Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 20:3
And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years [for] a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
Like as – That is, as Isaiah has gone stripped of his special garment as a prophet, so shall the Egyptians and Ethiopians be stripped of all that they value, and be carried captive into Assyria.
Hath walked … three years – A great deal of difficulty has been felt in the interpretation of this place, from the strong improbability that Isaiah should have gone in this manner for a space of time so long as our translation expresses. The Septuagint renders this, As my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years, three years shall be for signs and wonders to the Egyptians and Ethiopians. The phrase in the Hebrew, three years, may either be taken in connection with the preceding part of the sentence, as in our translation, meaning that he actually walked so long; or it may be taken with that which follows, and then it will denote that he was a sign and wonder with reference to the captivity of the Egyptians and Ethiopians; and that by this symbolic action he in some way indicated that they would be carried away captive for that space of time; or, as Aben Ezra and Abarbanel suppose, that he signified that their captivity would commence after three years. Lowth supposes that it means that his walking was for three days, and that the Hebrew text bas been corrupted. Vitringa also seems to suppose that this is possible, and that a day was a symbolic sign for a year. Rosenmuller supposes that this prophetic action was continued during three years at intervals, so that the subject might be kept before the mind of the people. But the supposition that this means that the symbolic action of walking naked and barefoot continued for so long a time in any manner, is highly improbable.
(1) The Hebrew does not necessarily require it. It may mean simply that his actions were a sign and wonder with reference to a three years captivity of the Egyptians.
(2) It is in itself improbable that he should so long a time walk about Jerusalem expressly as a sign and wonder, when a much shorter period would have answered the purpose as well.
(3) Such a sign would have hardly met the circumstances of the case. Asdod was taken. The Assyrian king was advancing.
The Jews were in consternation and looking to Egypt for help; and amidst this agitation and alarm, there is the highest improbability that Isaiah would be required to remain a sign and wonder for the long space of three years, when decided action was needed, and when, unless prevented, the Jews would have formed a speedy alliance with the Egyptians. I suppose, therefore, that the entire sense of the phrase will be expressed by translating it, my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot, a three years sign and wonder; that is, a sign and indication that a three years calamity would come upon Egypt and Ethiopia. Whether this means that the calamity would commence in three years from that time, or that it should continue three years, perhaps we cannot determine. Grotius thinks that it means that it would occur after three years; that is, that the war between the Assyrians and Ethiopians would continue during that time only. In what manner Isaiah indicated this, is not certainly known. The conjecture of Lowth is not improbable, that it was by appearing three days naked and barefoot, and that each day denoted a year. Or it may have been that he appeared in this manner for a short period – though but once – and declared that this was the design or purport of the action.
Upon Egypt … – With reference to; or as a sign in regard to Egypt. It does not mean that he was in Egypt, but that his action had reference to Egypt.
And Ethiopia – Hebrew, kush – (see the note at Isa 11:11). Whether this denotes the African Cush or Ethiopia, or whether it refers to the Cush in Arabia, cannot be determined. The latter is the more probable supposition, as it is scarcely probable that the Assyrian would extend his conquests south of Egypt so as to subdue the African Ethiopia. Probably his conquest embraced the Cush that was situated in the southern regions of Arabia.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Walked naked and barefoot three years; not constantly, but when he went abroad among the people, to whom this was appointed for a sign. Some think it was only three days, a day being usually put for a year in prophetical scriptures, as Num 14:33,34; Eze 4:4-6. But although a day be put for a year, yet a year is never put for a day.
A sign; either,
1. When this judgment should come, to wit, three years after this prophecy. Or,
2. How long it should continue, for three years; for some have observed that the Chaldeans spent so much time in conquering Egypt and Ethiopia.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. three yearsIsaiah’ssymbolical action did not continue all this time, but atintervals, to keep it before the people’s mind during that period[ROSENMULLER]. Rather,join “three years” with “sign,” a three years’sign, that is, a sign that a three years’ calamity would come onEgypt and Ethiopia [BARNES],(Isa 8:18). This is the onlyinstance of a strictly symbolical act performed by Isaiah. With laterprophets, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, such acts were common. In somecases they were performed, not literally, but only in propheticvision.
wonderrather, “omen”;conveying a threat as to the future [G. V. SMITH].
