2 Kings 20:17 kjv
Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
2 Kings 20:17 nkjv
'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.
2 Kings 20:17 niv
The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.
2 Kings 20:17 esv
Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.
2 Kings 20:17 nlt
The time is coming when everything in your palace ? all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now ? will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.
2 Kings 20 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 20:18 | '...and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' | Immediate continuation of the prophecy, detailing loss of progeny and service. |
| Isa 39:6 | 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house... will be carried to Babylon...' | Parallel account, highlighting divine certainty. |
| Jer 20:5 | 'Moreover, I will give all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its valuables... into the hand of their enemies.' | Prophecy of Jerusalem's plundering by Babylon through Jeremiah. |
| Jer 25:9 | 'I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations... serve the king of Babylon seventy years.' | Babylon as God's instrument for Judah's punishment. |
| Jer 27:22 | 'They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them,' says the LORD. | Confirms the exile of treasures until God's appointed time. |
| Jer 52:17-19 | Details the Babylonian army breaking down and carrying off the temple treasures to Babylon. | Fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Jerusalem's treasures. |
| 2 Ki 24:13 | And he carried off from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house... | Fulfillment of this prophecy under Jehoiachin. |
| 2 Ki 25:13-17 | Further account of Nebuzaradan removing all precious metals and articles from the temple. | Specific details of temple despoliation by Babylon. |
| Ezra 1:7 | Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away... | Treasures eventually returned after exile, showing God's restorative power. |
| Dan 1:2 | The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. | Early fulfillment and capture of significant items. |
| Isa 30:17 | A thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one... until you are left like a flagpole on the top of a mountain. | Foreshadows complete desolation and abandonment. |
| Lev 26:33 | 'I will scatter you among the nations...' | Early warning of exile and dispersion for disobedience. |
| Deut 28:49-50 | 'The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away... a nation of fierce appearance.' | Prophetic warning of foreign invaders (like Babylon) for covenant breach. |
| Deut 28:52 | 'They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls fall down...' | Description of siege and conquest leading to despoliation. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Proverbial wisdom on the danger of Hezekiah's pride. |
| Isa 5:13 | Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men are hungry, and their multitude parched. | The reason for exile is a lack of understanding and turning from God. |
| Pss 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. | Contrasts God's trustworthy word with reliance on worldly things. |
| Mt 24:35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. | Highlights the eternal certainty and fulfillment of God's prophecies. |
| Acts 13:48 | '...as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.' | God's sovereign plan extends to human destinies, illustrating divine foreknowledge. |
| Ro 11:36 | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. | All events, including judgments, are part of God's ultimate plan and glory. |
| Rev 17:16 | 'And the ten horns that you saw... will make her desolate and naked...' | Future prophecy of divine judgment on world powers. |
| Job 1:21 | 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away...' | Reminder of transient nature of material wealth and God's ultimate ownership. |
| Hag 2:8 | 'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD of hosts. | Emphasizes God's ultimate ownership of all wealth. |
2 Kings 20 verses
2 Kings 20 17 Meaning
This verse is a direct prophecy from the LORD, delivered by the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah of Judah. It foretells the complete plundering of Jerusalem's royal treasury and all accumulated wealth of the kingdom, including that passed down through generations. These treasures, the very ones Hezekiah proudly displayed to the Babylonian envoys, are decreed to be carried away to Babylon, with nothing remaining. This is a divine judgment declared with certainty, indicating a future exile and despoliation due to Hezekiah's pride and potential folly in displaying the kingdom's vulnerability.
2 Kings 20 17 Context
King Hezekiah, after miraculously recovering from a mortal illness and receiving an extension of life, was visited by envoys from Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon. These envoys came ostensibly to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, but likely also to gauge Judah's strength and potentially form an alliance against Assyria, the dominant power at the time. Instead of giving glory to God for his recovery or relying on Him, Hezekiah foolishly displayed all his royal treasures, armories, and personal wealth to the Babylonians. This act was seen as an expression of pride and trust in material possessions and human alliances rather than divine protection. This display also revealed Judah's riches and vulnerabilities to a rising world power that would one day become their oppressor. Immediately after this act of ostentation, the prophet Isaiah confronts Hezekiah with the divine judgment contained in this verse, revealing the exact consequence of his folly: the very wealth he displayed would be taken to Babylon. This judgment shows God's control over historical events and nations, bringing judgment even on His chosen people when they stray.
2 Kings 20 17 Word analysis
- Behold (הִנֵּה, hinnēh): An interjection used to draw attention, signaling an important, often prophetic, declaration or a new development. It emphasizes the certainty and weight of the pronouncement that follows, commanding full attention from the hearer.
- the days are coming (יָמִים בָּאִים, yamim ba'im): This phrase signifies a definite future event. It indicates that the judgment is not immediate but is fixed in the divine plan, highlighting God's foreknowledge and control over future historical developments.
