Merodach-baladan ruled Babylon from 721 to 710 BC until Sargon of Assyria forced him to flee. He briefly ruled again in 703 BC. This visit likely happened during his exile; he probably sent envoys with good wishes and a gift because he needed an ally against Assyria.
There was nothing … Hezekiah did not show them: Hezekiah showed the Babylonian envoys his vast treasuries, which had not yet been sent to Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13–16). However, his attempt to impress them was unwise (2 Kings 20:16–18).