Isaiah 20:2 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

NASB: at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, 'Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your sandals off your feet.' And he did so, going naked and barefoot.

CSB: during that time the Lord had spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Go, take off your sackcloth and remove the sandals from your feet," and he did that, going stripped and barefoot —

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.

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.

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.

The Lord tells His prophet to do something truly strange in this verse. Bible scholars describe this as an "enacted" or "role-played" prophecy. This is when God tells a prophet to do something specific and purposefully odd to call the attention of the people. This is the only time Isaiah is called upon by God to act out such a message. But elsewhere in the Old Testament, both Ezekiel and Jeremiah also became visual object lessons (Jeremiah 27:1–5; Ezekiel 4:1–8).

God instructs Isaiah to take off the sackcloth he is wearing—his outer garment—as well as his sandals, and to walk around without them. The term translated into English as "naked" has a broader meaning than "completely unclothed." It's not likely Isaiah was commanded to appear entirely nude. Nor does this necessarily mean he appeared in that condition every moment for three years (Isaiah 20:3). Rather, he was probably "stripped" down to a humbling and embarrassing level, such as only in a loincloth. He would have appeared in the same state as a war captive or prisoner.

A possible interpretation of this verse is that the Lord told Isaiah to act in this manner before the Assyrians defeated Ashdod. The words "at that time" might indicate that Isaiah began his ministry of walking around in exposed disgrace three years earlier. The fall of Ashdod could have been the fulfillment of his visual prophecy.

The following verse shows what Isaiah's "nakedness" was meant to warn the people of Judah about.

Isaiah 20:1–6 describes a specific moment in history: 711 BC, when the Assyrian army crushed and took possession of the rebellious city of Ashdod. At the command of the Lord, Isaiah had been walking around without his outer garment or sandals to demonstrate how the Egyptians will look when they are also conquered by the Assyrians. Those counting on Egypt's protection will have nowhere to hide. Judah must trust the Lord to protect them and not any foreign nations.

The defeat of the Philistine city of Ashdod by the Assyrian king Sargon is the fulfillment of a strange sign. At the Lord's command, Isaiah spent three years regularly walking around barefoot and without his outer garment. This is to show what the Egyptian captives will look like once Assyria defeats them. Then all who boasted Egypt would protect them from Assyria will lose that confidence. The Lord wants Judah to trust Him to save them and not to look to other nations, or their gods.

Chapter 20 concludes Isaiah's oracle against Egypt, which began in chapter 19. This message includes a visual example of why Judah must not turn to Egypt for protection from the Assyrians. God tells Isaiah to walk around uncovered and barefoot for three years until the city of Ashdod is defeated by Assyria. Ashdod's alliance with Egypt did not save them. Eventually, Assyria will conquer Egypt and they also will be barefoot and exposed in their captivity. This will leave everyone counting on Egypt for protection without hope. Judah must place all their hope in the Lord to save them.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).