Focused Passage

Isaiah 20:1-6

Isaiah’s Sign-Act Against Trust in Egypt and Cush

The chapter moves from the historical event of Ashdod’s capture by Assyria, to the LORD’s command for Isaiah to remove sackcloth and sandals, to Isaiah walking stripped and barefoot for three years, to the interpretation of the sign as Egypt and Cush being led away captive in shame, and finally to the panic of the coastlands when their hoped-for refuge is exposed as helpless.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it,

2the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.

3Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,

4so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.

5Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.

6And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Before the yearבִּשְׁנַ֨תH8141Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructthat the chief commanderתַרְתָּן֙H8661Noun - masculine singularsentבִּשְׁלֹ֣חH7971Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-אֹת֔וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularby Sargonסַֽרְג֖וֹןH5623Noun - proper - masculine singularkingמֶ֣לֶךְH4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Assyriaאַשּׁ֑וּרH804Noun - proper - feminine singularcameבֹּ֤אH935Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto Ashdodאַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָהH795Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singularand attackedוַיִּלָּ֥חֶםH3898Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularand capturedוַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃H3920Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular[it]בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹדH795Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

-הַהִ֗יאH1931Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular-בָּעֵ֣תH6256Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singularthe LORDיְהוָה֮H3068Noun - proper - masculine singularhad already spokenדִּבֶּ֣רH1696Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularthroughבְּיַ֣דH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructIsaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּH3470Noun - proper - masculine singularsonבֶן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof Amozאָמוֹץ֮H531Noun - proper - masculine singularsayingלֵאמֹר֒H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructGoלֵ֗ךְH1980Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularremoveוּפִתַּחְתָּ֤H6605Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularthe sackclothהַשַּׂק֙H8242Article | Noun - masculine singularfromמֵעַ֣לH5921Preposition-myour waistמָתְנֶ֔יךָH4975Noun - masculine dual construct | second person masculine singular[and]תַחֲלֹ֖ץH2502Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .מֵעַ֣לH5921Preposition-mthe sandalsוְנַעַלְךָ֥H5275Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularfrom your feetרַגְלֶ֑יךָH7272Noun - feminine dual construct | second person masculine singularAnd [Isaiah] didוַיַּ֣עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularsoכֵּ֔ןH3651Adverbwalking aroundהָלֹ֖ךְH1980Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolutenakedעָר֥וֹםH6174Adjective - masculine singularand barefootוְיָחֵֽף׃סH3182Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Then the LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularJust asכַּאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeMy servantעַבְדִּ֥יH5650Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularIsaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּH3470Noun - proper - masculine singularhas goneהָלַ֛ךְH1980Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularnakedעָר֣וֹםH6174Adjective - masculine singularand barefootוְיָחֵ֑ףH3182Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularfor threeשָׁלֹ֤שׁH7969Number - feminine singularyearsשָׁנִים֙H8141Noun - feminine pluralas a signא֣וֹתH226Noun - common singularand omenוּמוֹפֵ֔תH4159Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularagainstעַל־H5921PrepositionEgyptמִצְרַ֖יִםH4714Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .וְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionand Cushכּֽוּשׁ׃H3568Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, the upper Nile region; similarly in verses 4 and 5
Verse 4

Original words

soכֵּ֣ןH3651Adverbthe kingמֶֽלֶךְ־H4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Assyriaאַ֠שּׁוּרH804Noun - proper - feminine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerwill lead awayיִנְהַ֣גH5090Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe captivesשְׁבִ֨יH7628Noun - masculine singular constructof Egyptמִצְרַ֜יִםH4714Noun - proper - feminine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerand the exilesגָּל֥וּתH1546Noun - feminine singular constructof Cushכּ֛וּשׁH3568Noun - proper - feminine singularyoungנְעָרִ֥יםH5288Noun - masculine pluraland old alikeוּזְקֵנִ֖יםH2205Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine pluralnakedעָר֣וֹםH6174Adjective - masculine singularand barefootוְיָחֵ֑ףH3182Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularwith baredוַחֲשׂוּפַ֥יH2834Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural constructbuttocksשֵׁ֖תH8357Noun - masculine singularto Egypt’sמִצְרָֽיִם׃H4714Noun - proper - feminine singularshameעֶרְוַ֥תH6172Noun - feminine singular construct
Verse 5

Original words

Those who made Cushמִכּוּשׁ֙H3568Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singulartheir hopeמַבָּטָ֔םH4007Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural. . .וּמִן־H4480Conjunctive waw | Prepositionand Egyptמִצְרַ֖יִםH4714Noun - proper - feminine singulartheir boastתִּפְאַרְתָּֽם׃H8597Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralwill be dismayedוְחַתּ֖וּH2865Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluraland ashamedוָבֹ֑שׁוּH954Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Verse 6

Original words

And on thatהַהוּא֒H1931Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singulardayבַּיּ֣וֹםH3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularthe dwellersיֹשֵׁ֨בH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularof thisהַזֶּה֮H2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularcoastlandהָאִ֣יH339Article | Noun - masculine singularwill sayוְ֠אָמַרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularSeeהִנֵּה־H2009Interjectionwhat has happenedכֹ֣הH3541Adverbto our source of hopeמַבָּטֵ֗נוּH4007Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common pluralthose to whomאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativewe fledנַ֤סְנוּH5127Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural. . .שָׁם֙H8033Adverbfor helpלְעֶזְרָ֔הH5833Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singularand deliveranceלְהִ֨נָּצֵ֔לH5337Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive constructfromמִפְּנֵ֖יH6440Preposition-m | Noun - common plural constructthe kingמֶ֣לֶךְH4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Assyriaאַשּׁ֑וּרH804Noun - proper - feminine singularHow thenוְאֵ֖יךְH349Conjunctive waw | Interjectioncan weאֲנָֽחְנוּ׃סH587Pronoun - first person common pluralescapeנִמָּלֵ֥טH4422Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common plural

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