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

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

2 the 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.

3 Then 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,

4 so 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.

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

6 And 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 year בִּשְׁנַ֨ת H8141 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct that the chief commander תַרְתָּן֙ H8661 Noun - masculine singular sent בִּשְׁלֹ֣ח H7971 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֹת֔וֹ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular by Sargon סַֽרְג֖וֹן H5623 Noun - proper - masculine singular king מֶ֣לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Assyria אַשּׁ֑וּר H804 Noun - proper - feminine singular came בֹּ֤א H935 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to Ashdod אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה H795 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular and attacked וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם H3898 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and captured וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃ H3920 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular [it] בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד H795 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

- הַהִ֗יא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular - בָּעֵ֣ת H6256 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular the LORD יְהוָה֮ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had already spoken דִּבֶּ֣ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular through בְּיַ֣ד H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Isaiah יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ H3470 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Amoz אָמוֹץ֮ H531 Noun - proper - masculine singular saying לֵאמֹר֒ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Go לֵ֗ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular remove וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤ H6605 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular the sackcloth הַשַּׂק֙ H8242 Article | Noun - masculine singular from מֵעַ֣ל H5921 Preposition-m your waist מָתְנֶ֔יךָ H4975 Noun - masculine dual construct | second person masculine singular [and] תַחֲלֹ֖ץ H2502 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . מֵעַ֣ל H5921 Preposition-m the sandals וְנַעַלְךָ֥ H5275 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular from your feet רַגְלֶ֑יךָ H7272 Noun - feminine dual construct | second person masculine singular And [Isaiah] did וַיַּ֣עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular so כֵּ֔ן H3651 Adverb walking around הָלֹ֖ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute naked עָר֥וֹם H6174 Adjective - masculine singular and barefoot וְיָחֵֽף׃ס H3182 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative My servant עַבְדִּ֥י H5650 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Isaiah יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ H3470 Noun - proper - masculine singular has gone הָלַ֛ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular naked עָר֣וֹם H6174 Adjective - masculine singular and barefoot וְיָחֵ֑ף H3182 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular for three שָׁלֹ֤שׁ H7969 Number - feminine singular years שָׁנִים֙ H8141 Noun - feminine plural as a sign א֣וֹת H226 Noun - common singular and omen וּמוֹפֵ֔ת H4159 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition Egypt מִצְרַ֖יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and Cush כּֽוּשׁ׃ H3568 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

so כֵּ֣ן H3651 Adverb the king מֶֽלֶךְ־ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Assyria אַ֠שּׁוּר H804 Noun - proper - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker will lead away יִנְהַ֣ג H5090 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the captives שְׁבִ֨י H7628 Noun - masculine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֜יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and the exiles גָּל֥וּת H1546 Noun - feminine singular construct of Cush כּ֛וּשׁ H3568 Noun - proper - feminine singular young נְעָרִ֥ים H5288 Noun - masculine plural and old alike וּזְקֵנִ֖ים H2205 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural naked עָר֣וֹם H6174 Adjective - masculine singular and barefoot וְיָחֵ֑ף H3182 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular with bared וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י H2834 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct buttocks שֵׁ֖ת H8357 Noun - masculine singular to Egypt’s מִצְרָֽיִם׃ H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular shame עֶרְוַ֥ת H6172 Noun - feminine singular construct
Verse 5

Original words

Those who made Cush מִכּוּשׁ֙ H3568 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular their hope מַבָּטָ֔ם H4007 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural . . . וּמִן־ H4480 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and Egypt מִצְרַ֖יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular their boast תִּפְאַרְתָּֽם׃ H8597 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural will be dismayed וְחַתּ֖וּ H2865 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural and ashamed וָבֹ֑שׁוּ H954 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Verse 6

Original words

And on that הַהוּא֒ H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular day בַּיּ֣וֹם H3117 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular the dwellers יֹשֵׁ֨ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular of this הַזֶּה֮ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular coastland הָאִ֣י H339 Article | Noun - masculine singular will say וְ֠אָמַר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular See הִנֵּה־ H2009 Interjection what has happened כֹ֣ה H3541 Adverb to our source of hope מַבָּטֵ֗נוּ H4007 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural those to whom אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative we fled נַ֤סְנוּ H5127 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural . . . שָׁם֙ H8033 Adverb for help לְעֶזְרָ֔ה H5833 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular and deliverance לְהִ֨נָּצֵ֔ל H5337 Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct from מִפְּנֵ֖י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the king מֶ֣לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Assyria אַשּׁ֑וּר H804 Noun - proper - feminine singular How then וְאֵ֖יךְ H349 Conjunctive waw | Interjection can we אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ס H587 Pronoun - first person common plural escape נִמָּלֵ֥ט H4422 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common plural

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