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;

And the LORD {H3068} said {H559}, Like as my servant {H5650} Isaiah {H3470} hath walked {H1980} naked {H6174} and barefoot {H3182} three {H7969} years {H8141} for a sign {H226} and wonder {H4159} upon Egypt {H4714} and upon Ethiopia {H3568};

In time, ADONAI said, "Just as my servant Yesha'yahu has gone about unclothed and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,

Then the LORD said, โ€œJust as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,

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;

Commentary

Commentary on Isaiah 20:3 (KJV)

Isaiah 20:3 describes a highly unusual and striking prophetic act commanded by the LORD to His servant Isaiah. This verse provides the divine interpretation of Isaiah's strange behavior, which he had been performing for three years.

Context

This passage is set during a tumultuous period in the ancient Near East, specifically around 711 BC, when the Assyrian Empire under King Sargon II was a dominant and aggressive power (referenced in Isaiah 20:1). Judah, along with other smaller nations, felt the immense pressure of Assyrian expansion. In an attempt to secure their safety, many nations, including Judah, were tempted to form alliances with powerful neighbors like Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush) to resist Assyria. Chapters 18-20 of Isaiah specifically deal with oracles concerning these nations.

The previous verse, Isaiah 20:2, details the LORD's command to Isaiah: "Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot." This public, sustained act was not merely eccentric but a direct divine instruction, making Isaiah's life a living sermon.

Key Themes

  • Prophetic Symbolism: Isaiah's actions were a vivid, undeniable visual aid, a common method God used to communicate profound truths through His prophets. This act was designed to be a "sign and wonder," something attention-grabbing and deeply meaningful, much like Jeremiah's wearing of a yoke or Ezekiel's symbolic siege of Jerusalem.
  • Divine Judgment and Humiliation: The act of walking "naked and barefoot" symbolized the impending captivity, humiliation, and disgrace that would befall Egypt and Ethiopia at the hands of the Assyrians. In ancient cultures, being stripped of one's outer garments and shoes was a sign of utter defeat, shame, and the vulnerability of captives of war.
  • Warning Against Misplaced Trust: For Judah, this prophetic action served as a stark warning not to place their trust in human alliances, particularly with Egypt and Ethiopia. If these powerful nations would themselves be conquered and led away in such a humiliating state, how could Judah rely on them for deliverance from Assyria? The message was clear: Judah's true security lay only in trusting in the LORD alone, not in political maneuvering or military might.
  • Obedience of the Prophet: Isaiah's willingness to endure three years of public humiliation demonstrates his profound obedience to God's difficult and counter-cultural commands.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrase translated "naked and barefoot" is `arom v'yahef` (ืขึธืจึนื ื•ึฐื™ึธื—ึตืฃ). "Naked" (`arom`) in this context does not mean completely unclothed, but rather stripped of one's outer robes, perhaps wearing only an undergarment. This state signified extreme poverty, humiliation, and the condition of captives who were often marched away with little or no clothing. "Barefoot" (`yahef`) further emphasizes the destitution and disgrace of a defeated people.

Practical Application

Isaiah's prophetic act, though strange to modern sensibilities, carries timeless lessons:

  1. God Communicates in Diverse Ways: The LORD uses various methods, sometimes unconventional, to convey His message. We should be open to understanding God's will through Scripture, circumstances, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
  2. Warning Against Worldly Alliances: The passage serves as a powerful reminder for believers today not to place ultimate trust in worldly powers, human systems, or even personal strength. Our ultimate security and hope should be in God alone, not in political ideologies, financial stability, or human wisdom.
  3. The Cost of Disobedience and Misplaced Trust: Just as Egypt and Ethiopia faced humiliation for their pride and reliance on their own might, so too can individuals and nations face difficult consequences when they turn away from God's wisdom and guidance.
  4. Call to Radical Obedience: Isaiah's example challenges us to consider our own level of obedience to God, even when His commands seem uncomfortable, illogical, or require personal sacrifice.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 8:18

    Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

  • Numbers 14:34

    After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

  • Revelation 11:2

    But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.

  • Revelation 11:3

    ยถ And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

  • Isaiah 37:9

    And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard [it], he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

  • Ezekiel 4:5

    For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

  • Ezekiel 4:6

    And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
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