1En el año en que Sargón, rey de Asiria, envió a su comandante del ejército a atacar la ciudad de Asdod y la conquistó,
2en ese momento el Señor habló por medio de Isaías, hijo de Amoz. Le dijo: “Quítate la ropa de saco de tu cuerpo y quítate las sandalias”. Isaías así lo hizo y anduvo desnudo y descalzo.
3Entonces el Señor dijo: “De la misma manera que mi siervo Isaías ha andado desnudo y descalzo durante tres años como señal y advertencia contra Egipto y Etiopía,
4así el rey de Asiria conducirá a los prisioneros egipcios y a los exiliados etíopes, jóvenes y viejos, desnudos y descalzos. Sus nalgas estarán desnudas, para vergüenza de Egipto.
5Ellos serán desanimados y humillados porque habían puesto su esperanza en Etiopía y confiaban orgullosamente en Egipto.
6En ese momento la gente que vive en las tierras costeras dirán: ‘¡Mira lo que ha sucedido a aquellos de los que dependíamos! Corrimos hacia ellos en busca de ayuda para salvarnos del rey de Asiria. No tenemos ninguna posibilidad!’”
📖 Chapter study
Summary
As a dramatic prophetic sign, Isaiah walks naked and barefoot for three years, foreshadowing how Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush) would be led away captive and humiliated by Assyria. It is a warning against trusting these nations as allies.
Explanation
The historical context is the Assyrian campaign against Ashdod (a Philistine city), around 711 BC, led by the general Tartan under King Sargon II of Assyria — an event confirmed by Assyrian archaeological records. Isaiah, obeying an unusual divine command, walks like a prisoner of war (naked and barefoot, without the normal symbols of status) to visually show the fate awaiting Egypt and Cush, nations Judah was tempted to trust against Assyria. This kind of 'enacted prophecy' was a device used by Hebrew prophets when words alone were not enough to impress the people. The practical application is that trusting in human powers for security, instead of in God, always results in disappointment.
Fun facts
- King Sargon II of Assyria, mentioned in this chapter, was known only from biblical references until archaeologists discovered his palace at Khorsabad (present-day Iraq) in the 19th century, historically confirming his existence and reign.
- Walking 'naked and barefoot' did not necessarily mean completely without clothes — the Hebrew expression could also indicate being dressed only in a simple tunic, like a prisoner of war, without the robes and sandals of a free man.