Isaiah 20:2 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.
Isaiah 20:2 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.
Isaiah 20:2 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.
Isaiah 20:2 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.
Isaiah 20:2 nlt
the LORD told Isaiah son of Amoz, "Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals." Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.
Isaiah 20 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 20:2 | "At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah..." | Isaiah 20:2 |
| Jer 13:1 | "This is what the Lord says to me: ‘Go and get a linen loincloth and tuck it into your waist..." | Jeremiah 13:1 |
| Ezek 4:4 | "Then lie on your left side and put your punishment on them; you are to lie on it for 390 days..." | Ezekiel 4:4 |
| Ezek 4:6 | "When you have finished this, you are to lie on your right side and put the punishment of Judah on it..." | Ezekiel 4:6 |
| Ezek 24:17 | "Groan, but not aloud; mourn for the dead. Put on your turban, place your sandals on your feet, do not cover your upper lips, and do not eat what others may give you." | Ezekiel 24:17 |
| Hos 3:1 | "The Lord said to me, ‘Go, love her still and again; love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'" | Hosea 3:1 |
| Amos 8:10 | "I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lament; I will put sackcloth on all your bodies and baldness on every head. I will make that time like the mourning of an only son, and its end like a bitter day." | Amos 8:10 |
| Micah 1:8 | "I will wail and lament and go stripped and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the ostriches." | Micah 1:8 |
| Luke 12:35 | "‘You too must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.’" | Luke 12:35 |
| Rom 15:4 | "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance commanded in the Scriptures and their encouragement we might have hope." | Romans 15:4 |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come." | 1 Corinthians 10:11 |
| Rev 1:3 | "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." | Revelation 1:3 |
| Isa 8:1 | "The Lord said to me, ‘Get for yourself a large scroll, and write on it with a human pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’" | Isaiah 8:1 |
| Isa 1:1 | "The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." | Isaiah 1:1 |
| Isa 7:3 | "And the Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to the edge of the tunnel of the Upper Pool, where the road to the Weaver’s Field comes down.'" | Isaiah 7:3 |
| Isa 21:1 | "An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea. Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negeb, one comes from the desert, from a terrifying land." | Isaiah 21:1 |
| Jer 43:9 | "Take large stones with you and bury them in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the presence of the men of Judah." | Jeremiah 43:9 |
| Hos 1:2 | "When the Lord first spoke about Israel through Hosea, he said to him, ‘Go, marry a wife of promiscuity and have children of promiscuity, for this land is guilty of great promiscuity by deserting the Lord.'" | Hosea 1:2 |
| Ezek 4:1 | "‘Take an earthen jar and put some coals of fire in it from the coals on the altar, and put dirt in it. Take a clay jar and put dirt in it, and put coals on top of the dirt. Then put a mound against the jar, facing it, and set up a ramp against it all around, and pitch tents against it, all around. Put a pan before the jar, like a metal shield, and set the pan opposite the jar, as it stands on its base." | Ezekiel 4:1 |
| Zeph 1:1 | "The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah." | Zephaniah 1:1 |
| Zech 13:5 | "and if someone says, ‘I am not a prophet, I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth,’" | Zechariah 13:5 |
Isaiah 20 verses
Isaiah 20 2 Meaning
Isaiah was commanded by the Lord to go and wear a loincloth made of sackcloth, a rough cloth used for mourning or penitence, signifying grief and humility. This was not just a personal act but a symbolic one, a prophetic sign meant for public consumption. The instruction was specific: wear it on his waist, not washing it, indicating continued mourning and the stark reality of the impending judgment.
Isaiah 20 2 Context
This chapter is a prophetic sign act by Isaiah directed at Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia), two powerful nations that were being looked to by Judah for alliance against Assyria. The surrounding historical context is the period of Assyrian expansionism. King Sargon II of Assyria had conquered Ashdod, a Philistine city, and was likely putting pressure on Judah. The people of Judah, facing this threat, were considering an alliance with Egypt and Cush, rather than trusting in the Lord. Isaiah's symbolic act in chapter 20 serves as a direct polemic against this reliance on foreign powers. The act itself takes place shortly after the fall of Ashdod, further emphasizing the Assyrian threat and the folly of seeking help from defeated nations or nations that would also fall.
Isaiah 20 2 Word Analysis
- Command (Hebrew: "amur" - speaking)
- Implies divine instruction, authoritative word from God.
- Not a suggestion, but a directive.
- Isaiah (Hebrew: "Yeshayahu" - Yahweh saves)
- The prophet's name itself is a thematic reminder of God's saving power.
- His personal obedience is key to delivering the message.
- go (Hebrew: "lekh" - imperative)
- A command to move and act.
- Emphasizes the active nature of prophecy.
- take (Hebrew: "qakh" - imperative)
- Acquire and obtain.
- Refers to the specific material for the symbolic act.
- linen (Hebrew: "buṭ" - fine linen, bleached linen)
- A garment often associated with priestly attire or special occasions.
- Here, it is deliberately chosen for its stark contrast to sackcloth, yet becomes part of the judgment imagery.
- Represents the fragile, earthly nature of human efforts and power.
- loincloth (Hebrew: "ezor" - a girdle, a loincloth)
- A garment worn around the waist, fundamental and essential.
- Symbolizes readiness or even preparation, but here, its condition signifies shame and defeat.
- tie it about your waist (Hebrew: "hiskalnah bemetneka" - tie it around your loins/waist)
- A posture of readiness, of being prepared.
- The linen loincloth worn normally would signify status; its worn condition speaks of indignity.
- and do not dip it in water (Hebrew: "v'lo-tivlotho maim" - and you shall not dip it in water)
- Continuation of mourning and a state of uncleanliness, a refusal to be refreshed or purified by washing.
- Symbolizes the unbroken nature of the grief and shame associated with the impending defeat of Egypt and Cush.
Isaiah 20 2 Bonus Section
The act of wearing sackcloth or soiled garments was a recognized prophetic practice. Prophets like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 13:1-11) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:4-8) engaged in similar public demonstrations of judgment and sorrow. Isaiah's use of linen here is a variation on this theme, demonstrating God's creative and adaptable methods of communicating His truth through His messengers. The chosen nations, Egypt and Cush, were formidable powers in the ancient world, known for their wealth and military might. Their planned alliance with Judah reveals Judah's political and spiritual vulnerability. The nakedness or semi-nakedness depicted in such acts (implied by the loincloth context) carries strong connotations of shame, defeat, and exposure in the ancient Near Eastern worldview, amplifying the intensity of the prophetic message.
Isaiah 20 2 Commentary
Isaiah's instruction to wear a specific, unwashable linen loincloth is a dramatic prophetic sign meant to communicate God's impending judgment on Egypt and Cush. The use of linen, typically associated with purity or royalty, transformed into a symbol of shame and degradation through its soiled and unwashed state, vividly illustrates the impending downfall and humiliation of these great nations. This act serves as a visual warning to Judah, highlighting the futility of relying on their strength or seeking alliances with them, because they too are subject to divine judgment. The unwashed linen represents their disgraced and exposed state, a stark contrast to their perceived power, and a profound message of God's sovereignty over all nations.