Isaiah Chapter 20

[Ken M. Penner]

115. Isaiah goes naked and barefoot (20:1–21:1)
20.1 Τοῦ ἔτους οὗ εἰσῆλθεν Ναθὰν εἰς Ἄζωτον, ἡνίκα ἀπεστάλη ὑπὸ Ἀρνὰ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ἐπολέμησεν τὸν Ἄζωτον καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτήν.
2 Τότε ἐλάλησεν Κύριος πρὸς Ἠσαίαν λέγων
Πορεύου καὶ ἄφελε τὸν σάκκον ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος σου καὶ τὰ σανδάλιά σου ὑπόλυσαι ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν σου· καὶ ποίησον οὕτως πορευόμενος γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδετος.
3 Καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος Ὃν τρόπον πεπόρευται ὁ παῖς μου Ἠσαίας γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδετος τρία ἔτη, ἔσται σημεῖον καὶ τέρατα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ Αἰθίοψιν· 4 καὶ νοήσουσιν ὅτι οὕτως ἄξει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Αἰγύπτου καὶ Αἰθιόπων, νεανίσκους καὶ πρεσβύτας, γυμνοὺς καὶ ἀνυποδέτους ἀνακεκαλυμμένους τὴν αἰσχύνην Αἰγύπτου. 5 καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται ἡττηθέντες Αἰγύπτιοι ἐπὶ τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν, ἐφʼ οἷς ἦσαν πεποιθότες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, οἳ ἦσαν αὐτοῖς δόξα. 6 καὶ ἐροῦσιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκεῖνῃ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἦμεν πεποιθότες τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς αὐτοὺς εἰς βοήθειαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο σωθῆναι ἀπὸ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων· καὶ πῶς ἡμεῖς σωθησόμεθα;

[Ken M. Penner]

115. Isaiah goes naked and barefoot (20:1–21:1)

20.1 Τοῦ ἔτους οὗ εἰσῆλθεν Ναθὰν εἰς Ἄζωτον, ἡνίκα ἀπεστάλη ὑπὸ Ἀρνὰ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ἐπολέμησεν τὸν Ἄζωτον καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτήν.

2 Τότε ἐλάλησεν Κύριος πρὸς Ἠσαίαν λέγων
Πορεύου καὶ ἄφελε τὸν σάκκον ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος σου καὶ τὰ σανδάλιά σου ὑπόλυσαι ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν σου· καὶ ποίησον οὕτως πορευόμενος γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδετος.

3 Καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος Ὃν τρόπον πεπόρευται ὁ παῖς μου Ἠσαίας γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδετος τρία ἔτη, ἔσται σημεῖον καὶ τέρατα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ Αἰθίοψιν· 4 καὶ νοήσουσιν ὅτι οὕτως ἄξει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Αἰγύπτου καὶ Αἰθιόπων, νεανίσκους καὶ πρεσβύτας, γυμνοὺς καὶ ἀνυποδέτους ἀνακεκαλυμμένους τὴν αἰσχύνην Αἰγύπτου. 5 καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται ἡττηθέντες Αἰγύπτιοι ἐπὶ τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν, ἐφʼ οἷς ἦσαν πεποιθότες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, οἳ ἦσαν αὐτοῖς δόξα. 6 καὶ ἐροῦσιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκεῖνῃ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἦμεν πεποιθότες τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς αὐτοὺς εἰς βοήθειαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο σωθῆναι ἀπὸ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων· καὶ πῶς ἡμεῖς σωθησόμεθα;

