the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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THE MESSAGE
Isaiah 20:3
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,
The LORD said, Like as my servant Yesha`yahu has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Mitzrayim and concerning Kush;
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;
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,
Then the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and symbol against Egypt and Cush,
Then the Lord said, "Isaiah my servant has walked around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush.
And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has walked stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign and forewarning concerning Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia),
Yahweh said, Like as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;
And the Lord said, Like as my seruant Isaiah hath walked naked, & barefoote three yeeres, as a signe and wonder vpon Egypt, and Ethiopia,
And Yahweh said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia,
Then the LORD said, "Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years, as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,
for three years. Then the Lord said: What Isaiah has done is a warning to Egypt and Ethiopia.
In time, Adonai said, "Just as my servant Yesha‘yahu has gone about unclothed and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,
And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years, a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia,
Then the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has gone without clothes or sandals for three years. This is a sign for Egypt and Ethiopia.
And the Lord said, As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot, so shall there be signs and wonders for three years upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
When Ashdod was captured, the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has been going around naked and barefoot for three years. This is a sign of what will happen to Egypt and Ethiopia.
Then Yahweh said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,
And Jehovah said, Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years (a sign and a wonder on Egypt and on Ethiopia)
Then sayde the LORDE: where as my seruaunt Esaye goeth naked and barefote, it is a token and signifienge of the thinge, that after thre yeare shal come vpo Egipte and Ethiopia.
And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;
And the Lord said, As my servant Isaiah has gone unclothed and without shoes for three years as a sign and a wonder to Egypt and Ethiopia,
And the LORD said: 'Like as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot to be for three years a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia,
And the Lord said, Like as my seruant Isaiah hath walked naked and bare foote three yeeres for a signe and wonder vpon Egypt and vpon Ethiopia:
And the Lorde sayde, Lyke as my seruaunt Esai hath walked naked and barefoote for a signe and wonder three yeres vpon Egypt and Ethiopia:
And the Lord said, As my servant Esaias has walked naked and barefoot three years, there shall be three years for signs and wonders to the Egyptians and Ethiopians;
And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
And the Lord seide, As my seruaunt Ysaie yede nakid and vnschood, a signe and greet wondur of thre yeer schal be on Egipt, and on Ethiopie;
And Yahweh said, Like my slave Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;
And the LORD said, As my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years [for] a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Cush;
Later the Lord explained, "In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush,
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,
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.
The Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has gone without clothing and shoes for three years as something special to be seen against Egypt and Cush.
Then the Lord said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,
Then said Yahweh, - As my servant Isaiah, hath walked, disrobed and barefoot three years as a sign and a wonder against Egypt and against Ethiopia,
And the Lord said: As my servant Isaias hath walked, naked and barefoot, it shall be a sign and a wonder of three years upon Egypt, and upon Ethiopia,
the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,
And Jehovah saith, `As My servant Isaiah hath gone naked and barefoot three years, a sign and a wonder for Egypt and for Cush,
And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
three: Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:5, Ezekiel 4:6, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3
a sign: Isaiah 8:18
upon Egypt: Isaiah 18:1-7
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 20:35 - Smite me Ezekiel 4:3 - This Ezekiel 24:24 - Ezekiel Ezekiel 30:6 - They also Ezekiel 30:9 - messengers Hosea 1:2 - Go Zechariah 3:8 - for
Cross-References
Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead—that woman you took, she's a married woman." Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man? Didn't he tell me, ‘She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, ‘He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this." God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family." Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done." Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?" Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'" Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish." And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver—that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You're vindicated." Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. For God had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish."
Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, "Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine."
He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: "I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!"
They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams."
"In a dream, for instance, a vision at night, when men and women are deep in sleep, fast asleep in their beds— God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings To turn them back from something bad they're planning, from some reckless choice, And keep them from an early grave, from the river of no return.
Jonah entered the city, went one day's walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed."
