This is a cautionary reminder that earthly treasures and power will vanish if pride and disobedience persist.
The prophet Isaiah pronounces a stark warning to King Hezekiah regarding the future of his kingdom when he declares, “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,” says the LORD (v.6). Isaiah, who served as a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah from approximately 740-681 BC, delivers this message after Hezekiah naively showed his treasures to envoys from Babylon. The verse indicates that pride and shortsightedness would lead to the removal of Judah’s wealth and resources to a foreign land.
The location named, Babylon, was a significant empire situated in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), alongside the Euphrates River. While emerging as a powerful empire during Isaiah’s era, Babylon would later reach its peak under rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar II (circa 605-562 BC). The prophecy in this verse looks beyond Hezekiah’s own days to foretell the captivity and deportation of God’s people, culminating in the Babylonian exile about a century later (2 Kings 24-25). In the broader story of Scripture, this exile theme points forward to human captivity under sin, which Jesus later addresses when He proclaims that He came to “proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18).
By revealing that “nothing will be left” (v.6), the LORD underscores the seriousness and completeness of Judah’s forthcoming judgment. Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from approximately 715-686 BC, faced both threats from the Assyrian empire to the north and enticements from Babylon farther east. Ultimately, Isaiah’s words stand as a warning about trusting earthly powers and storing temporal goods, rather than seeking the eternal riches found in wholehearted devotion to the LORD (see Matthew 6:19-21).
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Isaiah 39:6 meaning
The prophet Isaiah pronounces a stark warning to King Hezekiah regarding the future of his kingdom when he declares, “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,” says the LORD (v.6). Isaiah, who served as a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah from approximately 740-681 BC, delivers this message after Hezekiah naively showed his treasures to envoys from Babylon. The verse indicates that pride and shortsightedness would lead to the removal of Judah’s wealth and resources to a foreign land.
The location named, Babylon, was a significant empire situated in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), alongside the Euphrates River. While emerging as a powerful empire during Isaiah’s era, Babylon would later reach its peak under rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar II (circa 605-562 BC). The prophecy in this verse looks beyond Hezekiah’s own days to foretell the captivity and deportation of God’s people, culminating in the Babylonian exile about a century later (2 Kings 24-25). In the broader story of Scripture, this exile theme points forward to human captivity under sin, which Jesus later addresses when He proclaims that He came to “proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18).
By revealing that “nothing will be left” (v.6), the LORD underscores the seriousness and completeness of Judah’s forthcoming judgment. Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from approximately 715-686 BC, faced both threats from the Assyrian empire to the north and enticements from Babylon farther east. Ultimately, Isaiah’s words stand as a warning about trusting earthly powers and storing temporal goods, rather than seeking the eternal riches found in wholehearted devotion to the LORD (see Matthew 6:19-21).