Isaiah 20:3

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;

📖 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

• 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,'

• 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;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  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;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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;

• 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 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.
• Isa 18:1-7 : 1 Woe to the land with wings of shadow, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2 That sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, saying, Go, you swift messengers, to a nation scattered and polished, to a people feared from their beginning until now; a nation divided and trampled, whose land the rivers have ravaged! 3 All you inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see when he lifts up an ensign on the mountains; and when he blows a trumpet, hear. 4 For so the LORD said to me, I will take my rest, and I will observe in my dwelling place like a clear heat on herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. 5 For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. 6 They shall be left together to the birds of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the birds shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 7 At that time shall the present be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people scattered and polished, and from a people feared from their beginning until now; a nation divided and trampled under foot, whose land the rivers have ravaged, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, Mount Zion.
• Isa 37:9 : 9 And he heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come out to make war with you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
• Isa 43:3 : 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior: I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
• Ezek 4:5-6 : 5 For I have laid upon you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so shall you bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed you each day for a year.
• Rev 11:2-3 : 2 But leave out the court outside the temple, and do not measure it; for it is given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
• Num 14:34 : 34 After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you shall know my breach of promise.