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Easy-to-Read Version

Isaiah 20:2

At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said, "Go, take the sackcloth off your waist and the sandals off your feet." So Isaiah obeyed the Lord and went without clothes or sandals.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Egypt;   Ethiopia;   Instruction;   Isaiah;   Minister, Christian;   Mourning;   Pantomime;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Thompson Chain Reference - Isaiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophets;   Sackcloth;   Shoes;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Garments;   Naked;   Prophets;   Sack, Sackcloth;   Sandals;   Sargon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Apparel;   Barefoot;   Dress;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Daniel, the Book of;   Dress;   Jeremiah;   Merodach Baladan;   Mourning;   Philistia;   Prophet;   Sandal;   Sargon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ashdod;   Gestures;   Hezekiah;   Isaiah;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Sandals, Shoes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dress;   Foot;   Sackcloth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Sackcloth ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Naked;   No;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Isaiah;   Sackcloth;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Egypt;   Isaiah;   Mourning;   No-amon;   Sackcloth;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mourning;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Prophets;   Sackcloth;   Shoes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amoz;   Barefoot;   Dress;   Foot;   Gesture;   Isaiah;   Naked;   Shoe;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Assyria;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Barefoot;   Costume;   Sackcloth;   Shoe;   Symbol;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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—
Hebrew Names Version
at that time the LORD spoke by Yesha`yahu the son of Amotz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off your loins, and put your shoe from off your foot. He did so, walking naked and barefoot.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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.
New American Standard Bible
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.
New Century Version
Then the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Take the rough cloth off your body, and take your sandals off your feet." So Isaiah obeyed and walked around naked and barefoot.
Amplified Bible
at 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.
World English Bible
at that time Yahweh spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off your loins, and put your shoe from off your foot. He did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Geneva Bible (1587)
At the same time spake the Lord by ye hand of Isaiah the sonne of Amoz, saying, Goe, and loose the sackecloth from thy loynes, and put off thy shooe from thy foote. And he did so, walking naked and barefoote.
Legacy Standard Bible
at that time Yahweh spoke by the hand of Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot.
Berean Standard Bible
the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet." And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.
Contemporary English Version
About this same time the Lord had told me, "Isaiah, take off everything, including your sandals!" I did this and went around naked and barefoot
Complete Jewish Bible
It was at that time that Adonai , speaking through Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz, said, "Go and unwind the sackcloth from around your waist, and take your sandals off your feet." So he did it, going about unclothed and barefoot.
Darby Translation
at that time spoke Jehovah by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy sandal from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
George Lamsa Translation
At that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off your loins and put off your shoes from your feet. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Good News Translation
Three years earlier the Lord had told Isaiah son of Amoz to take off his sandals and the sackcloth he was wearing. He obeyed and went around naked and barefoot.
Lexham English Bible
at that time, Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins, and take off your sandals from your feet," and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.
Literal Translation
at that time Jehovah spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins, and take your shoe off from your foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The spake the LORDE vnto Esaye ye sonne of Amos, sayenge: go and lowse of yt sack cloth fro thy loynes, and put of yi shues from thy fete. And so he dyd, goinge naked & barefote.
American Standard Version
at that time Jehovah spake by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put thy shoe from off thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Bible in Basic English
At that time the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and take off your robe, and your shoes from your feet; and he did so, walking unclothed and without shoes on his feet.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying: 'Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put thy shoe from off thy foot.' And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
King James Version (1611)
At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the sonne of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loynes, and put off thy shooe from thy foot: and he did so, walking naked and bare foot.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
At the same tyme spake the Lorde by the hande of Esai the sonne of Amos, saying: Go and take of the sackcloth from thy loynes, and put of thy shoe from thy foote. And he dyd so, walkyng naked and barefoote.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then the Lord spoke to Esaias the son of Amos, saying, Go and take the sackcloth off thy loins, and loose thy sandals from off thy feet, and do thus, going naked and barefoot.
English Revised Version
at that time the LORD spake by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose sackcloth from off thy loins, and put thy shoe from off thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
in that tyme the Lord spak in the hond of Isaye, the sone of Amos, and seide, Go thou, and vnbynde the sak fro thi leendis, and take awei thi schoon fro thi feet. And he dide so, goynge nakid and vnschood.
Update Bible Version
at that time Yahweh spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off your loins, and put your shoe from off your foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Webster's Bible Translation
At the same time spoke 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.
New English Translation
At that time the Lord announced through Isaiah son of Amoz: "Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet." He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments and barefoot.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
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.
New Life Bible
At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and take off the clothes made from hair, and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going without clothes and shoes.
New Revised Standard
at that time the Lord had spoken to Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take your sandals off your feet," and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
At that time, spake Yahweh, through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, And thy sandal, draw thou off from thy foot, - And he did so, walking disrobed and barefoot.
Douay-Rheims Bible
At that same time the Lord spoke by the hand of Isaias the son of Amos, saying Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and take off thy shoes from thy feet. And he did so, and went naked, and barefoot.
Revised Standard Version
at that time the LORD had spoken by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take off your shoes from your feet," and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot--
Young's Literal Translation
at that time spake Jehovah by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, `Go, and thou hast loosed the sackcloth from off thy loins, and thy sandal thou dost draw from off thy foot,' and he doth so, going naked and barefoot.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot.

