Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for II Kings 20:12

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡יא שָׁלַ֡ח בְּרֹאדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֔ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה חִזְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent a letter and a present unto Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

From David to Destruction

Overambition
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Rashi on II Kings

For he heard that Chizkiyohu was ill. And until that day no person who had ever been ill, had become well. Now, how did he hear? He was accustomed to eat after three hours [had elapsed] in the day, and he would sleep until the ninth [hour of the day]. Because the cycle of the sun had gone backwards on account of Chizkiyohu, he awoke after nine hours [of the day] and found that it was morning, and he wanted to kill his servants. He said, ”You let me sleep a day and a night!” They replied, “The sun's cycle went backwards.” He asked them, “Who brought it back?” They said to him, “The God of Chizkiyohu,”11He then sent messengers to inquire about this great event and eventually heard about Chizkiyohu's miraculous cure. See Maseches Sanhedrin 96a. as is [stated] in Pesikta.
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