Isaiah 20:3 kjv
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;
Isaiah 20:3 nkjv
Then the LORD said, "Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia,
Isaiah 20:3 niv
Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,
Isaiah 20:3 esv
Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,
Isaiah 20:3 nlt
Then the LORD said, "My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign ? a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.
Isaiah 20 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 20:1 | In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, | Historical context for the prophecy |
| Isa 20:2 | That the LORD spake by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoes from thy feet. And he did so, and walked naked and barefoot. | Symbolic action by Isaiah |
| Isa 20:4 | So shall the strength of Egypt and the spoil of Ethiopia and captives of Egypt, with their uncovered shame, be led away, | Outcome for Egypt and Ethiopia |
| Isa 20:5 | And they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Ethiopia their expectation, and for Egypt their glory. | Their reaction to the event |
| Isa 20:6 | And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, we have wait-ed for this, when he that was lame of his feet came from Assyria; how much more shall it then be for a refuge, when the strength of Egypt came! | Island dwellers' reaction |
| Jer 43:13 | He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the house of the sun in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire. | Prophecy against Egyptian gods |
| Jer 46:1-2 | The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; Against Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon smote in the year before Nebuchadnezzar took his throne. | Prophecy against Egypt |
| Jer 46:7-8 | Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are tossed up as a flood? Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are even moved like a flood. And he saith, I will go up, I will go up, I will go like a flood. | Egypt's pride and fall |
| Ezek 29:2-3 | Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt: Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. | Prophecy against Pharaoh |
| Ezek 29:11-12 | No foot of man nor foot of beast shall pass through it, nor shall it be inhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the desolated countries, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. | Desolation of Egypt |
| Ezek 30:4-5 | And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the land of the children of the covenant, shall fall with them by the sword. | Judgment on Egypt and allies |
| Nah 3:8-9 | Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her walls were the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and that without limit; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. | Referencing strength of Egypt/Ethiopia |
| Zech 10:10 | Yea, the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and with his mighty hand shall he shake his fist over the river, and smite it in seven streams, so that men may go over dryshod. | God's power over Egypt's waters |
| Rev 11:8 | And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified. | Spiritual parallel with Egypt |
| Acts 7:10 | And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. | Joseph in Egypt |
| Acts 7:36 | He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. | Moses and the Exodus |
| 1 Cor 10:1 | Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; | Israelites' passage through Egypt |
| Heb 3:8-9 | Wherefore (as the scripture saith, Ye shall not harden your hearts, as in the day of provocation, in the wilderness. When your fathers did tempt me, proving me, and saw my works forty years. | Reminder of past failures |
| Gal 4:25 | For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. | Hagar's parallel to bondage |
| Job 1:18 | While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: | Day of calamity for Job |
| Job 2:12-13 | And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept and rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat with him upon the ground seven days and seven days without speaking a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. | Mourning and shock |
| Ps 106:19-20 | They made also a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. | Idolatry in the wilderness |
Isaiah 20 verses
Isaiah 20 3 Meaning
The Lord's message through Isaiah to a future generation states that specific sign concerning Egypt and Ethiopia will be fulfilled, showing God's power and sovereign hand in human affairs.
Isaiah 20 3 Context
Isaiah chapter 20 is a prophetic oracle delivered concerning Egypt and Ethiopia (Kush). The chapter is a "sign" (20:3) or symbolic act, demonstrating God's judgment on these nations for their reliance on military strength rather than on the Lord. Historically, this prophecy is thought to relate to the Assyrian campaign against Egypt around 711 BC, during which Ashdod rebelled and was captured. Isaiah's naked and barefoot walk was a visual representation of the impending captivity and humiliation of Egypt and Ethiopia. The chapter emphasizes that these powerful nations, despite their military might and alliances, would be led captive, serving as a lesson to Judah against trusting in foreign alliances rather than in God. The message is clear: divine judgment awaits those who put their faith in earthly powers over the Almighty.
Isaiah 20 3 Word Analysis
- The LORD (YHWH): God's covenant name, emphasizing His personal relationship and power.
- hath spoken: Indicates a divine communication, a direct message from God.
- by Isaiah: Specifies the prophet as the human instrument through whom God's word is conveyed.
- the son of Amots: Isaiah's genealogy, grounding the prophecy in a specific historical figure.
- Go: A direct command, signifying God's active intervention and instruction.
- loose: To untie, to remove, signifying the shedding of clothing, a symbol of dignity and status.
- sackcloth: Coarse material worn as a sign of mourning, distress, or repentance. Its removal is significant.
- from off thy loins: The loins were considered the seat of strength and dignity; removing sackcloth from there is a powerful symbol.
- and put off: To remove, to discard.
- thy shoes: Shoes represented status, protection, and readiness for travel. Their removal implies vulnerability and impending movement into captivity.
- from thy feet: The feet are connected to one's position and movement; their exposure signifies exposure and inability to stand firm.
- And he did so: Confirms Isaiah's immediate obedience to God's command.
- and walked: Implies movement and public display of the symbolic act.
- naked: Stripped of clothing, representing shame, vulnerability, and disgrace.
- and barefoot: Without shoes, signifying a state of humility, hardship, and exposure.
Words-group analysis:
- "Loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoes from thy feet": This entire phrase represents a stripping away of symbols of preparation and dignity, foreshadowing the stripping of national pride and status for Egypt and Ethiopia.
- "Walked naked and barefoot": This describes a state of utter humiliation, disgrace, and vulnerability, mirroring the fate of the captured nations.
Isaiah 20 3 Bonus Section
The prophetic act of walking naked and barefoot was a deeply shameful and humiliating experience in the ancient Near East, representing utter loss of dignity, exposure to ridicule, and impending subjugation. This specific act by Isaiah underscores the gravity of God's judgment and the completeness of the nations' defeat. It also points to a spiritual parallel; as Egypt represented bondage in the Exodus narrative, so too can reliance on worldly systems and power be a form of spiritual bondage that ultimately leads to shame. The "isle" or "coastland" in verse 6 likely refers to Judah, emphasizing that this message was primarily for them, a warning against following the perceived strength of these powerful but ultimately doomed nations.
Isaiah 20 3 Commentary
Isaiah's prophetic act in chapter 20 vividly illustrates divine judgment upon nations that rely on their own strength and political alliances. By walking naked and barefoot, Isaiah became a living object lesson, embodying the shame and humiliation awaiting Egypt and Ethiopia. Their trust in military might (as indicated by "strength of Egypt" and "glory" of Ethiopia in verse 5) would be rendered futile, leading to their capture and exile. This serves as a stark reminder that true security and refuge are found not in geopolitical power, but in humble reliance on the Lord. It highlights the principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.