Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Isaiah 39:1

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡וא שָׁלַ֡ח מְרֹדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק׃

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

Rashi on Isaiah

when he heard that he had been ill and had recovered He was accustomed to eating after the first three hours of the day had elapsed and he would sleep until the ninth hour. Since the sphere of the sun had gone backwards because of Hezekiah, he awoke from his sleep after nine hours and found that it was morning. He sought to kill all his servants. He said, “You let me sleep a day and a night until morning!” They said to him, “It was the sphere of the sun that went backwards.” He said to them, “Who brought it back?” They said to him, “The God of Hezekiah, etc.” As is stated in Tanhuma (Ki Thissa 5) and in Pesikta (d’ Rav Kahana p. 14a).
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