The Meaning of Isaiah 39:1 Explained

Isaiah 39:1

KJV: At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.

YLT: At that time hath Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah, when he heareth that he hath been sick, and is become strong.

Darby: At that time Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered.

ASV: At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

At that time  Merodachbaladan,  the son  of Baladan,  king  of Babylon,  sent  letters  and a present  to Hezekiah:  for he had heard  that he had been sick,  and was recovered. 

What does Isaiah 39:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The phrase "At that time" (cf. Isaiah 38:1) anticipates a specially significant event and ties it to what preceded in chapter38. As this verse explains, the events that follow happened after Hezekiah had recovered from his illness ( Isaiah 38:5). This was most likely during the year701 B.C. before Sennacherib"s invasion of Jerusalem (chs36-37; cf. Isaiah 38:6; 2 Kings 18:16).
Merodach-baladan (Cuneiform "Marduk-apal-iddina," lit. the god Marduk has given a son) raised Babylon to a position from which it threatened and eventually overthrew Assyrian dominance in the ancient Near East (cf. Isaiah 21:1-10). He was the first king of Babylon, and he led that nation during two periods: 721-710 B.C. and703-702 B.C. The historians vary in their dating of the ancient Near Eastern kings" reigns by a few years, but I believe the dates above are fairly accurate. In710 B.C. Sargon, another Babylonian leader, ousted him, but in702 B.C. the Assyrians defeated Merodach-baladan. After this defeat, he continued to foment revolt against Assyria in the Fertile Crescent. This seems to have been his motivation for cultivating Hezekiah"s friendship by sending letters and a present when he heard of Hezekiah"s recovery.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 39

1  Merodach-baladan, sending to visit Hezekiah, has notice of his treasures
3  Isaiah, understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 39:1 mean?

at time that sent from Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon letters and a present to Hezekiah for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡וא שָׁלַ֡ח מְרֹדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בֶּֽן־ בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־ חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק

בָּעֵ֣ת  at  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הַהִ֡וא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
שָׁלַ֡ח  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בַּ֠לְאֲדָן  Merodach-baladan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְרֹדַךְ־בַּלְאֲדָן  
Sense: king of Babylon in the days of king Hezekiah of Judah.
בֶּֽן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן  of  Baladan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּלְאֲדָן  
Sense: the father of Merodach-baladan to whom Hezekiah revealed the riches of his treasures.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֛ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
סְפָרִ֥ים  letters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
וּמִנְחָ֖ה  and  a  present 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ  Hezekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִזְקִיָּה 
Sense: 2th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע  for  he  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חָלָ֖ה  he  had  been  sick 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק  and  had  recovered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.