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And the Lord said,.... Here follows the explanation of the sign, and the accommodation of it to the thing signified by it:
like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot; not wholly naked, for that would have been very indecent and dangerous indeed; but without his upper garment, as Saul, 1 Samuel 19:24 and David, 2 Samuel 6:14 or with rent and ragged clothes, and old shoes, as Jarchi k interprets it, and which might be only when he appeared abroad; and how long he thus walked is not certain, whether only one day, as some, or three days, as others, or three years, which is not said, though our version inclines to it; but the three years next mentioned are not to be joined to Isaiah's walking, but to the thing signified by it; for the accent "athnach" is at the word which is rendered "barefoot", and distinguishes this clause from the following. The Septuagint indeed puts the phrase "three years" into both clauses, but it only belongs to the latter:
three years [for] a sign and wonder upon Egypt, and upon Ethiopia; that is, the prophet's walking naked and barefoot was a sign that three years after this Egypt and Ethiopia should be subdued by the Assyrians; or, that so long he should be in subduing them, or their calamities should last such a term of time. This sign was only seen by the Jews, for whose sake chiefly this prophecy was, to take off their dependence on the above nations; though probably this might be made known to the Egyptians and Ethiopians.
k T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 77. 1. & Sabbat, fol. 114. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Like as - That is, as Isaiah has gone stripped of his special garment as a prophet, so shall the Egyptians and Ethiopians be stripped of all that they value, and be carried captive into Assyria.â
Hath walked ... three years - A great deal of difficulty has been felt in the interpretation of this place, from the strong improbability that Isaiah should have gone in this manner for a space of time so long as our translation expresses. The Septuagint renders this, âAs my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years, three years shall be for signs and wonders to the Egyptians and Ethiopians.â The phrase in the Hebrew, âthree years,â âmayâ either be taken in connection with the preceding part of the sentence, as in our translation, meaning that he actually walked so long; or it may be taken with that which follows, and then it will denote that he was a sign and wonder with reference to the captivity of the Egyptians and Ethiopians; and that by this symbolic action he in some way indicated that they would be carried away captive for that space of time; or, as Aben Ezra and Abarbanel suppose, that he signified that their captivity would commence after three years. Lowth supposes that it means that his walking was for three days, and that the Hebrew text bas been corrupted. Vitringa also seems to suppose that this is possible, and that a day was a symbolic sign for a year. Rosenmuller supposes that this prophetic action was continued during three years âat intervals,â so that the subject might be kept before the mind of the people. But the supposition that this means that the symbolic action of walking naked and barefoot continued for so long a time in any manner, is highly improbable.
(1) The Hebrew does not necessarily require it. It âmayâ mean simply that his actions were a sign and wonder with reference to a three yearsâ captivity of the Egyptians.
(2) It is in itself improbable that he should so long a time walk about Jerusalem expressly as a sign and wonder, when a much shorter period would have answered the purpose as well.
(3) Such a sign would have hardly met the circumstances of the case. Asdod was taken. The Assyrian king was advancing.
The Jews were in consternation and looking to Egypt for help; and amidst this agitation and alarm, there is the highest improbability that Isaiah would be required to remain a sign and wonder for the long space of three years, when decided action was needed, and when, unless prevented, the Jews would have formed a speedy alliance with the Egyptians. I suppose, therefore, that the entire sense of the phrase will be expressed by translating it, âmy servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot, âa three yearsâ sign and wonder;ââ that is, a sign and indication that âa three yearsâ calamityâ would come upon Egypt and Ethiopia. Whether this means that the calamity would âcommenceâ in three years from that time, or that it should âcontinueâ three years, perhaps we cannot determine. Grotius thinks that it means that it would occur âafterâ three years; that is, that the war between the Assyrians and Ethiopians would continue during that time only. In what manner Isaiah indicated this, is not certainly known. The conjecture of Lowth is not improbable, that it was by appearing three âdaysâ naked and barefoot, and that each day denoted a year. Or it may have been that he appeared in this manner for a short period - though but once - and âdeclaredâ that this was the design or purport of the action.
Upon Egypt ... - With reference to; or as a sign in regard to Egypt. It does not mean that he was in Egypt, but that his action âhad referenceâ to Egypt.
And Ethiopia - Hebrew, ×××©× kuÌsh - (see the note at Isaiah 11:11). Whether this denotes the African Cush or Ethiopia, or whether it refers to the âCushâ in Arabia, cannot be determined. The latter is the more probable supposition, as it is scarcely probable that the Assyrian would extend his conquests south of Egypt so as to subdue the African Ethiopia. Probably his conquest embraced the âCushâ that was situated in the southern regions of Arabia.
