4757. Merodak Baladan

Lexical Summary

Merodak Baladan: Merodach-Baladan

Original Word: מְרא דַךְ בַּלְאָדָן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Mro'dak Bal'adan
Pronunciation: meh-roh-DAHK bah-lah-DAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (mer-o-dak' bal-aw-dawn')
KJV: Merodach-baladan
NASB: Merodach-baladan
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. Merodak-Baladan, a Babylonian king

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Merodach-baladan

Of foreign derivation; Merodak-Baladan, a Babylonian king -- Merodach-baladan. Compare Mrodak.

see HEBREW Mrodak

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a king of Bab. (the same as NH1255)
NASB Translation
Merodach-baladan (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מְרֹדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן proper name, masculine king of Babylon (Assyrian Marduk-abal-idinna, Marduk has given a son Schr^{COT 2 Kings 20:12}); — Isaiah 39:1 (> van d. H מְראֹדַךְ ׳ב, see Baer's note) = 2 Kings 20:12 (where read מרדך for בראדך); ᵐ5 (in both) Μαρωδακ(χ) Βαλ(α)δαν; compare also בַּלְאֲדָן,

Topical Lexicon

Name and Identity

Merodach-baladan, son of Baladan, was a Chaldean ruler who twice seized the throne of Babylon during the eighth century BC. His composite name links him to the Babylonian deity Marduk and identifies him as a political figure whose ambitions reached beyond Mesopotamia into the affairs of Judah.

Biblical Occurrence

The spelling represented by Strong’s H4757 appears once—Isaiah 39:1. Parallel accounts employ an alternate orthography (2 Kings 20:12; compare 2 Chronicles 32:31). Together these passages describe the embassy he sent to King Hezekiah after the Judean monarch’s miraculous recovery:

“At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about his illness and recovery.” (Isaiah 39:1)

Historical Context

• Assyrian Pressure: Merodach-baladan came to power in 721 BC amid Assyria’s dominance, was expelled in 710 BC, briefly regained the throne in 703 BC, and was finally deposed in 702 BC.
• Diplomatic Strategy: Seeking allies against Assyria, he cultivated relationships with western states. Judah, recently delivered from Sennacherib’s invasion and flush with tribute gained from Philistine victory, appeared a promising partner.
• Chronological Intersection: Hezekiah’s illness occurred in the wider frame of Assyrian campaigns (2 Kings 18–19), making the Babylonian overture both timely and politically calculated.

Motives for the Embassy to Hezekiah

1. Military Alliance: Babylon needed strategic partners to form an anti-Assyrian coalition.
2. Intelligence Gathering: The envoys inspected “all that was in his house” (Isaiah 39:2), providing Babylon with economic and military data.
3. Religious Diplomacy: A gift following recovery suggested goodwill while subtly invoking favor from Judah’s God, Whose power had just been displayed.

Prophetic Consequences

Isaiah discerned pride and misplaced trust in Hezekiah’s ostentatious reception. The prophet declared:

“Behold, the days are coming when everything in your palace… will be carried off to Babylon.” (Isaiah 39:6)

Thus the embassy became the occasion for the first explicit prophecy that Judah’s treasures and royal offspring would go into Babylonian exile, a forewarning fulfilled more than a century later (2 Kings 24–25).

Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration

Cuneiform texts identify Marduk-apla-iddina II (the Akkadian form of the name) and confirm two Babylonian reigns, his conflict with Sargon II and Sennacherib, and his flight to Elam—details harmonious with the Scriptural presentation of a restless, anti-Assyrian claimant.

Theological Significance

• Sovereignty of God: Even Babylon’s overtures serve divine purposes, setting the stage for later judgment and restoration.
• Pride versus Dependence: Hezekiah’s lapse illustrates how prosperity can dull spiritual vigilance (Proverbs 16:18).
• Foreshadowing Captivity: The episode introduces Babylon as the future instrument of discipline, highlighting the consistency of prophetic warning from Isaiah to Jeremiah and Daniel.

Practical Lessons

1. Discern Worldly Flattery: God’s people must evaluate political offers through spiritual discernment rather than national pride.
2. Guard the Stewardship of Blessings: Material prosperity should prompt thanksgiving and humility, not display.
3. Trust in the Lord Alone: Alliances, however advantageous, cannot replace reliance on divine protection (Psalm 20:7).

Key References

Isaiah 39:1–8; 2 Kings 20:12–19; 2 Chronicles 32:31

Forms and Transliterations

בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בלאדן bal’ăḏān bal·’ă·ḏān Baladon

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 39:1
HEB: שָׁלַ֡ח מְרֹדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָן בֶּֽן־ בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן
NAS: At that time Merodach-baladan son
KJV: At that time Merodachbaladan, the son
INT: he sent Merodach-baladan son of Baladan

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4757
1 Occurrence

bal·’ă·ḏān — 1 Occ.