Isaiah 20:4

Isaiah 20:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
• New International Version (NIV)so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.
• English Standard Version (ESV)so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Context of Isaiah 20:4

2at 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), 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 shame of Egypt. 5Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. 6So the inhabitants of this coastland [the Israelites and their neighbors] will say in that day, ‘Look what has happened to those in whom we hoped and trusted and to whom we fled for help to be spared from the king of Assyria! But we, how will we escape [captivity and exile]?’ ”

Isaiah 20:4 word by word

כֵּ֣ן יִנְהַ֣ג מֶֽלֶךְ־אַ֠שּׁוּר אֶת־שְׁבִ֨י מִצְרַ֜יִם וְאֶת־גָּל֥וּת כּ֛וּשׁ נְעָרִ֥ים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י שֵׁ֖ת עֶרְוַ֥ת מִצְרָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So shall the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• lead awayנָהַגnâhag · to leadH5090
• the Egyptiansמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• prisonersשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
• and the Ethiopiansכּוּשׁkûsh · CushH3568
• captivesגָּלוּתgâlûth · captivityH1546
• youngנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• and oldזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
• nakedעָרוֹם‛ârôm ‛ârôm · nakedH6174
• and barefootיָחֵףyâchêph · barefootH3182
• buttocksשֵׁתshêthâh · buttockH8357
• uncoveredחָשַׂףchâώaph · to stripH2834
• to the shameעֶרְוָה‛ervâh · nakednessH6172

Cross-references for Isaiah 20:4

• Isaiah 19:4And I will hand over the Egyptians to a hard and cruel master, And a mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord God of hosts.
• Jeremiah 46:26I will put them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his servants. Afterward Egypt will be inhabited as in the days of old,” says the Lord.
• Ezekiel 30:18In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break the yoke bars and dominion of Egypt there. Then the pride of her power will come to an end; A cloud [of disasters] will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity.
• Isaiah 3:17Therefore the Lord will afflict the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs [making them bald], And the Lord will expose their foreheads (send them into captivity).”
• 2 Samuel 10:4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.
• Jeremiah 13:22And if you [wonder and] say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ It is because of the greatness and nature of your sin That your skirts have been pulled away [subjecting you to public disgrace] And [like a barefoot slave] your heels have been wounded.
• Micah 1:11Go on your way [into exile—stripped of beauty, disarmed], inhabitants of Shaphir (Beautiful), in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan (Go Out) does not go out [of the house]; The wailing of Beth-ezel (House of Removal) will take away from you its support.
• Revelation 3:18I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.

Commentaries on Isaiah 20:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4So shall the king of Assyria - The emphasis here is on the word “so.” As Isaiah has walked naked, that is, stripped off his usual clothing, “so” shall the Egyptians and Ethiopians be led away “stripped” of all their possessions. The Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives - The Egyptians and Ethiopians, or Cushites, were often united in an alliance, and appear to have been when this prophecy was delivered. Thus Nahum 3:8: Ethiopia and Egypt were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4This symbolic event happened about three years before Ashdod fell (see Isaiah 20:2). Through this event, Isaiah served as an example for the people (see Isaiah 8:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. buttocks uncovered--Belzoni says that captives are found represented thus on Egyptian monuments (Is 47:2, 3; Na 3:5, 8, 9), where as here, Egypt and Ethiopia are mentioned as in alliance.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 20:4

• Captive
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• Egypt
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Barefoot
• Captive
• No
• Cush (1)
• Ethiopia
• Exile

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