1In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
2At 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.
3And 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;
4So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
5And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
6And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?
📖 Chapter study
Summary
As a dramatic prophetic sign, Isaiah walks naked and barefoot for three years, foreshadowing how Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush) would be led away captive and humiliated by Assyria. It is a warning against trusting these nations as allies.
Explanation
The historical context is the Assyrian campaign against Ashdod (a Philistine city), around 711 BC, led by the general Tartan under King Sargon II of Assyria — an event confirmed by Assyrian archaeological records. Isaiah, obeying an unusual divine command, walks like a prisoner of war (naked and barefoot, without the normal symbols of status) to visually show the fate awaiting Egypt and Cush, nations Judah was tempted to trust against Assyria. This kind of 'enacted prophecy' was a device used by Hebrew prophets when words alone were not enough to impress the people. The practical application is that trusting in human powers for security, instead of in God, always results in disappointment.
Fun facts
- King Sargon II of Assyria, mentioned in this chapter, was known only from biblical references until archaeologists discovered his palace at Khorsabad (present-day Iraq) in the 19th century, historically confirming his existence and reign.
- Walking 'naked and barefoot' did not necessarily mean completely without clothes — the Hebrew expression could also indicate being dressed only in a simple tunic, like a prisoner of war, without the robes and sandals of a free man.