The Father of Babylon’s Deceptive Diplomacy
The name Baladan appears in the biblical record only as a patronym—the name of the father of a far more famous and influential Babylonian king. He is identified as the father of Merodach-Baladan, who sent a delegation to King Hezekiah of Judah during a critical moment of national vulnerability.
The name Baladan itself is a Babylonian royal name, likely meaning “He (the god Marduk) has given a son.” His importance lies entirely in the strategic and prophetic consequences that followed his son’s seemingly innocent embassy.
The Occasion of the Visit
Baladan’s son, Merodach-Baladan, was the king of Babylon—a powerful Chaldean who was a constant enemy and rival of the dominant Assyrian Empire. The Bible records that he sent letters and a gift to King Hezekiah after hearing of Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery from a terminal illness (a recovery accompanied by the shadow moving back ten degrees on the sun-dial, 2 Kings 20:8-11, KJV).
Baladan is mentioned by name in both the Book of Kings and the Book of Isaiah when detailing this pivotal event:
2 Kings 20:12 (KJV): “At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.”
The visit, ostensibly an act of goodwill and congratulation, was, in reality, a political probe. Merodach-Baladan sought to form a military alliance with the powerful, recently blessed King of Judah to resist the common enemy, Assyria.
Hezekiah’s Fatal Flaw
King Hezekiah, in a lapse of faith and judgment, allowed his pride to overshadow his trust in the LORD. To impress his powerful Babylonian visitors and showcase his potential as an ally, Hezekiah showed them the entire wealth and military might of his kingdom:
2 Kings 20:13 (KJV): “And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices… there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.”
Hezekiah displayed all that God had miraculously preserved from the hand of the Assyrians, revealing his resources to the very power that God would later use as the instrument of Judah’s downfall.
The Prophecy of Judgment
The prophet Isaiah immediately confronted Hezekiah, delivering a devastating prophecy that directly implicated the king who was the son of Baladan. The very treasures shown to Babylon would one day be carried away by Babylon.
2 Kings 20:17-18 (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. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee… shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
This prophecy seals the theological significance of Baladan’s son. The seemingly friendly visit from Babylon was the moment of temptation and pride that foretold the Babylonian Captivity—the greatest national catastrophe for the people of God.
The Defence of Trust
Baladan, the father, remains a shadowy figure, yet his name is forever linked to the fatal moment of Judah’s compromise. The lesson for the “Defence of the Truth” is clear and prophetic:
- Beware of Worldly Alliances: The visit from the son of Baladan represents the temptation to seek powerful, worldly alliances based on human wisdom rather than relying solely on the miraculous power of God (which Hezekiah had just witnessed).
- Guard the Treasures of Faith: Hezekiah’s mistake was showing his treasures—the wealth and blessings God had given him—to those who had no right to them. In the last days, the Church must guard its true spiritual treasures (the truth of the Gospel and the purity of doctrine) and not expose them to the scrutiny of the world for the sake of political or popular favor.
The eventual captivity foretold by Isaiah proves that earthly alliances with the world system, even those that seem helpful, often lead to the loss of our greatest blessings.