Isaiah 20:3

[Kenneth Greifer]

Isaiah 20:3 is usually translated as "and the L-rd said: Like my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot (for) three years a sign and wonder upon (about) Egypt and Cush...", so Egypt and Cush will walk naked and barefoot.

Why isn't it translated as "and the L-rd said: Like my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot, three years a sign and wonder are upon Egypt and Cush..."? Maybe Isaiah didn't walk 3 years naked and barefoot, but Egypt and Cush will.

[kwrandolph]

Isaiah 20:3 is usually translated as

I don’t know from where you get your “usually translated as”, as this translation is not smooth English as a usual translation would strive to be.

"and the L-rd said: Like my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot (for) three years a sign and wonder upon (about) Egypt and Cush...", so Egypt and Cush will walk naked and barefoot.

From where do you get “wonder”? The word מופת actually has the meaning of “portent” which, when one looks up in a dictionary, has the definition of “a sign or warning that something, esp. something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen”. This is not something good.

Why isn't it translated as "and the L-rd said: Like my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot, three years a sign and wonder are upon Egypt and Cush..."? Maybe Isaiah didn't walk 3 years naked and barefoot, but Egypt and Cush will.

Isaiah did walk naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent to Egypt and Cush that they too will walk naked and barefoot.

A good English translation has to add glue words not needed in Hebrew to make sense.

Karl W. Randolph.

[Kenneth Greifer]

I was just using the common translation that I saw in books, but it could be a sign that is not miraculous, because a "wonder" can also mean a sign that is not miraculous, but unusual. Anyway, I think Isaiah was a sign, but Egypt and Ethiopia walked naked and barefoot for three years as signs to Ashdod because they would know that it would be their future too if you look at the next few lines.

I guess I should have explained better.

[Kenneth Greifer]

I forgot to mention something in the posting before this one. I don't think that all of the exiles of Egypt and Ethiopia walked naked and barefoot for three years, but that it would take three years for all of the people of those lands to go into exile naked and barefoot because those were big countries.Why would Ashdod be mentioned at the beginning and end of Isaiah 20:1-6 unless the signs were really for them and not Egypt and Ethiopia?

[kwrandolph]

Kenneth:

You really have to stretch to get your reading.

The simple reading of the text is that Isaiah alone went naked for three years. It says nothing about how long Egypt and Kush did the same.

The standard way to read any language is to go with the simple reading at all times, unless there are contextual clues to indicate otherwise. You do that with English, why not also with Hebrew?

Karl W. Randolph.

[Jemoh66]

The Hebrew word order and syntax in this sentence doesn't support that, Ken.
In vs 3-4 we have a sentence that consists of a As...So... statement, i.e. two prepositional phrases.

The first of these PP's is:
כאשר הלך עבדי ישעיהו ערום ויחף שלש שנים אות ומופת על מצרים ועל כוש

Lit.: as has walked my servant Yesha'yahu naked and barefoot three years a sign and an omen concerning Egypt and concerning Cush

The second PP:

כן ינהג מלך אשור את שבי מצרים ואת גלות כוש נערים וזקנים ערום ויחף

Lit.: so will lead away the king of Assyria the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush young ones and old ones naked and barefoot

1. The complement phrase אות ומופת על מצרים ועל כוש is in apposition to the verbal phrase הלך עבדי ישעיהו ערום ויחף שלש שנים.
2. The same phrase in part of the "as..." statement, not part of the "so..." statement.
3. In other words, the phrase שלש שנים would have to come after the preposition כן.
4. Moreover, it just makes more sense that Isaiah "walked" three years, as opposed to the king will lead ... three years.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Jonathan,

I don't think the king will lead them in exile 3 years. I think Isaiah 20:1 says that he sent someone to capture Ashdod, so I am sure someone else does the work for the king. It probably means that Egypt and Ethiopia will be driven out of the two lands over a three year period because there are a lot of people or maybe all of the exiles will walk for three years, I don't know which one. I think the quote can be read as Isaiah walked for three years naked and barefoot or Egypt and Ethiopia will, but the sign is for Ashdod who will also walk naked and barefoot in the future. The sign for Ashdod is upon Egypt and Ethiopia because they will walk three years naked and barefoot. Isaiah is just representing the sign that is on those two nations.

It would not make sense for Isaiah to do that for three years, but if he did do it, then you could say that the sign for Egypt and Ethiopia would be that they would also walk for three years, since they will walk naked and barefoot like Isaiah did. I don't think this is right, but this would fit the sign of him walking three years.

I think that it is possible that Isaiah did not walk three years. This is one time I have to disagree, even though I can't say the other translation is wrong.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Please read the posting above and then this one too.
Maybe I should write the translation of what I am saying about Isaiah 20:1-6.

First it says that someone working for the king of Assyria took over Ashdod. Then it says:
And the L-rd said: Like My servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot, three years a sign and a sign (different word) is upon Egypt and Ethiopia. Thus the king of Assyria will lead (will drive) the captivity of Egypt and the exile of Ethiopia naked and barefoot...

Then it talks about Ashdod or the coastland becoming afraid because they realize that this will happen to them because they must have thought those two countries could help them against Assyria, but they couldn't help themselves. The signs are upon those two countries that Isaiah imitated by walking naked and barefoot, but he was not a sign to Egypt and Ethiopia. They will be a sign to Ashdod.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Maybe Isaiah 20 says that Isaiah's sign of walking barefoot and naked will be upon Egypt and Ethiopia for three years, and not that they will be a sign to Ashdod about Ashdod's future.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Maybe Isaiah 20 says that Isaiah's sign of walking barefoot and naked will be upon Egypt and Ethiopia for three years, and not that they will be a sign to Ashdod about Ashdod's future.

Maybe this is like Deuteronomy 28:46 which says the curses will come to the people and be signs and wonders upon them.