift, because he has heard of his illness and his recovery. The parallel passage in 2 Kings 20:12 calls him Berodach-baladan. A distant power suddenly takes an interest in the small kingdom of Judah.
All the treasures shown
Isaiah 39:2Hezekiah is glad about it. He shows the envoys his precious things, the silver and gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory and his treasures. The text insists: there is nothing in his house and in all his realm that Hezekiah does not show them. 2 Chronicles 32:25 notes that his heart had become proud.
Isaiah's questions
Isaiah 39:3-4The prophet Isaiah comes to the king and asks where these men came from and what they saw. Hezekiah answers that they came from a far country, from Babylon, and that he hid nothing from them: there is nothing among his treasures that he did not show them.
The announcement of exile
Isaiah 39:5-7Isaiah delivers the word of the LORD of hosts: the days are coming when everything in the king's house will be carried off to Babylon, and nothing will be left. Some of Hezekiah's sons will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Merodach-Baladan's envoys saw what Babylon will one day take.
Hezekiah's response
Isaiah 39:8Hezekiah answers that the word of the LORD is good, and adds that there will be peace and security in his days. The story of Merodach-Baladan ends there in the Bible, but the prophecy will be fulfilled later, when Nebuchadnezzar carries off the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king (2 Kings 24:13).
What Merodach-Baladan teaches us
- Attention from the powerful can become a temptation to pride.
- After a grace received, gratitude to God must come before displaying our possessions.
- What we show off with pride often reveals where we place our trust.
- God's word announces the future with certainty, even when it seems distant.
- Having peace for oneself is not enough: faith also thinks of the generations to come.
Key verses
The king of Babylon sends a letter and a gift after Hezekiah's recovery, and Hezekiah shows all his treasures to his envoys without hiding anything from them.
Isaiah's prophecy announces that everything the envoys saw will be carried off to Babylon. It prepares the announcement of Judah's exile.
The Chronicler explains that Hezekiah's heart had become proud after the benefit he received. He then humbled himself with Jerusalem, and the anger did not come in his lifetime.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Who was Merodach-Baladan in the Bible?
Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, was a king of Babylon in the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah. He sent a letter and a gift to Hezekiah after his recovery (Isaiah 39:1). His envoys saw all the king's treasures, which led to the announcement of the exile to Babylon.
Why did Isaiah rebuke Hezekiah after the envoys' visit?
Hezekiah had shown these foreigners all his treasures, hiding nothing. 2 Chronicles 32:25 says his heart became proud, and 32:31 says God left him to test him. Isaiah then announced that these riches would be carried off to Babylon. The problem was not the welcome, but the pride the text notes in the king.
Where can I find the story of Merodach-Baladan in the Bible?
The account is in Isaiah 39 and in the parallel passage of 2 Kings 20:12-19, where he is called Berodach-baladan. 2 Chronicles 32:31 also mentions the envoys of the princes of Babylon who came to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land.