Contextual Overview

1 Sargon was the king of Assyria. He sent his military commander to fight against Ashdod. The commander went there and captured the city. 2 At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said, "Go, take the sackcloth off your waist and the sandals off your feet." So Isaiah obeyed the Lord and went without clothes or sandals. 3 Then the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has gone without clothes or sandals for three years. This is a sign for Egypt and Ethiopia. 4 The king of Assyria will defeat Egypt and Ethiopia. Assyria will take prisoners and lead them away from their countries. The people, young and old, will be led away without clothes or sandals. They will be completely naked. 5 Those who looked to Ethiopia for help will be shattered. Those who were amazed by Egypt's glory will be ashamed." 6 People living along the coast will say, "We trusted those countries to help us. We ran to them so that they would rescue us from the king of Assyria. But look at them. They have been captured, so how can we escape?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah: Heb. the hand of Isaiah

Go: Jeremiah 13:1-11, Jeremiah 19:1-15, Ezekiel 4:5, Matthew 16:24

the sackcloth: 2 Kings 1:8, Zechariah 13:4, Matthew 3:4, Revelation 11:3

put: Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:15, Ezekiel 24:17, Ezekiel 24:23

naked: 1 Samuel 19:24, 2 Samuel 6:20, Job 1:20, Job 1:21, Micah 1:8, Micah 1:11, John 21:7, Acts 19:16

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 25:9 - loose his shoe 2 Samuel 15:30 - barefoot 1 Kings 20:35 - Smite me 2 Kings 13:18 - Smite Psalms 69:11 - I made Isaiah 19:17 - because Jeremiah 2:25 - Withhold Jeremiah 13:2 - according Jeremiah 18:2 - and go Jeremiah 27:2 - put Jeremiah 48:37 - upon the loins Ezekiel 4:1 - take Ezekiel 12:6 - for I Hosea 1:2 - Go Hosea 12:10 - used Matthew 11:8 - A man

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
Even some of Pharaoh's officials noticed her and told Pharaoh how beautiful she was. So they took her to Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 20:11
Then Abraham said, "I thought no one in this place respected God. I thought someone would kill me to get Sarah.
Genesis 20:12
She is my wife, but she is also my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother.
Genesis 20:13
God led me away from my father's house. He led me to wander to many different places. When that happened, I told Sarah, ‘Do something for me. Wherever we go, tell people you are my sister.'"
Genesis 26:1
Now there was a famine. This was like the famine that happened during Abraham's life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines.
Genesis 26:7
His wife Rebekah was very beautiful. The men of that place asked Isaac about Rebekah. He said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to tell them Rebekah was his wife. He was afraid the men would kill him so that they could have her.
Genesis 26:16
Abimelech said to Isaac, "Leave our country. You have become much more powerful than we are."
2 Chronicles 19:2
The prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, went out to meet the king. Jehu said to him, "Why did you help those who are wicked? Why do you love those who hate the Lord ? That's the reason the Lord is angry with you now.
2 Chronicles 20:37
There was a man from the town of Mareshah named Eliezer son of Dodavahu. He spoke against Jehoshaphat and said, "Jehoshaphat, since you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have built." The ships were wrecked, so Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah were not able to send them to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
One time the leaders of Babylon sent messengers to Hezekiah. The messengers asked about a strange sign that had happened in the nations. When they came, God left Hezekiah alone to test him and to know everything that was in Hezekiah's heart.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz,.... Or, "by the hand of Isaiah", by his means; and it was to him likewise, as the following words show; and so the Septuagint version renders it; he spoke by him, by the sign he used, according to his order, and he spoke to him to use the sign:

saying; so the Arabic version, "with him"; and with these versions Noldius agrees:

go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins; a token of mourning, and which the prophet wore, as Kimchi thinks, because of the captivity of the ten tribes; and it may be also on account of the miseries that were coming upon the people of the Jews; though some think this was his common garb, and the same with the royal garment the prophets used to wear, Zechariah 13:4 but that he had put off, and had put on sackcloth in its room, which he is now bid to take off:

and put off thy shoe from thy foot; as a sign of distress and mourning also, 2 Samuel 15:30:

and he did so, walking naked and barefoot; Kimchi thinks this was only visionally, or in the vision of prophecy, as he calls it, and not in reality; but the latter seems most probable, and best to agree with what follows; for he was obedient to the divine command, not regarding the disgrace which might attend it, nor the danger of catching cold, to which he was exposed; and hence he has the character of a servant of the Lord, in the next words, and a faithful obedient one he was.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

