Isaiah 39:3
New International Version
Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me 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.”

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?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me 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 to me from a distant land,” Hezekiah replied, “from Babylon.”

King James 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, They are come from a far country unto me, 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 to me 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 did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

NASB 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 to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

NASB 1977
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 to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

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 to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

Amplified Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did these men say? From where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say, and where did they come to you from? ” Hezekiah replied, “They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.”

Holman 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?” Hezekiah replied, “They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.”

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 unto me, even from Babylon.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Eshaiya the Prophet came to Hezekiah the King and said to him: “What did these men say to you, and from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said: “From the distant land of Babel they came to me”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Esaias the prophet came to king Ezekias, and said to him, What say these men? and whence came they to thee? and Ezekias said, They are come to me from a land afar off, from Babylon.

Contemporary English Version
I asked Hezekiah, "Where did these men come from? What did they want?" "They came all the way from Babylonia," Hezekiah answered.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Isaias the prophet came to king Ezechias, and said to him: What said these men, and from whence came they to thee? And Ezechias said: From a far country they came to me, 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 unto me, even from Babylon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did these men say? And where did they come from?" Hezekiah answered, "They came to me from the distant country of Babylon."

Good News Translation
Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, "Where did these messengers come from and what did they say to you?" Hezekiah answered, "They came from a very distant country, from Babylonia."

International Standard Version
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did these men have to say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah replied, "From a distant land—they came to me from Babylon."

JPS Tanakh 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 unto me, even from Babylon.'

Literal Standard Version
And Isaiah the prophet comes to King Hezekiah and says to him, “What did these men say? And from where do they come to you?” And Hezekiah says, “They have come to me from a far-off land—from Babylon.”

Majority 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 to me from a distant land,” Hezekiah replied, “from Babylon.”

New American Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say to you? Where did they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They came to me from a distant land, from Babylon.”

NET Bible
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."

New Revised Standard Version
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 to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

New Heart English Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah, and asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come from a country far from me, 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 to me from a far country, even from Babylon.

World English Bible
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and asked him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a country far from me, even 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 unto me -- from Babylon.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hezekiah Shows His Treasures
2And Hezekiah welcomed the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his entire armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 3Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” “They came to me from a distant land,” Hezekiah replied, “from Babylon.” 4“What have they seen in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They have seen everything in my palace,” answered Hezekiah. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle--a nation whose language you will not understand,

2 Samuel 12:1
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, "There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

2 Chronicles 16:7
At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

Isaiah 39:4
"What have they seen in your palace?" Isaiah asked. "They have seen everything in my palace," answered Hezekiah. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them."

Jeremiah 4:16
Warn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: "A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.

Jeremiah 5:15
Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. "It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.

Jeremiah 8:19
Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?" "Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?"


Treasury of Scripture

Then came Isaiah the prophet to king Hezekiah, and said to him, What said these men? and from where came they to you? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country to me, even from Babylon.

came Isaiah

Isaiah 38:1,5
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live…

2 Samuel 12:1
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 Kings 20:14,15
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…

they are

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

Joshua 9:6,9
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us…

Jeremiah 5:15
Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

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Isaiah 39
1. Merodach-baladan, sending to visit Hezekiah, has notice of his treasures.
3. Isaiah, understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity.














(3) Then came Isaiah . . .--The words that follow, like those in Isaiah 7:3, are spoken with the authority at once of age and of a Divine mission, perhaps also of a master speaking to one who had been his pupil. No sooner does the arrival of the embassy from Babylon reach his ear than he goes straight to the king to ask him what it all meant. The king's answer seems to plead that they came "from a far country" as an excuse. Could he refuse to admit those who had taken so long a journey in his honour? Could intercourse with a land so distant bring any moral or political danger? It was not like the alliance with Egypt, to which Isaiah was so strenuously opposed.

Verse 3. - Then came Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah comes, unsent for, to rebuke the king (comp. 2 Samuel 12:1-12; 2 Samuel 24:11-14; 1 Kings 12:22-24; 1 Kings 13:2-5; 2 Chronicles 12:5-8; 2 Chronicles 16:7-9; 2 Chronicles 19:2, 3, etc.). This bold attitude was one which prophets were entitled to take by virtue of their office, which called upon them to bear testimony, even before kings, and to have no respect of persons. A similar fearlessness is apparent in Isaiah 7:1-17, where the king with whom Isaiah has to deal was the wicked Ahaz. What said these men? "These men" is contemptuous. The demand to know what they said is almost without parallel. Diplomacy, if it is to be successful, must be secret; and Isaiah can scarcely have been surprised that his searching question received no answer. But he was zealous of God's honour, and anxious that Hezekiah should rely on no "arm of flesh," whether it were Egypt or Babylon. Such dependence would straiten God's arm, and prevent him from giving the aid that he was otherwise prepared to give. The desire of the prophet is to warn the king of the danger which he runs by coquetting with human helpers. From whence came they? Isaiah does not ask this question for the sake of information, Doubtless all Jerusalem was agog to see the strange envoys "from a far country," who had now for the first time penetrated to the city of David. All knew whence they had come, and suspected why. Isaiah asks, to force the king to a confession, on which he may base a prophecy and a warning. And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country. Embassies from distant lands to their courts are made a con-slant subject of boasting by the Assyrian monarchs (see 'Records of the Past,' vol. 1. pp. 28, 68, 95; vol. 7. pp. 49, 51, etc.). Hezekiah, perhaps, is "lifted up" (2 Chronicles 32:25) by the honour paid him, and intends to impress Isaiah with a sense of his greatness - "The men are come all the way from Babylon to see me!"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the prophet
הַנָּבִ֔יא (han·nā·ḇî)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

Isaiah
יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ (yə·ša‘·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3470: Isaiah -- 'salvation of Yah', four Israelites

went
וַיָּבֹא֙ (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

King
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Hezekiah
חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ (ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

and asked,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“From where
וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ (ū·mê·’a·yin)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 370: Whence?

did those [men]
הָאֵ֗לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

come,
יָבֹ֣אוּ (yā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and what
מָ֥ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

did they say
אָמְר֣וּ ׀ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to you?”
אֵלָ֜יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“They came
בָּ֥אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to me
אֵלַ֖י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

from
אֵלֶ֔יךָ (’ê·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

a distant
רְחוֹקָ֛ה (rə·ḥō·w·qāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

land,”
מֵאֶ֧רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

Hezekiah
חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

replied,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“from Babylon.”
מִבָּבֶֽל׃ (mib·bā·ḇel)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 39:3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to king (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 39:2
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