1
οὗ] B has ὅτε
Ναθὰν] changed by ca to Ταναθὰν, with B (Rahlfs, Ziegler). At first glance, the name might appear to be accusative, but once the prepositional phrase is read, the nominative makes more sense.
ἡνίκα] another particle introducing a clause indicating the time
Ἀρνὰ] with B (Rahlfs); Σαρναν (Ziegler)
τὸν] changed by ca to τὴν, with B (Rahlfs, Ziegler). Cities are normally feminine.
κατελάβετο] B has ἔλαβεν
2
Ἠσαίαν] B has Ἠσαίαν υἱὸν Ἀμὼς
ἄφελε] imperative of ἀφαιρέω, remove.
ὑπόλυσαι] middle imperative of ὑπολύω
ποίησον] with B, changed by ca from ποιησεν] ἐποίησεν (Rahlfs, Ziegler)
ἀνυπόδετος] variant spelling of ἀνυπόδητος, barefoot.
3
ὁ παῖς μου Ἠσαίας] with B; Ησαίας ὁ παῖς μου (Rahlfs, Ziegler)
τρία ἔτης
ἔτη] (Rahlfs, Ziegler) uncorrected mistake written as ἔτης, unless αἰτῇς was meant. B has ἔτη, τρία ἔτη
ἔσται] the subject is Isaiah’s symbolic behaviour.
σημεῖον] singular, changed by ca to the plural σημεῖα (Rahlfs, Ziegler); B has εἰς σημεῖα. The parallel τέρατα is plural.
4
καὶ νοήσουσιν] lacking
ἀνακεκαλυμμένους] B has ἅμα, κεκαλυμμένους. καλύπτω means cover; ἀνακαλύπτω means uncover, which fits the symbolic behaviour.
5
ἡττηθέντες Αἰγύπτιοι] ἡττηθέντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι (Rahlfs, Ziegler); B has only ἡττηθέντες.
ἐπὶ] modifies αἰσχυνθήσονται rather than ἡττηθέντες; ἡττάομαι does not normally take ἐπι, which here translates the preposition מ.
πεποιθότες] a favourite word of G, here translating מבט‍, “hope.”
δόξα] The selection of this Greek word is readily explainable as a literal translation of תפארת‍. How this would have been undersood by a Greek reader is harder to answer. The prototypical meaning “opinion” in classical Greek is not obvious in this context; here it would have been understood perhaps in the sense of “honour,” i.e., the Egyptians increased in reputation by their association with the Ethiopians.
6
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκεῖνῃ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ] οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ (Rahlfs, Ziegler); B has οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ is a literal translation of האי הזה. The phrase κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ appears again in 23:2 (but without ταύτῃ) and 23:6. The island is Egyptian, since the inhabitants of the island say they had been “trusting”, which is what the Egyptians were doing in 20:5. The temple islands of Elephantine or Philae come to mind, especially in the context of their southern neighbour.
καὶ αὐτοὶ] B (Rahlfs, Ziegler) has οἳ
ἠδύναντο] aorist; B (Rahlfs, Ziegler) has the imperfect ἐδύναντο
Reception
Clement of Alexandria (Paedagogus 2.11) cites 20:2 in support of his argument not to be concerned with clothing.
Origen (Cont. Cels. 7.7) refers to the same verse as an example of the biography of a prophet.
Chrysostom (Homilies on Matthew 18, on Matt 5:40) also cites 20:2 when commenting on Jesus’ command to “let him have your cloak also” (Matt 5:40), to say that going without clothing for the sake of God’s command is no disgrace.

[Ken M. Penner]

115. Isaiah goes naked and barefoot (20:1–21:1)
20.1 In the year when Nathan entered into Azotos, when he was sent by Arna king of Assyrians, he also waged war against Azotos and seized it.

2 Then Lord spoke to Esaias saying,

Go, and remove the sackcloth from your loins and untie your sandals from your feet. And do so, going naked and barefoot.

3 And Lord said, As my servant Esaias has gone naked and barefoot for three years, there will be a sign and wonders for the Egyptians and Ethiopians, 4 and they will realize that in this same way the king of Assyrians will lead the captives of Egypt, and Ethiopians, youths and seniors, naked and barefoot, uncovered, the shame of Egypt. 5 And being subjugated, Egyptians will be ashamed because of the Ethiopians on whom the Egyptians were trusting; they were an honour to them. 6 And on that day those who dwell in this island will say, Look, we were confident to flee to them for help, and they themselves could not be saved from the king of Assyrians! And how will we be saved ourselves?