Isaiah 20:2

Isaiah 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
• New International Version (NIV)at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
• English Standard Version (ESV)at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

Context of Isaiah 20:2

1In the year that the Tartan [the Assyrian commander in chief] came to Ashdod [in Philistia], when Sargon king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, untie the sackcloth from your hips and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking around stripped [to his loincloth] and barefoot. 3And the Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has walked stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign and forewarning concerning Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia), 4in 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 shame of Egypt.

Isaiah 20:2 word by word

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ בְּיַ֣ד יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ לֵ֗ךְ וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤ הַשַּׂק֙ מֵעַ֣ל מָתְנֶ֔יךָ וְנַעַלְךָ֥ תַחֲלֹ֖ץ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑יךָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ כֵּ֔ן הָלֹ֖ךְ עָר֥וֹם וְיָחֵֽף׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• At the same timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• byיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּyesha‛yâh yesha‛yâhû · IsaiahH3470
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Amozאָמוֹץ'âmôts · AmozH531
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and looseפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• the sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• from off thy loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
• and put offחָלַץchâlats · to rescueH2502
• thy shoeנַ֫עַלna‛al na‛ălâh · sandalH5275
• from thy footרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• And he did soעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• walkingהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• nakedעָרוֹם‛ârôm ‛ârôm · nakedH6174
• and barefootיָחֵףyâchêph · barefootH3182

Cross-references for Isaiah 20:2

• Jeremiah 13:1Thus the Lord said to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it on your loins, but do not put it in water.”
• Jeremiah 19:1Thus says the Lord, “Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests
• Ezekiel 4:5For I have assigned you the years of their wickedness and punishment, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days [representing three hundred and ninety years]; in this way you shall bear [symbolically] the wickedness and punishment of the house of Israel.
• Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
• 2 Kings 1:8They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a [wide] leather band bound around his loins.” And Ahaziah said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
• Zechariah 13:4And in that day the [false] prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not wear a hairy robe [of true prophets] in order to deceive,
• Matthew 3:4Now this same John had clothing made of camel’s hair and a [wide] leather band around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
• Revelation 11:3And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed in sackcloth.”
• Exodus 3:5Then God said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet [out of respect], because the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
• Joshua 5:15The captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy (set apart to the Lord).” And Joshua did so.
• Ezekiel 24:17Sigh and groan in silence; do not mourn for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of [mourners furnished by other] men.”
• 1 Samuel 19:24He also took off his [royal] robes [and armor] and prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and night. So they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
• 2 Samuel 6:20Then David returned to bless his household. But [his wife] Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How glorious and distinguished was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself and stripped [off his kingly robes] in the eyes of his servants’ maids like one of the riffraff who shamelessly uncovers himself!”
• Job 1:20Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].
• Micah 1:8Because of this I [Micah] must lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) and wail, I must go barefoot and naked [without outer garments as if robbed]; I must wail like the jackals And lament [with a loud, mournful cry] like the ostriches.
• John 21:7Then that disciple (John) whom Jesus loved (esteemed) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer tunic (for he was stripped for work) and threw himself into the sea [and swam ashore].

Commentaries on Isaiah 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Walking naked and barefoot - It is not probable that the prophet walked uncovered and barefoot for three years; his appearing in that manner was a sign that within three years the Egyptians and Cushites should be in the same condition, being conquered and made captives by the king of Assyria. The time was denoted as well as the event; but his appearing in that manner for three whole years could give no premonition of the time at all. It is probable…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2By Isaiah - Margin, By the hand of Isaiah.‘ So the Hebrew. That is, by the instrumentality of Isaiah. He sent him to make known the fate of the Egyptians, and the folly of trusting in them on this occasion. Go, and loose the sackcloth - For the meaning of the word “sackcloth,” see the note at Isaiah 3:24. It was commonly worn as an emblem of mourning. But there is reason to believe that it was worn also by the prophets, and was regarded, in some degree…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Prophets often wore sackcloth or other rough clothing to show mourning for the people's sins (see 2 Kings 1:8; Mark 1:6). naked: This means exposed in some way, possibly even completely nude.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. by--literally, "by the hand of" (compare Eze 3:14). sackcloth--the loose outer garment of coarse dark hair-cloth worn by mourners (2Sa 3:31) and by prophets, fastened at the waist by a girdle (Mt 3:4; 2Ki 1:8; Zec 13:4). naked--rather, "uncovered"; he merely put off the outer sackcloth, retaining still the tunic or inner vest (1Sa 19:24; Am 2:16; Joh 21:7); an emblem to show that Egypt should be stripped of its possessions; the very dress of Isaiah was…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 20:2

• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Instruction
• Isaiah
• Minister, Christian
• Mourning
• Pantomime
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Amoz
• Isaiah
• Apparel
• Barefoot
• Captive
• Dress
• No
• Ezekiel
• Foot
• Gesture

Commentaries on Isaiah 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings