Isaiah 20:2-4
Amplified Bible
2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, untie the [a]sackcloth from your hips and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking around [b]stripped [to his loincloth] and barefoot.(A) 3 And the Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has walked [c]stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign and forewarning concerning Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia), 4 in the same way the king of Assyria will lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, young and old, stripped and barefoot, even with buttocks uncovered—to the [d]shame of Egypt.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 20:2 A coarse cloth usually made of goat hair or camel hair and worn as a sign of mourning, or worn by prophets.
- Isaiah 20:2 Or naked. The Hebrew can refer to someone completely naked, or only stripped to the underwear (i.e. a loincloth); see note v 4. The ancient rabbis were particularly sensitive to the issue, and some maintained (contrary to the text) that Isaiah was wearing worn-out clothes and patched shoes or sandals.
- Isaiah 20:3 Stripping off the outer garments was an act symbolizing disgrace and humiliation.
- Isaiah 20:4 Lit nakedness. As noted for v 2, the Hebrew can refer to complete nakedness or to being stripped to the underwear. A loincloth might leave the buttocks exposed to a greater or lesser extent.
Isaiah 20:2-4
New International Version
2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(A) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(B) from your body and the sandals(C) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(D) and barefoot.(E)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(F) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(G) as a sign(H) and portent(I) against Egypt(J) and Cush,[a](K) 4 so the king(L) of Assyria will lead away stripped(M) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(N) and Cushite(O) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(P)—to Egypt’s shame.(Q)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
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