uponin reference to,against.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord said,…. Here follows the explanation of the sign, and the accommodation of it to the thing signified by it:
like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot; not wholly naked, for that would have been very indecent and dangerous indeed; but without his upper garment, as Saul, 1Sa 19:24 and David, 2Sa 6:14 or with rent and ragged clothes, and old shoes, as Jarchi k interprets it, and which might be only when he appeared abroad; and how long he thus walked is not certain, whether only one day, as some, or three days, as others, or three years, which is not said, though our version inclines to it; but the three years next mentioned are not to be joined to Isaiah’s walking, but to the thing signified by it; for the accent “athnach” is at the word which is rendered “barefoot”, and distinguishes this clause from the following. The Septuagint indeed puts the phrase “three years” into both clauses, but it only belongs to the latter:
three years [for] a sign and wonder upon Egypt, and upon Ethiopia; that is, the prophet’s walking naked and barefoot was a sign that three years after this Egypt and Ethiopia should be subdued by the Assyrians; or, that so long he should be in subduing them, or their calamities should last such a term of time. This sign was only seen by the Jews, for whose sake chiefly this prophecy was, to take off their dependence on the above nations; though probably this might be made known to the Egyptians and Ethiopians.
k T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 77. 1. & Sabbat, fol. 114. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It is not till Isaiah has carried out the divine instructions, that he learns the reason for this command to strip himself, and the length of time that he is to continue so stripped. “And Jehovah said, As my servant Yesha’yahu goeth naked and barefooted, a sign and type for three years long over Egypt and over Ethiopia, so will the king of Asshur carry away the prisoners of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, children and old men, naked and barefooted, and with their seat uncovered – a shame to Egypt.” The expression “as he goeth” ( c a’asher halac ) stands here at the commencement of the symbolical action, but it is introduced as if with a retrospective glance at its duration for three years, unless indeed the preterite halac stands here, as it frequently does, to express what has already commenced, and is still continuing and customary (compare, for example, Job 1:4 and Psa 1:1). The strange and unseemly dress of the prophet, whenever he appeared in his official capacity for three whole years, was a prediction of the fall of the Egypto-Ethiopian kingdom, which was to take place at the end of these three years. Egypt and Ethiopia are as closely connected here as Israel and Judah in Isa 11:12. They were at that time one kingdom, so that the shame of Egypt was the shame of Ethiopia also. Ervah is a shameful nakedness, and ervath Mitzrayim is in apposition to all that precedes it in Isa 20:4. Sheth is the seat or hinder part, as in 2Sa 10:4, from shathah , to set or seat; it is a substantive form, like , , , , with the third radical letter dropt. Chashuphay has the same ay as the words in Isa 19:9; Jdg 5:15; Jer 22:14, which can hardly be regarded as constructive forms, as Ewald, Knobel, and Gesenius suppose (although of the construct has arisen from ), but rather as a singular form with a collective signification. The emendations suggested, viz., c hasuphe by Olshausen, and c hasuph with a connecting i by Meier, are quite unnecessary.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. Three years. Why for such a period? Because that was the time granted to the Egyptians and Ethiopians, during which the Lord gave them a truce for repentance, and at the same time wished to make trial of the obedience of his people, that without delay they might relinquish unlawful aid, and that, though the Egyptians and Ethiopians appeared to be secure, they might know that they were not far from ruin. The Lord intended also to expose the rebellion of wicked men; for undoubtedly many persons made an open display of their impiety when they despised the nakedness of the prophet, and the godly, on the other hand, moved by the sight of his nakedness, though the prosperity of the Ethiopians was delightfully attractive, still did not hesitate to fix their attention on the word. What they were bound to consider was not the nakedness itself, but the mark which the Lord had put upon it; in the same manner as, in the visible sacraments, we ought to behold those things which are invisible.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) For a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia.Apparently Isaiah prophesied in act, but in silence, and did not unfold the meaning of the symbol till the three years came to an end. There are no adequate grounds for limiting his dramatic action to a single day or three days. Egypt and Ethiopia are, as in Isaiah 18, 19, closely connected, both countries being under a king of Ethiopian origin, Sabaco.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Like as my servant “My servant” was a term of honour applied to Abraham, Job, Moses, David; afterward to regenerate Israel; then to Messiah, in the latter chapters of this book.
Walked barefoot three years This time of Isaiah’s imposed extra humiliation on public occasions, was intended as an impressive portending spectacle before the people.
For a sign and wonder Especially in relation to Egypt and Ethiopia, on which the people of Judah relied for defence, whenever Assyria’s armies, moving Egyptward, should also menace Jerusalem.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Yahweh said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years, for a sign and a wonder on Egypt and on Cush, so will the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered to the shame (‘nakedness’) of Egypt.”
Then at the end of the three years of this continual and remarkable sign came the startling explanation. It was Egypt and not Ashdod at whom the sign pointed. Isaiah’s action was to be a sign of what was eventually going to happen to Egypt and Cush. They would be totally defeated and humiliated. This demonstrated that Egypt could never be trusted to act as deliverer because she too would eventually need a deliverer. For both Egyptians and Cushites would be taken into captivity, and walk naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, a particular shame to the sophisticated Egyptians. They would be humiliated and shamed.
