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the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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THE MESSAGE

2 Kings 20:14

And then Isaiah the prophet showed up: "And just what were these men doing here? Where did they come from and why?" Hezekiah said, "They came from far away—from Babylon."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hezekiah;   Isaiah;   Rich, the;   Temptation;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Hezekiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Babylon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Babylon, Kingdom of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Manasseh (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Assyria, History and Religion of;   Babylon, History and Religion of;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Israel;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Manasseh;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Alliance;   Hezekiah (2);   Sennacherib;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Merodach-Baladan;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then came Yesha`yahu the prophet to king Hizkiyahu, and said to him, What said these men? and from whence came they to you? Hizkiyahu said, They are come from a far country, even from Bavel.
King James Version
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
English Standard Version
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 have come from a far country, from Babylon."
New Century Version
Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" Hezekiah said, "They came from a faraway country—from Babylon."
New English Translation
Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did these men say? Where do they come from?" Hezekiah replied, "They come from the distant land of Babylon."
Amplified Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say [that would cause you to do this for them]? From where have they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
New American Standard Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
World English Bible
Then came Isaiah the prophet to king Hezekiah, and said to him, What said these men? and from whence came they to you? Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Isaiah the Prophet came vnto King Hezekiah, and saide vnto him, What saide these men? and from whence came they to thee? And Hezekiah said, They be come from a farre countrey, euen from Babel.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
Berean Standard Bible
Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, "Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?" "They came from a distant land," Hezekiah replied, "from Babylon."
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah asked Hezekiah, "Where did these men come from? What did they want?" "They came all the way from Babylonia," Hezekiah answered.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Yesha‘yahu the prophet came to King Hizkiyahu and asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" Hizkiyahu answered, "They came from a distant country, Bavel."
Darby Translation
Then came the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah and said to him, What said these men? and from whence came they to thee? And Hezekiah said, They came from a far country, from Babylon.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" Hezekiah said, "These men came from a faraway country, from Babylon."
George Lamsa Translation
Then came Isaiah the prophet to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say to you? And from whence did they come to you? And Hezekiah said, They have come to me from a far country, even from Babylon.
Good News Translation
Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, "Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?" Hezekiah answered, "They came from a very distant country, from Babylonia."
Lexham English Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "From a far land; they have come from Babylon."
Literal Translation
And Isaiah the prophet came in to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? And where did they come from to you? And Hezekiah said, They have come from a land afar off, from Babylon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then came Esay the prophet vnto kynge Ezechias, and sayde vnto him: What haue these men sayde? and whence came they vnto the? Ezechias sayde: They came to me out of a farre countre, euen from Babilon.
American Standard Version
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
Bible in Basic English
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say and where did they come from? And Hezekiah said, They came from a far country, even from Babylon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Isai the prophete came vnto king Hezekia, and sayd vnto him: What sayde these men? and from wence came they to thee? And Hezekia sayde: They be come from a farre countrey, euen from Babylon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him: 'What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee?' And Hezekiah said: 'They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.'
King James Version (1611)
Then came Isaiah the Prophet vnto King Hezekiah, and sayde vnto him, What sayd these men? and from whence came they vnto thee? And Hezekiah sayde, They are come from a farre countrey, euen from Babylon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Esaias the prophet went in to king Ezekias, and said to him, What said these men? and whence came they to thee? And Ezekias said, they came to me from a distant land, even from Babylon.
English Revised Version
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Ysaie, the prophete, cam to the kyng Ezechie, and seide to hym, What seiden these men, ether fro whennus camen thei to the? To whom Ezechie seide, Thei camen to me fro a fer lond, fro Babiloyne.
Update Bible Version
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 have come from a far country, even from Babylon.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then came Isaiah the prophet to king Hezekiah, and said to him, What said these men? and from whence came they to thee? And Hezekiah said, They have come from a far country [even] from Babylon.
New King James Version
Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came from a far country, from Babylon."
New Living Translation
Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did those men want? Where were they from?" Hezekiah replied, "They came from the distant land of Babylon."
New Life Bible
Then Isaiah the man of God came to King Hezekiah and said, "What did these men say? From where have they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
New Revised Standard
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? From where did they come to you?" Hezekiah answered, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah, - and said unto him - What said these men, and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, From a land far off, came they - from Babylon.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Isaias, the prophet, came to king Ezechias, and said to him: What said these men? or from whence came they to thee? And Ezechias said to him: From a far country, they came to me out of Babylon.
Revised Standard Version
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezeki'ah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And whence did they come to you?" And Hezeki'ah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."
Young's Literal Translation
And Isaiah the prophet cometh in unto king Hezekiah, and saith unto him, `What said these men? and whence come they unto thee?' And Hezekiah saith, `From a land afar off they have come -- from Babylon.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."

Contextual Overview

12Shortly after this, Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan king of Babylon, having heard that the king was sick, sent a get-well card and a gift to Hezekiah. Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers around the place—silver, gold, spices, aromatic oils, his stockpile of weapons—a guided tour of all his prized possessions. There wasn't a thing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them. 14 And then Isaiah the prophet showed up: "And just what were these men doing here? Where did they come from and why?" Hezekiah said, "They came from far away—from Babylon." 15 "And what did they see in your palace?" "Everything," said Hezekiah. "There isn't anything I didn't show them—I gave them the grand tour." 16Then Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah, "Listen to what God has to say about this: The day is coming when everything you own and everything your ancestors have passed down to you, right down to the last cup and saucer, will be cleaned out of here—plundered and packed off to Babylon. God 's word! Worse yet, your sons, the progeny of sons you've begotten, will end up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 19 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "If God says it, it must be good." But he was thinking to himself, "It won't happen during my lifetime—I'll enjoy peace and security as long as I live." 20The rest of the life and times of Hezekiah, along with his projects, especially the way he engineered the Upper Pool and brought water into the city, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Manasseh became the next king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

came Isaiah: Isaiah 39:3-8

What said: 2 Kings 5:25, 2 Kings 5:26, 2 Samuel 12:7-15, 2 Chronicles 16:7-10, 2 Chronicles 25:7-9, 2 Chronicles 25:15, 2 Chronicles 25:16, Psalms 141:5, Proverbs 25:12, Jeremiah 26:18, Jeremiah 26:19, Amos 7:12, Amos 7:13, Mark 6:18, Mark 6:19

a far country: Deuteronomy 28:49, Joshua 9:6, Joshua 9:9, Isaiah 13:5

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:9 - What men 2 Chronicles 28:9 - he went out Ezekiel 23:23 - Babylonians

Cross-References

Genesis 12:16
Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. But God hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram's wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hezekiah did not answer Isaiah’s first question, “What said these men?” but only his second. Probably he knew that Isaiah would oppose reliance on an “arm of flesh.”

Babylon now for the first time became revealed to the Jews as an actual power in the world, which might effect them politically. As yet even the prophets had spoken but little of the great southern city; up to this time she had been little more to them than Tyre, or Tarshish, or any other rich and powerful idolatrous city. Henceforth, all this was wholly changed. The prophetic utterance of Isaiah on this occasion 2 Kings 20:16-18 never was, never could be, forgotten. He followed it up with a burst of prophecy Isa. 40–66, in which Babylon usurps altogether the place of Assyria as Israel’s enemy, and the captivity being assumed as a matter of certainty, the hopes of the people are directed onward beyond it to the Return. Other prophets took up the strain and repeated it Habakkuk 1:6-11; Habakkuk 2:5-8; Micah 4:10. Babylon thus became henceforth, in lieu of Assyria, the great object of the nation’s fear and hatred.


 
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