- when all that is in your house (כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתֶךָ, kol asher b'veitekha): Refers to the contents of Hezekiah's royal palace, treasury, and personal chambers. This encompasses not just physical items but all material possessions and riches. The mention of "your house" makes it personal to Hezekiah, linking his specific actions to the consequence.
- and what your fathers have stored up till this day (וַאֲשֶׁר אָצְרוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, va'asher atz'ru avoteikha ad hayom hazzeh): Expands the scope beyond Hezekiah's personal accumulation to the ancestral wealth and heritage of the kingdom, spanning generations of kings. This underscores the total and sweeping nature of the impending loss, affecting not just the present king but the legacy of the Davidic line.
- will be carried (יֻבָּא, yubba): Passive verb, literally "will be brought" or "will be borne." It subtly implies that the action is performed by an external agent, highlighting Judah's helplessness against the coming force. It emphasizes the forced removal of wealth.
- to Babylon (בָּבֶלָה, Babelah): Specifies the precise destination of the treasures, identifying the foreign power that will execute God's judgment. This is strikingly prophetic, as Babylon was at this time a nascent power compared to Assyria, yet God already names it as the future instrument. This detail links the displayed wealth directly to the very nation that Hezekiah sought to impress.
- nothing shall be left (לֹא יִוָּתֵר דָּבָר, lo yivater davar): Emphasizes the utter completeness and finality of the despoliation. Not a single thing, object, or item will remain. This conveys the severity of the judgment and the thoroughness of the plunder.
- ’says the LORD (נְאֻם יְהוָה, n'um YHWH): This is a prophetic formula, authenticating the message as a direct oracle from God (Yahweh). It underscores the divine authority, certainty, and irrevocability of the prophecy, leaving no doubt that this is God's decree, not Isaiah's opinion or prediction.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Behold, the days are coming": This opening phrase sets a solemn, prophetic tone. It is a formal declaration from God, signifying a future event that is predetermined and certain. It calls the audience to pay serious attention to an unalterable divine decree.
- "all that is in your house, and what your fathers have stored up till this day": This group highlights the comprehensive nature of the judgment. It encompasses both personal accumulated wealth and the inherited royal treasures of the kingdom's history, emphasizing that nothing valuable—past or present—will be spared from the impending loss. It contrasts the displayed pride with the total despoilment.
- "will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left": This segment clearly states the method of judgment (forcible removal), the specific agent (Babylon), and the outcome (complete emptiness). It directly connects the kingdom's treasures to their predestined capture by the very power Hezekiah attempted to impress, revealing the irony and futility of relying on worldly alliances and material wealth.
- "says the LORD": This conclusive phrase asserts the ultimate source and authority of the prophecy. It grounds the entire declaration in the sovereignty and faithfulness of God, who foresees and directs historical events, ensuring His word is always fulfilled, whether in judgment or blessing.
2 Kings 20 17 Bonus section
- The incident highlights the subtle sin of pride even in an otherwise righteous king like Hezekiah. His failure here, especially after such a profound act of divine mercy (healing and extended life), demonstrates the persistent human temptation to glory in oneself or one's possessions rather than in the Lord.
- This specific prophecy regarding "all that is in your house" complements the prophecy concerning Hezekiah's descendants in the very next verse (2 Kings 20:18), where his own sons would be taken as eunuchs to serve in Babylon. Together, they signify a total national despoliation: material, human, and dynastic.
- The warning here can be seen as a polemic against placing trust in accumulated wealth or seeking worldly glory rather than reverencing God alone. Hezekiah's showing off directly brought about the very judgment prophesied, showcasing the futility of human endeavors apart from God's favor.
- This account underscores a core biblical theme: God's word is living, active, and unerringly fulfilled, even over generations. The prophecy in Hezekiah's time (c. 700 BC) was fulfilled primarily with the three deportations to Babylon (605 BC, 597 BC, 586 BC), demonstrating God's patience alongside His certainty.
2 Kings 20 17 Commentary
2 Kings 20:17 encapsulates a pivotal moment where Hezekiah's human pride and misplaced trust directly encounter divine prophecy of judgment. His display of wealth to the Babylonian envoys, born out of a desire for recognition or perhaps alliance, ironically marks Judah for the very despoliation it hoped to avoid or to showcase its strength. God's message through Isaiah immediately links this specific act of self-reliance and exhibitionism to the exact consequence: the plunder of his and his forefathers' treasures by the rising Babylonian power. This is not merely a prediction but a divinely ordained consequence, demonstrating God's sovereign control over history and His just response to the turning away of His people. The specificity of "Babylon" (when Assyria was still dominant) further testifies to God's unparalleled foreknowledge. The verse underscores that reliance on earthly riches and alliances leads to their loss, contrasting with the security found only in trusting God alone. This prophetic word found clear fulfillment decades later in the Babylonian exiles and the comprehensive looting of Jerusalem's temple and royal treasures under Nebuchadnezzar.