The Sign of the Naked Prophet
1 In the year that the general sent by Sargon, king of Assy ria, made an assault upon Ashdod, capturing it,
2 Yahweh gave a warning through Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saying, “Hang the sackcloth from your hips, take off your sandals and go.” He did so, and walked naked and barefoot.
3 Then Yahweh said: Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent for Egypt and Ethiopia,
4 so will the king of Assyria lead away captives from Egypt and exiles from Ethiopia, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, their buttocks uncovered, to the disgrace of Egypt.
5 Those who pinned their hope upon Ethiopia and made a boast of Egypt will be frightened and put to shame.
6 On that day the inhabitants of this coastland will say, “Look at what happened to those we trusted and fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! What are we going to do now to save ourselves?”
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Comments Isaiah, Chapter 20
• 20.1 We can easily imagine the impact of this sym bolic gesture. Egypt was among the powerful of that time. Compared with Assyria, an example of military power, Egypt was the richer country, with a more refined civilization. The Jews were counting on Egypt and were asking for help: chariots and horses.
“Alas for those who trust in humans” (Jer 17:5).