Isaiah 20:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then the LORD said, 'Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a warning against Egypt and Cush,'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלַ֛ךְ עַבְדִּ֥י יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף שָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ א֣וֹת וּמוֹפֵ֔ת עַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְעַל־כּֽוּשׁ׃

Transliteration

wayyōʾmer YHWH kaʾasher hālak ʿabdī yəshaʿyāhū ʿārōm wəyāḥēp shālōsh shānīm ʾōth ūmōpēth upon-miṣrayim and upon-kūsh

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + 3rd masculine singular Qal imperfect - and he said
• *YHWH*: proper noun - divine name
• *kaʾasher*: preposition + relative particle - just as
• *hālak*: 3rd masculine singular Qal perfect - walked/went
• *ʿabdī*: noun + 1st person singular suffix - my servant
• *yəshaʿyāhū*: proper noun - Isaiah
• *ʿārōm*: adjective - naked/lightly clothed
• *wəyāḥēp*: waw conjunctive + adjective - and barefoot
• *shālōsh*: cardinal number - three
• *shānīm*: plural noun - years
• *ʾōth*: noun - sign
• *ūmōpēth*: waw conjunctive + noun - and wonder/portent
• *miṣrayim*: proper noun - Egypt
• *kūsh*: proper noun - Cush/Ethiopia

Word Meanings

• *ʿārōm*: naked/minimally clothed/without outer garment
• *ʾōth*: sign/symbol/omen
• *mōpēth*: wonder/portent/prophetic sign
• *kūsh*: Cush/Ethiopia/Nubia (region south of Egypt)

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And the LORD said, Like as my servant iah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And the LORD said, Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Jehovah{H3068} said,{H559} Like as my servant{H5650} Isaiah{H3470} hath walked{H1980} naked{H6174} and barefoot{H3182} three{H7969} years{H8141} for a sign{H226} and a wonder{H4159} concerning Egypt{H4714} and concerning Ethiopia;{H3568}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the LORD{H3068} said{H559}{(H8799)}, Like as my servant{H5650} Isaiah{H3470} hath walked{H1980}{(H8804)} naked{H6174} and barefoot{H3182} three{H7969} years{H8141} for a sign{H226} and wonder{H4159} upon Egypt{H4714} and upon Ethiopia{H3568};

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then sayde the LORDE: where as my seruaunt Esaye goeth naked and barefote, it is a token and signifienge of the thinge, that after thre yeare shal come vpo Egipte and Ethiopia.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And the Lord said, Like as my seruant Isaiah hath walked naked, & barefoote three yeeres, as a signe and wonder vpon Egypt, and Ethiopia,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the Lorde sayde, Lyke as my seruaunt Esai hath walked naked and barefoote for a signe and wonder three yeres vpon Egypt and Ethiopia:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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;

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Yahweh said, Like as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Jehovah saith, `As My servant Isaiah hath gone naked and barefoot three years, a sign and a wonder for Egypt and for Cush,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the Lord said, As my servant Isaiah has gone unclothed and without shoes for three years as a sign and a wonder to Egypt and Ethiopia,

• World English Bible (2000)

  Yahweh said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Later the LORD explained,“In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush,

Referenced Verses

• Isa 8:18 : 18 Here I am, along with the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
• Isa 18:1-7 : 1 Woe to the land of whirring wings, which lies beyond the rivers of Cush! 2 A land that sends envoys over the sea in papyrus vessels, gliding on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, a people feared far and wide, a mighty and conquering nation divided by rivers. 3 All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it; when the trumpet sounds, you will hear it. 4 This is what the LORD said to me, 'I will remain quiet and observe from my dwelling place, like the heat shimmering in sunlight, like a cloud of dew during the heat of harvest.' 5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, the branches will be cut with pruning knives, and the spreading branches will be removed and discarded. 6 They will all be left for the birds of prey on the mountains and the wild animals of the earth. The birds will spend the summer feeding on them, and all the wild animals will winter upon them. 7 At that time, gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts from a people tall and smooth-skinned, a people feared far and wide, a mighty and conquering nation divided by rivers, to the place of the name of the LORD of Hosts, to Mount Zion.
• Isa 37:9 : 9 Now the king of Assyria heard about Tirhakah, king of Cush, who was coming to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
• Isa 43:3 : 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
• Ezek 4:5-6 : 5 I assign you the years of their iniquity as the number of days—three hundred ninety days—during which you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days, a day for each year. I have assigned you this period.
• Rev 11:2-3 : 2 But exclude the outer court of the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
• Num 14:34 : 34 For forty days you explored the land; now, for each day, you will bear your guilt for a year—forty years—and you will know my opposition.