Isaiah 20

IN the year that Tartan A great Commander in Sennacherib's Army, 2 Kings 18. 17. came unto Ashdod An eminent and strong City of the Philistins, Ios. 13. 3. 1 Sam. 5. 1. in the utmost part of the Land of Canaan, towards Egypt., (when Sargon What King of Assyria this was, is much disputed. It is well known, and confessed, that one and the same Person has frequently several Names, both in Scripture, as has been observed again and again, and in other Authors. And therefore this may be either, 1. Salmaneser, who, when he took Samaria, might also by Tartan take this Place; or, 2 Sennacherib, who, before he came to Ierusalem, came up against and took all the fenced cities of Iudah, 2 Kings 18. 13. of which Ashdod might be reckoned one, as being in the Tribe of Iudah, Ios. 13. 3. & 15. 47. and taken by Hezekiah from the Philistins, as it seems very probable from that Passage, 2 Kings 18. 8. He smote the Philistins even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city: Or, 3. Esarhadden, Sennacherib's Son, who, by cutting off the first Letter, is called Sarchedon, Tobit 1. 21. and thence possibly, by abbreviation, Sargon: Who might do this thing in Hezekiah's time, some years after his Father's Death, and his coming to the Empire, although it be not recorded in Scripture: For no man doubts that there were many great Actions in those Times, which are wholly omitted in the Sacred Writings. the king of Assyria sent him) and fought against Ashdod and took it:

At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose Ungird it and put it off; the Antecedent put for the Consequent, which is very usual, as has been often noted. God would sometimes have his Prophets to add to their Word a visible Sign, to awaken Peoples Minds to a more serious Consideration of the Matters proposed to them. the saccloth Either, 1. his course and hairy Garment, which the Prophets used to wear, 2 Kings 1. 8. Zech. 13. 4. as many understand it. But that is expressed by another Word in the places quoted, and never, to my knowledge, by this Word: Or 2. his mournful Habit, which was commonly made of Saccloth, and which he wore in token of his hearty grief for the great Calamities which were already come upon Israel, and were either come or coming upon Iudah. from off thy loins Upon which the upper Garments were commonly girt, 1 Kings 20. 32. 2 Kings 9. 1., and put off thy shoe from thy foot: And he did so, walking naked Not wholly naked, which had been indecent and scandalous, and withal very dangerous, at least to do so for three years, as he did, v. 3. but without his upper Garment, as slaves and prisoners used to do, whose posture he was to represent, v. 4. And so the word naked is used, 1 Sam. 19. 24. 2 Sam. 6. 20. Ioh. 21. 7. Thus also men are said to be naked when they are ill-clothed, as Iob 22. 6. Mat 25. 36. 1 Cor. 4. 11. Iames 2. 15. and bare-foot After the manner of Mourners, 2 Sam. 15. 30. and Captives, Ier. 2. 25..

And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and bare-foot three years Not constantly, but when he went abroad among the People, to whom this was appointed for a Sign. Some think it was only three days, a day being usually put for a year in Prophetical Scriptures, as Numb. 14. 33, 34. Ezek. 4. 4, 5, 6. But although a day be put for a year, yet a year is never put for a day. for a sign Either, 1. when this Judgment should come; to wit, three years after this Prophecy. Or, 2. how long it should continue; for three years: For some have observed that the Chaldeans spent so much time in Conquering Egypt and Ethiopia. and wonder upon Egypt, and upon Ethiopia:

So shall the king of Assyria lead away Like Beasts, of which this Word is commonly used. the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and bare-foot, even with their buttocks uncoverd Having their Garments cut off by the middle, to the discovery of their Buttocks and their Secret parts. Compare 2 Sam. 10. 4. Isa. 47. 2. to the shame of Egypt.

And they All they that shall trust to them, and glory in them, as appears from the following Words, the Pronoun they being put Indifinitely here, as it is Isa. 2. 19. and elsewhere. But under this general expression the Israelites not only are comprehended, but seem to be principally intended, because to them this Prophecy was delivered, and they were eminently guilty of this Sin; of which see Isa. 30. 2. & 31. 1. shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

And the inhabitants of this isle Of this Land, in which the Prophet was, and to whose Inhabitants these Words were uttered. For the Title of Isles or Islands in Scripture is frequently given not only to Lands encompased with the Sea, but also to such Countries, as lay upon the Sea-Coasts, as Psal. 72. 10. Ezek. 26. 15, 18. as Palestina or Canaan did, yea to such Countries as are remote or separated from that place in or of which the Words are spoken, as Esth. 10. 1. Isa. 24. 15. & 42. 4, 10, &c. as Canaan was from Egypt, or at least from Ethiopia. Add to this, that Canaan had some resemblance with an Isle, either because it was almost incompassed with the Midland Sea on one side, and with the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias and Iordan on the other side; or because, as Isles are separated from other Lands by the Sea, so this Land and People were separated from all the rest of the World by God's special Providence, and Presence, and Worship. shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation So vain is our hope placed upon such a People as are unable to deliver themselves, and much more to deliver us. whither we flee for help To whom we now and usualy trust, for this was the common dissease of the People of Israel, although Hezekiah was in a good measure free from it, as we read 2 Kings 18. 5., to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape Either by their help, who cannot defend our selves; or, by our own strength; seeing they who were much more potent than we are, could not escape.?