Isaiah 20:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it—

NIV: In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it--

NASB: In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,

CSB: In the year that the chief commander, sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it--

NLT: In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod,

KJV: In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

NKJV: In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it,

Chapter 20 finishes Isaiah's oracle from the Lord against Egypt (Isaiah 19:1). The prophet sets the events of this passage at a specific time in the world's history. This moment was when Sargon, king of Assyria, sent his commander to defeat the rebellious Philistine city of Ashdod. This figure is referred to using the Hebrew word tartān', which seems to be a title rather than a proper name (2 Kings 18:17).

Modern scholars locate this event in the year 711 BC. This data comes from two other sources that back up Isaiah's reference of this battle. One source is the Assyrian Annals of Sargon II; those detail the history of Assyria from the emperor's perspective. Sargon ruled Assyria from 722–705 BC. His annals report this campaign against Ashdod were between 712–711 BC. In addition, fragments of a similar inscribed pillar were found in Ashdod in 1963 that also hail Sargon's victory at this same time.

Apparently, the king of Ashdod had made some kind of alliance with Egypt for mutual support against Assyria. When Ashdod made this agreement, they stopped paying tribute to the Assyrians. When the Assyrians came to attack Ashdod, the Egyptians did not help. The Egyptians even turned over the king of Ashdod to the Assyrians when he tried to find asylum in Egypt after his defeat.

The Lord's continuing point to His people is that they should not put their hope and trust in other nations. Those nations cannot save them from the Assyrians. Ashdod looked to other nations for protection, and that turned out negatively for them. Instead, the Lord wants His people to trust Him, and Him alone, to protect them from their powerful enemies.

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).