Chapter commentary
Isaiah Chapter 39
1
Isa 39:1-8.
繁體中文
English original
Isa 39:1-8.
HEZEKIAH'S ERROR IN THE DISPLAY OF HIS RICHES TO THE BABYLONIAN AMBASSADOR.
1. Merodach-baladan--For a hundred fifty years before the overthrow of Nineveh by Cyaxares the Mede, a succession of rulers, mostly viceroys of Assyria, ruled Babylon, from the time of Nabonassar, 747 B.C. That date is called "the Era of Nabonassar." Pul or Phallukha was then expelled, and a new dynasty set up at Nineveh, under Tiglath-pileser. Semiramis, Pul's wife, then retired to Babylon, with Nabonassar, her son, whose advent to the throne of Babylon, after the overthrow of the old line at Nineveh, marked a new era. Sometimes the viceroys of Babylon made themselves, for a time, independent of Assyria; thus Merodach-baladan at this time did so, encouraged by the Assyrian disaster in the Jewish campaign. He had done so before, and was defeated in the first year of Sennacherib's reign, as is recorded in cuneiform characters in that monarchs palace of Koyunjik. Nabopolassar was the first who established, permanently, his independence; his son, Nebuchadnezzar, raised Babylon to the position which Nineveh once occupied; but from the want of stone near the Lower Euphrates, the buildings of Babylon, formed of sun-dried brick, have not stood the wear of ages as Nineveh has.
Merodach--an idol, the same as the god of war and planet Mars
(Jer 50:2).
Often kings took their names from their gods, as if peculiarly under their tutelage. So Belshazzar from Bel.
Baladan--means "Bel is his lord." The chronicle of EUSEBIUS contains a fragment of BEROSUS, stating that Acises, an Assyrian viceroy, usurped the supreme command at Babylon. Merodach- (or Berodach-) baladan murdered him and succeeded to the throne. Sennacherib conquered Merodach-baladan and left Esar-haddon, his son, as governor of Babylon. Merodach-baladan would naturally court the alliance of Hezekiah, who, like himself, had thrown off the yoke of the Assyrian king, and who would be equally glad of the Babylonian alliance against Assyria; hence arose the excessive attention which he paid to the usurper.
sick--An additional reason is given
(2Ch 32:31).
"The princes of Babylon sent to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land"; namely, the recession of the shadow on Ahaz' sundial; to the Chaldean astronomers, such a fact would be especially interesting, the dial having been invented at Babylon.
2
Untitled
繁體中文
2. glad——惹動神的不是行為本身，而是其背後的心態
(2Ch 32:25),
「希西家沒有照他所蒙的恩報答耶和華，因他心裏高傲」；又比較
2Ch 32:31.
神在不同的時候以不同的方式「試驗」祂的百姓，顯出「他們心裏一切所有的」，讓他們看見其中各樣的敗壞。比較大衛在類似情形中
(1Ch 21:1-8).
precious things——不如譯作「他（香料）的庫房」；源於希伯來文詞根「破碎」，正如對香料所作的。
silver . . . gold——部分取自亞述營盤
(Isa 33:4);
部分來自餽贈
(2Ch 32:23, 27-29).
precious ointment——用於膏立君王與祭司。
armour——或泛指器皿；平行經文
(2Ch 32:27)
「府庫……為盾牌」支持英文譯本。即他的軍械庫。
English original
2. glad--It was not the mere act, but the spirit of it, which provoked God
(2Ch 32:25),
"Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up"; also compare
2Ch 32:31.
God "tries" His people at different times by different ways, bringing out "all that is in their heart," to show them its varied corruptions. Compare David in a similar case
(1Ch 21:1-8).
precious things--rather, "the house of his (aromatic) spices"; from a Hebrew root, to "break to pieces," as is done to aromatics.
silver . . . gold--partly obtained from the Assyrian camp
(Isa 33:4);
partly from presents
(2Ch 32:23, 27-29).
precious ointment--used for anointing kings and priests.
armour--or else vessels in general; the parallel passage
(2Ch 32:27),
"treasuries . . . for shields," favors English Version. His arsenal.
3
Untitled
繁體中文
3. What . . . whence——暗示任何出自那些敬拜偶像、與神為敵之人的提議——以色列本被禁止與他們結盟——都不應以喜樂之心接待。倚靠巴比倫而不倚靠神，與先前倚靠埃及是同樣的罪
(Isa 30:1-31:9).
far country——暗示他不過是對「從遠方來」的客人表示應有的禮遇而已。
English original
3. What . . . whence--implying that any proposition coming from the idolatrous enemies of God, with whom Israel was forbidden to form alliance, should have been received with anything but gladness. Reliance on Babylon, rather than on God, was a similar sin to the previous reliance on Egypt
(Isa 30:1-31:9).
far country--implying that he had done nothing more than was proper in showing attention to strangers "from a far country."
