Isaiah 20:2
at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's striking here is that "naked" doesn't mean completely bare. Isaiah was told to remove his "sackcloth"—which was likely his distinctive prophetic garment, a rough robe signifying mourning or his prophetic office—and walk without it and his sandals. This wasn't about nudity, but about shedding the symbols of his status to represent a captive's humiliation.
The LORD instructs Isaiah to perform a symbolic act, stripping off his prophetic garment – sackcloth – and his sandals, walking publicly as "naked and barefoot." This striking, unusual action is a sign pointing towards the impending humiliation and captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia by the Assyrian empire, highlighting the folly of relying on these nations for help.
God didn't just tell Isaiah to speak; He told him to act. Why would God command such a bizarre public display?
The Prophet as a Living Sign
In ancient Israel, God often used His prophets not just with words, but with powerful, visible actions. These weren't random acts; they were carefully orchestrated 'signs and wonders' designed to grab people's attention and make His message unforgettable.
Walking 'naked and barefoot' sounds shocking. What does this extreme vulnerability reveal about God's message and our reliance on Him?
Stripped of Confidence
The 'nakedness' Isaiah experienced wasn't total nudity but the removal of his symbolic prophetic garment and outer wear. This action powerfully conveyed the shame and helplessness that awaited Egypt and Ethiopia.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the covenant-keeping God of Israel. It denotes His self-existence, eternal nature, and unique relationship with His people.
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse, rough fabric, often made of goat's hair, worn as a garment to express deep mourning, repentance, or intense humiliation.
Isaiah's dramatic, public act of undressing was a visceral warning against Judah's misplaced trust in Egypt and Ethiopia, demonstrating that these powerful allies would themselves fall prey to the Assyrian war machine.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian expansion under Sargon II
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under King Sargon II, was a dominant military power, expanding its territories and influence throughout the Near East.
c. 713 BC— this verse
Tartan sent against Ashdod
Sargon II sent his commander, Tartan, to lay siege to the Philistine city of Ashdod, a strategic move that threatened Judah and signaled Assyrian intent.
c. 713 BC
Isaiah walks naked and barefoot
Isaiah, as a divine sign, strips off his prophetic sackcloth garment and sandals, walking naked and barefoot in Jerusalem for three years to symbolize the coming captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia.
c. 711 BC
Fall of Ashdod
Ashdod was captured by the Assyrians, demonstrating the futility of relying on alliances with Egypt and Ethiopia against the might of Assyria.
This passage describes Elijah, another prophet, wearing a similar rough garment of hair and a leather belt, highlighting the prophetic tradition of distinctive, often coarse, attire that Isaiah was commanded to shed.
Jeremiah 27:2Jeremiah's symbolic act of making a yoke and placing it on his own neck parallels Isaiah's sensory demonstration, showing how prophets used their bodies to vividly portray future events and divine messages.
Ezekiel 4:6This verse establishes the 'a day for a year' principle for prophetic signs, which is crucial for understanding the duration of Isaiah's symbolic act and its prophetic meaning for the people.
Micah 1:8Micah also describes himself walking naked and barefoot as a sign of mourning and judgment for the sins of Israel, demonstrating that Isaiah's symbolic action was not a solitary event but part of a recognized prophetic method.
Acts 21:11Agabus, a New Testament prophet, dramatically binds his own hands and feet with Paul's belt, mirroring Isaiah's physical, symbolic prophecy and illustrating the continuity of this prophetic practice in conveying urgent messages.
barnesIsaiah 20:2: "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."
By Isaiah - Margin, 'By the hand of Isaiah.' So the Hebrew. That is, by the instrumentality of Isaiah. He sent him to make known the fate of the Egyptians, and the folly of trusting in them on this occasion. Go, and loose the sackcloth - For the meaning of the word "sackcloth," see the note…
bensonIsaiah 20:2: "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."
Isaiah 20:2 . Go loose the sackcloth from off thy loins — By the sackcloth is meant either the hairy garment usually worn by the prophets, or a mournful habit, such as was commonly made of sackcloth which he wore in token of his grief for the great calamities that were already come upon Isr…
What's striking here is that "naked" doesn't mean completely bare. Isaiah was told to remove his "sackcloth"—which was likely his distinctive prophetic garment, a rough robe signifying mourning or his prophetic office—and walk without it and his sandals. This wasn't about nudity, but about shedding the symbols of his status to represent a captive's humiliation.
The LORD instructs Isaiah to perform a symbolic act, stripping off his prophetic garment – sackcloth – and his sandals, walking publicly as "naked and barefoot." This striking, unusual action is a sign pointing towards the impending humiliation and captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia by the Assyrian empire, highlighting the folly of relying on these nations for help.
The LORD instructs Isaiah to perform a symbolic act, stripping off his prophetic garment – sackcloth – and his sandals, walking publicly as "naked and barefoot." This striking, unusual action is a sign pointing towards the impending humiliation and captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia by the Assyrian empire, highlighting the folly of relying on these nations for help.
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c. 711 BC
Egypt and Ethiopia subdued
Following the fall of Ashdod, the peoples of Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush) were defeated and taken captive by the Assyrians, fulfilling Isaiah's symbolic prophecy.
"at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot." — What's striking here is that "naked" doesn't mean completely bare. Isaiah was told to remove his "sackcloth"—which was likely his distinctive prophetic garment, a rough robe signifying mourning or hi…