This sign and wonder would find fulfilment, firstly after the Battle of Eltekeh (in Palestine) in around 701 BC when Egyptian and Cushite captives would be taken and treated in this way, and then nearly fifty years later when Egypt was invaded, first by Esarhaddon who captured Memphis in the north and established Assyrian rule in the areas around, and then by Ashurbanipal who sacked Thebes in the south. The Cushite dynasty was defeated, and captives young and old would be led away never to return again.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Isa 20:3. Three years for a sign. A three years’ sign. The meaning seems to be, not that Isaiah walked three years naked and barefooted, but that he walked naked and barefoot for a sign of what should happen three years afterwards.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
It was gracious in the Lord, to explain the meaning of this typical representation, that no misapplication might be made of it. And while the lesson tended to humble both nations, Egypt and Ethiopia, as the Lord designed it; the Lord’s mercy to his people Israel, was the more signally displayed. Surely Israel might learn therefrom, how unsuitable an arm of flesh must be to support them, when a whole nation was thus led into captivity itself. Reader! the same lesson is in force even now; whew shall we look for aid in the hour of necessity, but to the Lord our righteousness? Truly in vain, saith the prophet, is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel; Jer 3:23 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years [for] a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
Ver. 3. Like as my servant Isaiah. ] Servants are either menial or magisterial. Prophets and preachers are of this latter sort.
Hath walked naked and barefoot three years,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sign and wonder. Reference to Pentateuch, (see note on Isa 7:11 with Isa 8:18), and App-92.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 20:3-6
Isa 20:3-4
“And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia; so shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt.”
Here again we have an example of God’s built-in proof of the prior existence of predictive prophecies. Even the wildest imagination cannot suppose that Isaiah was commanded to do a thing like that indicated here after the event prophesied had already taken place. See the note at the end of Isaiah 19.
Regarding the reason behind God’s purpose in this chapter, it was pointed out by Rawlinson that, “Isaiah’s mission was to discourage Judea’s joining Ashdod (and her Egyptian allies) in their war against Sargon. In order to do this, “For a full three years prior to the fall of Ashdod, the prophet was a walking symbol of utter humiliation and destitution in the streets of Jerusalem.
There were overtones of this spectacle (Isaiah’s walking naked and barefoot) that pointed to a similar fate for Judah; but that would not come from the Assyrians, but from the Babylonians. Therefore, this oracle is clearly stated to apply to the united power of Ethiopia-Egypt.
Isaiah seems to have been successful in persuading Judah to avoid taking sides with Ethiopia-Egypt, because there is no record that Sargon attacked Jerusalem. That came later in the reign of Sennacherib his son.
The prophecy regarding the carrying away of captives from Ethiopia and Egypt was fulfilled in the tremendous overthrow of the coalition by Ashurbanipal in 663 when No-amon (the same as Thebes) was brutally destroyed and large numbers of captives deported. The prophecy of Nahum has a remarkably graphic account of this crucial victory of Assyria against Egypt and Ethiopia.
Note the words, “buttocks uncovered” in Isa 20:4. Jamieson declares that, “Captives are found depicted thus on Egyptian monuments.
Of all the ancient powers, the Assyrians were the most sadistically cruel. They were generally called “The Breakers”; and their horrible treatment of prisoners taken in war is fairly represented by Isaiah’s prophecy. The Babylonians do not seem to have been as cruel; therefore, although it was in God’s plan for Judah also to go into captivity, it was a great mercy that God’s providence sent them to Babylon and not to Nineveh. The failure of any of the Northern Israel to return from captivity was probably due directly to the fatal treatment of prisoners.
Isa 20:5
“And they shall be dismayed and confounded, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.”
Even in Nahum’s account of the fall of Egypt in the siege of No-amon, the alliance with Ethiopia was mentioned as one of the bulwarks upon which the doomed nation relied in vain for victory (Nah 3:9).
One of the significant things not previously noted in this chapter is God’s reference to Isaiah as “my servant” in Isa 20:3. “Isaiah shares this honorable title with a select few of God’s saints: (1) Abraham (Gen 26:24); (2) Moses (Num 12:7); (3) Caleb (Num 14:24); (4) Job (Job 1:8; Job 42:7-8; (5) Eliakim (Isa 22:20); and (6) Zerrubbabel (Hag 2:23). What an honor it is for any mortal to be recognized as one who is actually serving God!
Isa 20:6
“And the inhabitant of this coast-land shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and we, how shall we escape.”
Here is the Lord’s prophecy through Isaiah of what the people of Judah shall say when they see what is going to happen to Ashdod. To paraphrase: Now, just look at what has happened to the powers we thought might be able to help us; where shall we turn for help? Judah’s only hope was the Lord; and thanks to Isaiah’s prophecies, they, at last, trusted God and were delivered from the cruel Assyrians in 701 B.C. when God put the hook in the nose of Sennacherib and dragged him back to Nineveh.