4
Untitled
繁體中文
4. All——坦白承認他全部的過失；王將自己的行為交由一個臣民來審視，因這臣民乃神所認可的。試與亞撒對比
(2Ch 16:7-10).
English original
4. All--a frank confession of his whole fault; the king submits his conduct to the scrutiny of a subject, because that subject was accredited by God. Contrast Asa
(2Ch 16:7-10).
5
Untitled
繁體中文
5. Lord of hosts——萬軍之主，你一切所有的都在祂手中。
English original
5. Lord of hosts--who has all thy goods at His disposal.
6
Untitled
繁體中文
6. days come——一百二十年之後。這是猶大人將被擄到巴比倫的首次暗示——首次指明其受罰的地點。摩西的一般性預言
(Le 26:33;
De 28:64);
耶羅波安時代亞希雅更具體的預言
(1Ki 14:15),
「大河那邊」；以及
Am 5:27
「大馬色以外的擄掠」；如今都集中於這個關於「巴比倫」的具體預言
(Mic 4:10).
這是精確的同類報應——巴比倫既是希西家和猶大犯罪的工具，也必是其受罰的工具。
English original
6. days come--one hundred twenty years afterwards. This is the first intimation that the Jews would be carried to Babylon--the first designation of their place of punishment. The general prophecy of Moses
(Le 26:33; De 28:64);
the more particular one of Ahijah in Jeroboam's time
(1Ki 14:15),
"beyond the river"; and of
Am 5:27,
"captivity beyond Damascus"; are now concentrated in this specific one as to "Babylon"
(Mic 4:10).
It was an exact retribution in kind, that as Babylon had been the instrument of Hezekiah and Judah's sin, so also it should be the instrument of their punishment.
7
Untitled
繁體中文
7. sons . . . from thee——希西家（如 JOSEPHUS 所告訴我們的）所想要有的兒子（見
Isa 28:3,
論「wept sore」的註解），將在其中首當其衝地受苦。
eunuchs——應驗
(Da 1:2, 3, 7).
English original
7. sons . . . from thee--The sons which Hezekiah (as JOSEPHUS tells us) wished to have (see on
Isa 28:3,
on "wept sore") will be among the foremost in suffering.
eunuchs--fulfilled
(Da 1:2, 3, 7).
8
Untitled
繁體中文
8. peace . . . in my days——刑罰並不如大衛的情形
(2Sa 24:13-15)
在他的日子臨到。真正的悔改順服神一切作為，並在任何寬減中找到感恩的理由。
English original
8. peace . . . in my days--The punishment was not, as in David's case
(2Sa 24:13-15),
sent in his time. True repentance acquiesces in all God's ways and finds cause of thanksgiving in any mitigation.
Isa 39:1-8.
希西家向巴比倫使臣展示自己財寶的過失。
1. Merodach-baladan——在米底亞人 Cyaxares 攻陷尼尼微之前的一百五十年間，自主前 747 年拿波納撒爾之時起，巴比倫由一系列統治者治理，其中多為亞述的總督。該日期被稱為「拿波納撒爾紀元」。普勒（即 Phallukha）當時被逐，提革拉毗列色在尼尼微建立了新王朝。普勒之妻塞米拉米斯隨其子拿波納撒爾退往巴比倫；舊王朝在尼尼微傾覆之後，拿波納撒爾登上巴比倫寶座，標誌著新紀元的開始。巴比倫的總督有時會暫時脫離亞述而獨立；米羅達巴拉丹此時便是如此，因亞述在猶太戰役中的挫敗而受到鼓勵。他以前也曾這樣做，卻在西拿基立在位第一年被擊敗，此事以楔形文字記於該王 Koyunjik 宮殿中。拿波普拉撒是第一位永久確立獨立的人；其子尼布甲尼撒將巴比倍提升到尼尼微曾有的地位；但因下幼發拉底河一帶缺乏石材，巴比倫以日曬磚構成的建築不像尼尼微那樣經得起歲月的磨蝕。
Merodach——偶像，與戰神及火星相同
(Jer 50:2).
列王常以他們神祇的名字為名，彷彿特別在其庇護之下。伯沙撒之於伯爾也是如此。
Baladan——意為「伯爾是他的主」。EUSEBIUS 的編年史保存了 BEROSUS 的一段殘篇，記載亞述總督 Acises 篡奪了巴比倫的最高權力。米羅達（或比羅達）巴拉丹將他謀殺並繼承了王位。西拿基立征服了米羅達巴拉丹，留下其子以撒哈頓治理巴比倫。米羅達巴拉丹自然會向希西家示好結盟——希西家與他一樣擺脫了亞述王的軛，同樣樂於與巴比倫結盟以對抗亞述；因此希西家對這位篡位者表現出過度的禮遇。
sick——另有附加理由
(2Ch 32:31).
「巴比倫的王子差人來見，問那在地上所行的奇事」；即亞哈斯日晷上日影倒退一事；對迦勒底天文學家而言，這樣的事尤為有趣，因日晷正是在巴比倫發明的。