Isaiah

Isaiah 20:3–6

³Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,^a ⁴so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks— to Egypt’s shame.

⁵Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. ⁶And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Footnotes

a 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; similarly in verses 4 and 5

Read all of Isaiah 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Isaiah 20:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Just as	כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
My servant	עַבְדִּ֥י	‘aḇ·dî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5650 slave, servant
Isaiah	יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ	yə·ša‘·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3470 Jeshajah
has gone	הָלַ֛ךְ	hā·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
naked	עָר֣וֹם	‘ā·rō·wm	Adjective - masculine singular	H6174 naked
and barefoot	וְיָחֵ֑ף	wə·yā·ḥêp̄	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H3182 barefoot
for three	שָׁלֹ֤שׁ	šā·lōš	Number - feminine singular	H7969 a three, triad
years	שָׁנִים֙	šā·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8141 year
as a sign	א֣וֹת	’ō·wṯ	Noun - common singular	H226 sign
and omen	וּמוֹפֵ֔ת	ū·mō·w·p̄êṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4159 wonder, sign, portent
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Egypt	מִצְרַ֖יִם	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
and Cush	כּֽוּשׁ׃	kūš	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3568 Cush

Isaiah 20:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
so	כֵּ֣ן	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
the king	מֶֽלֶךְ־	me·leḵ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4428 king
of Assyria	אַ֠שּׁוּר	’aš·šūr	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H804 Asshur, Assyria
will lead away	יִנְהַ֣ג	yin·haḡ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5090 drive, conduct
the captives	שְׁבִ֨י	šə·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7628 captivity, captives
of Egypt	מִצְרַ֜יִם	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
and the exiles	גָּל֥וּת	gā·lūṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1546 exile
of Cush	כּ֛וּשׁ	kūš	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3568 Cush
young	נְעָרִ֥ים	nə·‘ā·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5288 a shaking, scattering
and old alike	וּזְקֵנִ֖ים	ū·zə·qê·nîm	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine plural	H2205 old
naked	עָר֣וֹם	‘ā·rō·wm	Adjective - masculine singular	H6174 naked
and barefoot	וְיָחֵ֑ף	wə·yā·ḥêp̄	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H3182 barefoot
with bared	וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י	wa·ḥă·śū·p̄ay	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct	H2834 strip off, strip, make bare
buttocks	שֵׁ֖ת	šêṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H8357 seat
to Egypt’s	מִצְרָֽיִם׃	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
shame	עֶרְוַ֥ת	‘er·waṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H6172 nakedness, pudenda

Isaiah 20:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Those who made Cush	מִכּוּשׁ֙	mik·kūš	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3568 Cush
their hope	מַבָּטָ֔ם	mab·bā·ṭām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H4007 expectation
and Egypt	מִצְרַ֖יִם	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
their boast	תִּפְאַרְתָּֽם׃	tip̄·’ar·tām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H8597 beauty, glory
will be dismayed	וְחַתּ֖וּ	wə·ḥat·tū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H2865 be shattered, dismayed
and ashamed	וָבֹ֑שׁוּ	wā·ḇō·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H954 be ashamed

Isaiah 20:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And on that	הַהוּא֒	ha·hū	Article; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
day	בַּיּ֣וֹם	bay·yō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
the dwellers	יֹשֵׁ֨ב	yō·šêḇ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
of this	הַזֶּה֮	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
coastland	הָאִ֣י	hā·’î	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H339 coast, region
will say	וְ֠אָמַר	wə·’ā·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
See	הִנֵּה־	hin·nêh-	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
what has happened	כֹ֣ה	ḵōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
to our source of hope	מַבָּטֵ֗נוּ	mab·bā·ṭê·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H4007 expectation
those to whom	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
we fled	נַ֤סְנוּ	nas·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H5127 flee, escape
for help	לְעֶזְרָ֔ה	lə·‘ez·rāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H5833 help, succour, assistance
and deliverance	לְהִ֨נָּצֵ֔ל	lə·hin·nā·ṣêl	Preposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct	H5337 strip, plunder
from	מִפְּנֵ֖י	mip·pə·nê	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the king	מֶ֣לֶךְ	me·leḵ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4428 king
of Assyria	אַשּׁ֑וּר	’aš·šūr	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H804 Asshur, Assyria
How then	וְאֵ֖יךְ	wə·’êḵ	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H349 How?
can we	אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ס	’ă·nā·ḥə·nū	Pronoun - first person common plural	H587 we
escape	נִמָּלֵ֥ט	nim·mā·lêṭ	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H4422 slip away