By Isaiah - Margin, ‘By the hand of Isaiah.’ So the Hebrew. That is, by the instrumentality of Isaiah. He sent him to make known the fate of the Egyptians, and the folly of trusting in them on this occasion.

Go, and loose the sackcloth - For the meaning of the word “sackcloth,” see the note at Isaiah 3:24. It was commonly worn as an emblem of mourning. But there is reason to believe that it was worn also by the prophets, and was regarded, in some degree, as their appropriate dress. It was made usually of the coarse hair of the goat, and was worn as a zone or girdle around the loins. That this was the dress of Elijah is apparent from 2 Kings 1:8 : ‘He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather;’ that is, he was clothed in a garment made of hair. The same was true of John the Baptist Matthew 3:4. That the prophets wore ‘a rough garment’ is apparent also from Zechariah 13:4 : ‘Neither shall they (the false prophets) wear a rough garment (Hebrew, A garment of hair) to deceive;’ that is, the false prophets shall not assume the dress of the true prophets for the purpose of deluding the people, or to make them think that they are true prophets. It is evident, therefore, that this hairy garment was regarded as a dress that pertained particularly to the prophets. It is well known, also, that the ancient Greek philosophers had a special dress to distinguish them from the common people. Probably the custom of wearing “hair cloth” among the monks of later ages took its rise from this example of the prophets. His removing this garment was designed to be a sign or an emblem to show that the Egyptians should be stripped of all their possessions, and carried captive to Assyria.

Walking naked - That is, walking “without this special prophetic garment. It does not mean that he was in a state of entire nudity, for all that he was directed to do was to lay this garment - this emblem of his office - aside. The word “naked,” moreover, is used in the Scriptures, not to denote an absolute destitution of clothing, but that the “outer” garment was laid aside (see the note at John 21:7). Thus it is said of Saul 1 Samuel 19:24 that he ‘stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day;’ that is, he stripped off his royal robes, and was “naked or unclothed” in that respect. He removed his “special” dress as a king, or military chieftain, and appeared in the ordinary dress. It cannot be supposed that the king of Israel would be seen literally without raiment. So David is said to have danced “naked” before the ark, that is, with his royal robes laid aside. How “long” Isaiah walked in this manner has been a matter of doubt (see the note at Isaiah 20:3). The prophets were accustomed to use symbolic actions to denote the events which they foretold (see the note at Isaiah 8:18). Thus the children of Isaiah, and the names given to them, were significant of important events (Isaiah 8:1-3; compare Jeremiah 18:1-6; Jeremiah 43:8-9); in both of which places he used emblematic actions to exhibit the events concerning which he prophesied in a striking manner. Thus also the prophets are expressly called ‘signs and wonders’ Zechariah 3:8; Ezekiel 12:6.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 20:2. Walking naked and barefoot. — It is not probable that the prophet walked uncovered and barefoot for three years; his appearing in that manner was a sign that within three years the Egyptians and Cushites should be in the same condition, being conquered and made captives by the king of Assyria. The time was denoted as well as the event; but his appearing in that manner for three whole years could give no premonition of the time at all. It is probable, therefore, that the prophet was ordered to walk so for three days to denote the accomplishment of the event in three years; a day for a year, according to the prophetical rule, Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6. The words שלש ימים shalosh yamim, three days, may possibly have been lost out of the text, at the end of the second verse, after יחף yacheph, barefoot; or after the same word in the third verse, where, in the Alexandrine and Vatican copies of the Septuagint, and in MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II. the words τρια ετη, three years, are twice expressed. Perhaps, instead of שלש ימים shalosh yamim, three days, the Greek translator might read שלש שנים shalosh shanim, three years, by his own mistake, or by that of his copy, after יחף yacheph in the third verse, for which stands the first τρια ετη, three years, in the Alexandrine and Vatican Septuagint, and in the two MSS. above mentioned. It is most likely that Isaiah's walking naked and barefoot was done in a vision; as was probably that of the Prophet Hosea taking a wife of whoredoms. None of these things can well be taken literally.

From thy foot — רגליך ragleycha, thy feet, is the reading of thirty-four of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., four ancient editions, with the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic.


 
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