Isa 20:3-6 SIGNIFICATION: The defeat of Ashdod and Isaiahs humiliating appearance were to signify to the inhabitants of Palestine (the Jews) that Assyria was about to defeat Egypt and Ethiopia and that only mourning and shame would come to the Jews should they continue to hope in their alliances with them. Evidently the people of Judah had been solidifying political and economic alliances with Egypt against Assyria for years (2Ki 18:21). But they had also been making alliances with Assyria against Syria and Israel (Cf. 2Ki 16:8 ff). They tried to play both ends against the middle. Egypt and Ethiopia, in whom the people of Judah had built such high hopes will be openly reduced to impotency, disgrace and shame. Egyptians and Ethiopians, whose glory and power had continued for centuries, would be taken captive and exiled, and all of them will be stripped of their outer garment and be barefoot, as was proverbially the case with captives and exiles. Those too young and too old for military service will be taken as well. Some will be stripped even of their undergarment (leaving perhaps some kind of loin cloth) so that they went with buttocks uncovered-involving the highest measure of disgrace for this once proud and arrogant people. This took several decades to see its fulfillment, but it did come to pass.
All this is to make the people of Judah dramatically aware of the folly of placing any trust in Egypt and Ethiopia as a protection from Assyria. The Egyptians are men, and not God; (Cf. Isa 31:3). But what success did Isaiah have? Whatever it was it was only temporary for we find a very strong and pervasive movement in Judah for Egyptian alliance in Jeremiahs day (Cf. Jer 44:24-30). The people of Judah put so much reliance on Egypt and Ethiopia on account of their armies and horses and chariots. Judah took no account of the fact that it is righteousness, truth and justice that makes a nation strong. These are the inner strengths of societal structure that protect nations against their worst enemies-themselves.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
three: Num 14:34, Eze 4:5, Eze 4:6, Rev 11:2, Rev 11:3
a sign: Isa 8:18
upon Egypt: Isa 18:1-7
Reciprocal: 1Ki 20:35 – Smite me Eze 4:3 – This Eze 24:24 – Ezekiel Eze 30:6 – They also Eze 30:9 – messengers Hos 1:2 – Go Zec 3:8 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 20:3-6. And the Lord Who here explains and applies the sign, said, Like as my servant hath walked naked, &c., three years Not constantly, but when he went abroad among the people, to whom this was appointed to be a sign. Bishop Lowth says, probably three days, to show, that within three years the Egyptians and Ethiopians should be conquered and made captives by the king of Assyria, and be in the same condition, and that the town should be taken. But it is objected, that although a day is usually put for a year in the prophetic scriptures, a year is never put for a day. The former interpretation, therefore, is more probable. For a sign and wonder, &c. Either when this judgment should come, namely, three years after this prophecy was thus uttered, or how long it should continue, namely, for three years: for some have observed, that the Assyrians spent so much time in conquering Egypt and Ethiopia. So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians Like beasts, as is commonly used. And they shall be afraid and ashamed Namely, all they that shall trust to them, and glory in them. In which words, we have the consequence of the divine judgment upon the Egyptians and Ethiopians, and the scope of the prophecy, namely, to convince the inhabitants of Palestine, and among these some factious persons in Jerusalem, of the vanity of the confidence they placed in them; for when they should see the completion of this prophecy, they should then condemn their own folly for placing their expectations on so feeble a defence. The inhabitant of this isle Of this land, in which the prophet was, and to whose inhabitants these words were uttered. For the name of isles, or islands, is frequently given in Scripture, not only to lands encompassed with the sea, but also to such countries as were on the sea- coast, as Palestine or Canaan was. Shall say, Behold, such is our expectation So vain is our hope, placed upon such a people as are unable to deliver themselves, and much more to deliver us: whither we flee for help To whom we now and usually trust: and how shall we escape Either by their help, who cannot defend themselves, or by our own strength, seeing they, who were much more potent than we are, could not escape?
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
For three years, Isaiah appeared in public as God had instructed him, to portray the condition of the Egyptian and Cushite captives that the Assyrians would take in reprisal for stirring up trouble. A Cushite dynasty was in power in Egypt at this time, which accounts for the prominence of Cush in this prophecy. During those three years, Isaiah’s observers doubtless concluded that his condition represented the fate of the people of Ashdod. At the end of three years, God told Isaiah to explain the significance of his strange behavior. That he had portrayed the Egyptians and Cushites, and not the people of Ashdod, would have shocked the Judeans, because many of them favored relying on Egypt and Cush for protection against Assyria. Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in 701 B.C. when the Assyrians defeated Egypt at Eltekeh. Another less likely possibility, I think, is Esarhaddon’s conquest of Egypt in 671 B.C.