INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 20 This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of the Egyptians and Ethiopians by the Assyrians, which had been prophesied of separately in the two preceding Chapter s Isaiah 18:1, and now conjunctly in this: the time of it is given, Isaiah 20:1 the sign of it, the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE YEAR THAT TARTAN CAME UNTO ASHDOD,.... Or Azotus, as the Septuagint here call it; and which is its name in the New Testament, Acts 8:40. This Tartan, or whom the Septuagint names Tanathan, and the Arabic version Tathan, was one of Sennacherib's generals, 2 Kings 18:17: (WHEN SARGON THE KING... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE SAME TIME SPAKE THE LORD BY ISAIAH THE SON OF AMOZ,.... Or, "by the hand of Isaiah", by his means; and it was to him likewise, as the following words show; and so the Septuagint version renders it; he spoke by him, by the sign he used, according to his order, and he spoke to him to use the si... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID,.... Here follows the explanation of the sign, and the accommodation of it to the thing signified by it: LIKE AS MY SERVANT ISAIAH HATH WALKED NAKED AND BAREFOOT; not wholly naked, for that would have been very indecent and dangerous indeed; but without his upper garment, as Saul,... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SHALL THE KING OF ASSYRIA LEAD AWAY THE EGYPTIANS PRISONERS, AND THE ETHIOPIANS CAPTIVES,.... As beasts are led or driven, being taken prisoners, and carried captive by the king of Assyria, namely Sargon, whoever is intended by him: YOUNG AND OLD; without any regard to age, sparing none for thei... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BE AFRAID AND ASHAMED,.... That is, those that trusted and depended upon the Egyptians and Ethiopians, particularly the Jews after mentioned, shall be "afraid" that it will be their turn next, that they also shall be taken and carried captive; and they shall be "ashamed" that they hav... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE INHABITANTS OF THIS ISLE SHALL SAY, IN THAT DAY,.... Not of Ashdod, Isaiah 20:1 or the isle of Caphtor, Jeremiah 47:4 but the land of Israel, as both Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; so called, because it bordered on the sea, as such countries are sometimes called isles; see Jeremiah 25:22. B... [ Continue Reading ]