reached a monarch who, especially at that time, was sorely in need of help, Divine or human. Few

chapters in history suggest more interesting episodes than that of Merodach-baladan,* who

contended for the independence and supremacy and for the crown of Babylonia successively with

Tiglath-pileser, Sargon, and Sennacherib - and who was by turns successful, vanquished, driven

away and restored, and once more a fugitive. This is not the place to give such outline of his

history as may be gathered from the notices of Berossus, the Chaldee historia n,** from the canon

of Ptolemy, the Bible, and Assyrian inscriptions.***

* The writing "Berodach" in 2 Kings is evidently a clerical error. In the Assyrian inscriptions

Marduk-habal-iddina, "Merodach gave a son," is described as "the son of Yakin;" but this

designating, not his father, but the dynasty to which he belonged, which ruled over "Blt -Yakin."

(Comp. Schrader, u.s., p. 342).

** In the extracts from Alexander Polyhistor, preserved by Eusebius.

*** For the history of Merodach-baladan I must refer to Schrader.

Suffice it here, that the date of his embassy to Hezekiah must have coincided with a brief period

when at the beginning of Sennacherib's reign he once more occupied the throne of Babylonia for

six months. It was only natural that in prospect of his conflict with Assyria he should have sought

alliances in every quarter, and that the fame of Hezekiah's miraculous healing, of his great wealth

and power - all no doubt exaggerated in Eastern fashion - should have induced him to send an

embassy to Jerusalem. A diversion there, a possible confederacy against Assyria in the far west,

such as was afterwards really formed, would have been of the greatest use to his cause. Equally

natural was it, alike with reference to Assyria and to Hezekiah, that such an intention should not

have been avowed, nor perhaps the possibility of an alliance formally discussed, till the

ambassadors had been able to judge for themselves of the exact state of matters in Jerusalem. And

so they went ostensibly to bring to Hezekiah congratulatory letters on his recovery, and "a

present."* But all parties including Sennacherib on the one side, and the prophet Isaiah on the

other - understood the real object of the embassy.

* In 2 Chronicles 32:31 the ostensible object is stated to have been "to inquire about the wonder

that was done in the land." Such an inquiry as to the real power of the God of Judah would, from

the heathen standpoint, not be inconsistent with the real aim of the mission.

All this fully explains the Biblical narrative. It is not necessary to suppose that the question of a

treaty against Assyria was actually discussed between Hezekiah and the envoys of Merodach -

baladan. Indeed, as this is not stated in Scripture, it seems unlikely that a treaty had been made or

even proposed. In any case, it could not have been carried out, since long before it could have

been acted upon Merodach-baladan was driven away. On the other hand, it seems equally clear

that Hezekiah, however reticent he may have been, secretly favore d the design of the embassy. It

was with this view -- to give practical evidence of his might - that "Hezekiah hearkened* unto

them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices,

and the precious oil, and t he house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures; there was

nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not" (2 Kings 20:13).

* In Isaiah 39:2 we read, "Hezekiah rejoiced." Perhaps this is the better reading.

It was a disingenuous device when Hezekiah, in answer to the questioning of Isaiah, sought to

divert him by a reference to the "far country" whence the ambassadors had come, as if flattering to

Jewish national pride, and implying the acknowledged supremacy of Jehovah's power. Such had

not been the object of the prophet in asking about the country of these strangers. By eliciting that

they had come from Babylon, he would indicate to Hezekiah that his inmost purpose in showing

them all his treasures had been read. But to know it was to pronounce the Divine disapprobation of

any such alliance against Assyria. This explains the severity of the punishment afterwards