Isaiah 20:2

This verse is an explanatory parenthesis. The command here mentioned must have been given three years before the oracle of Isaiah 20:3 ff.; hence the expression "at that time" must be understood in a loose sense and for spakewe must render "had spoken."

sackcloth the rough garment of hair or coarse linen worn by mourners in lieu of the customary upper garment; also by prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4). It is rather surprising to find that Isaiah wore this distinctive badge of his profession. He is directed to "ungird" (and lay aside) this and walk "naked," i.e. in his under-garment (the kuttôneth), cf. 1 Samuel 19:24; John 21:7. The action was expressive of the deepest degradation, and involved no small sacrifice for a man of Isaiah's position. But that he actually performed it cannot reasonably be questioned. Cf. Micah 1:8.

3, resuming Isaiah 20:1, gives the interpretation of the symbol.

my servant Isaiah Isaiah is Jehovah's "servant" as a prophet. Cf. Amos 3:7; Numbers 12:7.

sign and wonder see ch. Isaiah 8:18. By the accents the words "three years" are attached to this clause in order to convey the sense "a three-years" sign," meaning "a sign of an event which is to happen after three years." But this is very unnatural, and was evidently suggested by a desire to avoid the notion that the action was kept up for so long a time.

upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia Ethiopia was at this time the paramount influence in the Nile-valley, Upper Egypt being completely under its sway, while Lower Egypt was divided amongst a number of petty princes. The Sab"é, or Sib-i (? Sevé), whom Sargon defeated in 720 is usually identified with the Ethiopian Sabako. Winckler, however, doubts this, and takes Sab"é to have been one of the small kings of the Delta. (See also Cheyne's Note in 2nd Ed. of Robertson Smith's Prophets of Israel, p. 428.) "Upon" may be either against or concerning.