Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 20 is a brief PROPHETIC-PERFORMANCE oracle — Isaiah-walks-naked-and-barefoot for-three-years as-a-sign of Egypt-and-Cush's-future-captivity (vv. 2–4). The prophet's-public-symbolic-action is-one-of-the-OT's-most-arresting prophet-as-sign cases. The historical-frame: Sargon-II's-Assyrian-invasion of-Ashdod (711 BCE).
Notable Variants
20:2 ISAIAH-NAKED-AND-BAREFOOT prophetic-sign; 20:3 'three years' duration of-the-sign; the Sargon-Ashdod historical-context (711 BCE).
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 20 = LXX Isaiah 20. 6 verses. PROPHETIC-PERFORMANCE oracle.
In the year that the commander-in-chief came to Ashdod — when Sargon king of Assyria sent him — and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,
'In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it' tracks MT. SARGON — only-OT mention of Sargon-II (722–705 BCE), Assyrian-king. Ashdod-conquest dated 711 BCE.
At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying: "Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
'At that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying: Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet, and he did so, walking naked and barefoot' tracks MT. ISAIAH-NAKED-AND-BAREFOOT. The OT's-most-arresting prophet-sign. The 'naked' (arom) is-likely-loincloth-only rather-than-fully-nude. Three-year-duration.
Then the LORD said: "Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,
'Then the LORD said: As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush' tracks MT.
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush — young and old — naked and barefoot, with buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.
'So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt' tracks MT.
They will be dismayed and put to shame because of Cush, their hope, and because of Egypt, their boast.
'Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast' tracks MT. EGYPT-AS-FALSE-HOPE — Judah's-temptation to-rely on-Egypt rebuked.
The inhabitants of this coastland will say on that day: "Look — this is what happened to those we looked to, where we fled for help, to be delivered from the king of Assyria. How then shall we ourselves escape?"
'And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day: Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?' tracks MT.