Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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I S A I A H.

CHAP. XX.

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This chapter is a prediction of the carrying away of multitudes both of

the Egyptians and the Ethiopians into captivity by the king of Assyria.

Here is,

I. The sign by which this was foretold, which was the prophet’s going

for some time barefoot and almost naked, like a poor captive,

ver. 1-2.

II. The explication of that sign, with application to Egypt and

Ethiopia,

ver. 3-5.

III. The good use which the people of God should make of this, which is

never to trust in an arm of flesh, because thus it will deceive them,

ver. 6.

Threatenings against Egypt.	B. C. 713.

     

1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the

king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took

it;

  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.

  3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked

naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt

and upon Ethiopia;

  4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians

prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and

barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of

Egypt.

  5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their

expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

  6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day,

Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be

delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

     

God here, as King of nations, brings a sore calamity upon Egypt and

Ethiopia, but, as King of saints, brings good to his people out of it.

Observe,

     

I. The date of this prophecy. It was in the year that Ashdod, a strong

city of the Philistines (but which some think was lately recovered from

them by Hezekiah, when he smote the Philistines even unto Gaza,

2 Kings xviii. 8),

was besieged and taken by an army of the Assyrians. It is uncertain

what year of Hezekiah that was, but the event was so remarkable that

those who lived then could by that token fix the time to a year. He

that was now king of Assyria is called Sargon, which some take

to be the same with Sennacherib; others think he was his immediate

predecessor, and succeeded Shalmaneser. Tartan, who was general, or

commander-in-chief, in this expedition, was one of Sennacherib’s

officers, sent by him to bid defiance to Hezekiah, in concurrence with

Rabshakeh,

2 Kings xviii. 17.

     

II. The making of Isaiah a sign, by his unusual dress when he walked

abroad. He had been a sign to his own people of the melancholy times

that had come and were coming upon them, by the sackcloth which for

some time he had worn, of which he had a gown made, which he girt about

him. Some think he put himself into that habit of a mourner upon

occasion of the captivity of the ten tribes. Others think sackcloth was

what he commonly wore as a prophet, to show himself mortified to the

world, and that he might learn to endure hardness; soft clothing better

becomes those that attend in king’s palaces

(Matt. xi. 8)

than those that go on God’s errands. Elijah wore hair-cloth

(2 Kings i. 8),

and John Baptist

(Matt. iii. 4)

and those that pretended to be prophets supported their pretension by

wearing rough garments

(Zech. xiii. 4);

but Isaiah has orders given him to loose his sackcloth from his

loins, not to exchange it for better clothing, but for none at

all–no upper garment, no mantle, cloak, or coat, but only that which

was next to him, we may suppose his shirt, waistcoat, and drawers; and

he must put off his shoes, and go barefoot; so that compared

with the dress of others, and what he himself usually wore, he might be

said to go naked. This was a great hardship upon the prophet; it

was a blemish to his reputation, and would expose him to contempt and

ridicule; the boys in the streets would hoot at him, and those who

sought occasion against him would say, The prophet is indeed

a fool, and the spiritual man is mad,
Hosea ix. 7.

It might likewise be a prejudice to his health; he was in danger of

catching a cold, which might throw him into a fever, and cost him his

life; but God bade him do it, that he might give a proof of his

obedience to God in a most difficult command, and so shame the

disobedience of his people to the most easy and reasonable precepts.

When we are in the way of our duty we may trust God both with our

credit and with our safety. The hearts of that people were strangely

stupid, and would not be affected with what they only heard, but must

be taught by signs, and therefore Isaiah must do this for their

edification. If the dress was scandalous, yet the design was glorious,

and what a prophet of the Lord needed not to be ashamed of.

     

III. The exposition of this sign,

v. 3, 4.

It was intended to signify that the Egyptians and the Ethiopians should

be led away captive by the king of Assyria, thus stripped, or in rags,

and very shabby clothing, as Isaiah was. God calls him his servant

Isaiah, because in this matter particularly he had approved himself

God’s willing, faithful, obedient servant; and for this very thing,

which perhaps others laughed at him for, God gloried in him. To obey is

better than sacrifice; it pleases God and praises him more, and shall

be more praised by him. Isaiah is said to have walked naked and

barefoot three years, whenever in that time he appeared as a

prophet. But some refer the three years, not to the sign, but to the

thing signified: He has walked naked and barefoot; there is a

stop in the original; provided he did so once that was enough to give

occasion to all about him to enquire what was the meaning of his doing

so; or, as some think, he did it three days, a day for a year; and this

for a three years’ sign and wonder, for a sign of that which should be

done three years afterwards or which should be three years in the

doing. Three campaigns successively shall the Assyrian army make, in

spoiling the Egyptians and Ethiopians, and carrying them away captive

in this barbarous manner, not only the soldiers taken in the field of

battle, but the inhabitants, young and old; and it being a very piteous

sight, and such as must needs move compassion in those that had the

least degree of tenderness left them to see those who had gone all

their days well dressed now stripped, and scarcely having rags to cover

their nakedness, that circumstance of their captivity is particularly

taken notice of, and foretold, the more to affect those to whom this

prophecy was delivered. It is particularly said to be to the shame

of Egypt

(v. 4),

because the Egyptians were a proud people, and therefore when they did

fall into disgrace it was the more shameful to them; and the higher

they had lifted up themselves the lower was their fall, both in their

own eyes and in the eyes of others.

     

IV. The use and application of this,

v. 5, 6.

1. All that had any dependence upon, or correspondence with, Egypt and

Ethiopia, should now be ashamed of them, and afraid of having any thing

to do with them. Those countries that were in danger of being overrun

by the Assyrians expected that Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, with his

numerous forces, would put a stop to the progress of their victorious

arms, and be a barrier to his neighbours; and with yet more assurance

they gloried that Egypt, a kingdom so famous for policy and prowess,

would do their business, would oblige them to raise the siege of Ashdod

and retire with precipitation. But, instead of this, by attempting to

oppose the king of Assyria they did but expose themselves and make

their country a prey to him. Hereupon all about them were ashamed that

ever they promised themselves any advantage from two such weak and

cowardly nations, and were more afraid now than ever they were of the

growing greatness of the king of Assyria, before whom Egypt and

Ethiopia proved but as briers and thorns put to stop a consuming fire,

which do but make it burn the more strongly. Note, Those who make any

creature their expectation and glory, and so put it in the place of

God, will sooner or later be ashamed of it, and their disappointment in

it will but increase their fear. See

Ezek. xxix. 6, 7.

2. The Jews in particular should be convinced of their folly in resting

upon such broken reeds, and should despair of any relief from them

(v. 6):

The inhabitants of this isle (the land of Judah, situated upon

the sea, though not surrounded by it), of this country (so the margin);

every one shall now have his eyes opened, and shall say, “Behold,

such is our expectation, so vain, so foolish, and this is that

which it will come to. We have fled for help to the Egyptians and

Ethiopians, and have hoped by them to be delivered from the king of

Assyria; but, now that they are broken thus, how shall we escape, that

are not able to bring such armies into the field as they did?” Note,

(1.) Those that confide in creatures will be disappointed, and will be

made ashamed of their confidence; for vain is the help of man, and

in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills or the height and

multitude of the mountains.

(2.) Disappointment in creature confidences, instead of driving us to

despair, as here (how shall we escape?), should drive us to God;

for, if we flee to him for help, our expectation shall not be

frustrated.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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