I
S A I A H
CHAP. XX.
This
chapter is a prediction of the carrying away of multitudes both of the
Egyptians and the Ethiopians into captivity by the king of Assyria. Here is, I. The sign by which this was foretold, which was the
prophet's going for some time barefoot and almost naked, like a poor captive,
ver. 1-2. II. The explication of that sign, with application to
Egypt and Ethiopia, ver. 3-5. III. The good use which the people
of God should make of this, which is never to trust in an arm of flesh,
because thus it will deceive them, ver. 6.
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Threatenings
against Egypt.
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B.
C. 713.
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1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod,
(when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and
took it; 2 At 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. 3 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; 4 So 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. 5 And they shall be afraid and
ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. 6
And 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?
God here, as King of nations, brings a sore calamity upon Egypt and Ethiopia,
but, as King of saints, brings good to his people out of it. Observe,
I. The date of this prophecy. It was in the year that Ashdod, a strong city of
the Philistines (but which some think was lately recovered from them by
Hezekiah, when he smote the Philistines even unto Gaza, 2 Kings xviii. 8), was
besieged and taken by an army of the Assyrians. It is uncertain what year of
Hezekiah that was, but the event was so remarkable that those who lived then
could by that token fix the time to a year. He that was now king of Assyria is
called Sargon, which some take to be the same with Sennacherib; others
think he was his immediate predecessor, and succeeded Shalmaneser. Tartan, who
was general, or commander-in-chief, in this expedition, was one of
Sennacherib's officers, sent by him to bid defiance to Hezekiah, in
concurrence with Rabshakeh, 2 Kings xviii. 17.
II. The making of Isaiah a sign, by his unusual dress when he walked abroad.
He had been a sign to his own people of the melancholy times that had come and
were coming upon them, by the sackcloth which for some time he had worn, of
which he had a gown made, which he girt about him. Some think he put himself
into that habit of a mourner upon occasion of the captivity of the ten tribes.
Others think sackcloth was what he commonly wore as a prophet, to show himself
mortified to the world, and that he might learn to endure hardness; soft
clothing better becomes those that attend in king's palaces (Matt. xi. 8) than
those that go on God's errands. Elijah wore hair-cloth (2 Kings i. 8), and
John Baptist (Matt. iii. 4) and those that pretended to be prophets supported
their pretension by wearing rough garments (Zech. xiii. 4); but Isaiah has
orders given him to loose his sackcloth from his loins, not to exchange
it for better clothing, but for none at all--no upper garment, no mantle,
cloak, or coat, but only that which was next to him, we may suppose his shirt,
waistcoat, and drawers; and he must put off his shoes, and go barefoot;
so that compared with the dress of others, and what he himself usually wore,
he might be said to go naked. This was a great hardship upon the
prophet; it was a blemish to his reputation, and would expose him to contempt
and ridicule; the boys in the streets would hoot at him, and those who sought
occasion against him would say, The prophet is indeed a fool, and
the spiritual man is mad, Hosea ix. 7. It might likewise be a prejudice to
his health; he was in danger of catching a cold, which might throw him into a
fever, and cost him his life; but God bade him do it, that he might give a
proof of his obedience to God in a most difficult command, and so shame the
disobedience of his people to the most easy and reasonable precepts. When we
are in the way of our duty we may trust God both with our credit and with our
safety. The hearts of that people were strangely stupid, and would not be
affected with what they only heard, but must be taught by signs, and therefore
Isaiah must do this for their edification. If the dress was scandalous, yet
the design was glorious, and what a prophet of the Lord needed not to be
ashamed of.
III. The exposition of this sign, v. 3, 4. It was intended to signify
that the Egyptians and the Ethiopians should be led away captive by the king
of Assyria, thus stripped, or in rags, and very shabby clothing, as Isaiah
was. God calls him his servant Isaiah, because in this matter
particularly he had approved himself God's willing, faithful, obedient
servant; and for this very thing, which perhaps others laughed at him for, God
gloried in him. To obey is better than sacrifice; it pleases God and praises
him more, and shall be more praised by him. Isaiah is said to have walked
naked and barefoot three years, whenever in that time he appeared as a
prophet. But some refer the three years, not to the sign, but to the thing
signified: He has walked naked and barefoot; there is a stop in the
original; provided he did so once that was enough to give occasion to all
about him to enquire what was the meaning of his doing so; or, as some think,
he did it three days, a day for a year; and this for a three years' sign and
wonder, for a sign of that which should be done three years afterwards or
which should be three years in the doing. Three campaigns successively shall
the Assyrian army make, in spoiling the Egyptians and Ethiopians, and carrying
them away captive in this barbarous manner, not only the soldiers taken in the
field of battle, but the inhabitants, young and old; and it being a very
piteous sight, and such as must needs move compassion in those that had the
least degree of tenderness left them to see those who had gone all their days
well dressed now stripped, and scarcely having rags to cover their nakedness,
that circumstance of their captivity is particularly taken notice of, and
foretold, the more to affect those to whom this prophecy was delivered. It is
particularly said to be to the shame of Egypt (v. 4), because
the Egyptians were a proud people, and therefore when they did fall into
disgrace it was the more shameful to them; and the higher they had lifted up
themselves the lower was their fall, both in their own eyes and in the eyes of
others.
IV. The use and application of this, v. 5, 6. 1. All that had any
dependence upon, or correspondence with, Egypt and Ethiopia, should now be
ashamed of them, and afraid of having any thing to do with them. Those
countries that were in danger of being overrun by the Assyrians expected that
Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, with his numerous forces, would put a stop to the
progress of their victorious arms, and be a barrier to his neighbours; and
with yet more assurance they gloried that Egypt, a kingdom so famous for
policy and prowess, would do their business, would oblige them to raise the
siege of Ashdod and retire with precipitation. But, instead of this, by
attempting to oppose the king of Assyria they did but expose themselves and
make their country a prey to him. Hereupon all about them were ashamed that
ever they promised themselves any advantage from two such weak and cowardly
nations, and were more afraid now than ever they were of the growing greatness
of the king of Assyria, before whom Egypt and Ethiopia proved but as briers
and thorns put to stop a consuming fire, which do but make it burn the more
strongly. Note, Those who make any creature their expectation and glory, and
so put it in the place of God, will sooner or later be ashamed of it, and
their disappointment in it will but increase their fear. See Ezek. xxix. 6, 7.
2. The Jews in particular should be convinced of their folly in resting upon
such broken reeds, and should despair of any relief from them (v. 6): The
inhabitants of this isle (the land of Judah, situated upon the sea, though
not surrounded by it), of this country (so the margin); every one shall now
have his eyes opened, and shall say, "Behold, such is our expectation,
so vain, so foolish, and this is that which it will come to. We have fled for
help to the Egyptians and Ethiopians, and have hoped by them to be delivered
from the king of Assyria; but, now that they are broken thus, how shall we
escape, that are not able to bring such armies into the field as they
did?" Note, (1.) Those that confide in creatures will be disappointed,
and will be made ashamed of their confidence; for vain is the help of man,
and in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills or the height and multitude
of the mountains. (2.) Disappointment in creature confidences, instead of
driving us to despair, as here (how shall we escape?), should drive us
to God; for, if we flee to him for help, our expectation shall not be
frustrated.
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