Chapter 20
20:1 In the year that Tharthan entered into Azotus, when Sargon the king of the Assyrians had sent him, and he had fought against Azotus, and had taken it:
20:2 At that same time the Lord spoke by the hand of Isaiah the son of Amos, saying Go, and loose the sackcloth from off your loins, and take off your shoes from your feet. And he did so, and went naked, and barefoot.
20:3 And the Lord said: as my servant Isaiah has walked, naked and barefoot, it shall be a sign and a portent of three years upon Egypt, and upon Ethiopia,
20:4 So shall the king of the Assyrians lead away the prisoners of Egypt, and the captivity of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt.
20:5 And they shall be afraid, and confounded by Ethiopia their hope, and by Egypt their glory.
20:6 And the inhabitants of this isle shall say in that day: lo this was our hope, to whom we fled for help, to deliver us from the face of the king of the Assyrians: and how shall we be able to escape?
503 . In the year that . Here the time of destruction is set out, and it is divided into three parts.
And first is set out something that signifies, namely a prophetic deed;
second, the signification of the deed: and the Lord said (Isa 20:3);
third, he shows the effect of the thing signified: and they shall be afraid, and confounded (Isa 20:5).
504 . Concerning the first, he does three things.
First, the time of the prophecy is set out: in the year that Tharthan entered into Azotus , a city of the Philistines, Amos 1:7–8: where also is Gaza, Geth, Accaron, Ascalon, Azotus. Sargon , who is Sennacherib, according to Jerome, for he had six names, which were Sargon, Senach, Phua, Salmanasar, Theglathphalasar and Asarad. By the hand , that is, in a work concordant with his words: I have used similitudes by the hands of the prophets (Hos 12:10).
Second, he sets out the divine command: go, and loose : and Ezechiel shall be unto you for a sign of things to come (Ezek 24:24).
Third, the fulfillment of the command: and he did so , below: and I do not resist (Isa 50:5).
505 . And the Lord said . Here the signification of the aforementioned deed is set out.
And first, as to the time for which the persecution lasted: three years , signified by the three days in which he went naked: a day for a year I have appointed to you (Ezek 4:6).
Second, as to the author of the destruction: so shall the king be led : in that day shall messengers go forth from my face in ships to destroy the confidence of Ethiopia (Ezek 30:9).
Third, as to the condition of the destruction, into universality: young and old ; into baseness: naked , namely, captivity: there is no cure for you (Jer 46:11).
506 . And they shall be afraid . Here he places the effect on the Jews;
first, fear, and they shall be afraid ;
second, confusion, and confounded ;
third, the expression of both of these effects: and the inhabitants of this isle , that is, Jerusalem, which was incessantly beaten by waves of persecution, like an isle beaten by the waves of the sea.
Lo this was our hope , in which their confusion is expressed,
and how shall we be able to escape , in which their fear is expressed, below: the strength of Pharaoh shall be to your confusion (Isa 30:3).