---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Isaiah 20"
description: "CHAPTER 20   :-. CONTINUATION OF THE
SUBJECT OF THE NINETEENTH
CHAPTER, BUT
AT A LATER DATE.
CAPTIVITY OF EGYPT
AND ETHIOPIA. In the reign of Sargon (722-"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/20"
---

CHAPTER 20

. CONTINUATION OF THE
SUBJECT OF THE NINETEENTH
CHAPTER, BUT
AT A LATER DATE.
CAPTIVITY OF EGYPT
AND ETHIOPIA.
In the reign of Sargon (722-715
B.C.), the successor of
Shalmaneser, an Assyrian invasion of Egypt took place. Its success is
here foretold, and hence a party among the Jews is warned of the
folly of their "expectation" of aid from Egypt or Ethiopia.
At a later period (), when Tirhakah of Ethiopia was their ally, the Ethiopians
are treated as *friends,* to whom God announces the overthrow of
the common Assyrian foe, Sennacherib. Egypt and Ethiopia in this
chapter ([Isaiah 20:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/20/3); [Isaiah 20:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/20/4))
are represented as *allied together,* the result no doubt of
fear of the common foe; previously they had been at strife, and the
Ethiopian king had, just before Sethos usurpation, withdrawn from
occupation of part of Lower Egypt. Hence, "Egypt" is
mentioned *alone* in [Isaiah 20:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/20/4), which refers to a somewhat earlier stage of the same
event: a delicate mark of truth. Sargon seems to have been the king
who finished the capture of Samaria which Shalmaneser began; the
alliance of Hoshea with So or Sabacho II of Ethiopia, and his refusal
to pay the usual tribute, provoked Shalmaneser to the invasion. On
clay cylindrical seals found in Sennacherib's palace at Koyunjik, the
name of Sabacho is deciphered; the two seals are thought, from the
inscriptions, to have been attached to the treaty of peace between
Egypt and Assyria, which resulted from the invasion of Egypt by
Sargon, described in this chapter; [Isaiah 20:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/20/4) curiously confirms the view derived from Assyrian
inscriptions, that though Shalmaneser began, Sargon finished the
conquest of Samaria; "*they* took it" (compare [Isaiah 20:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/20/4)). In Sargon's palace at Khorsabad, inscriptions state that
27,280 Israelites were led captive by the founder of the palace.
While Shalmaneser was engaged in the siege of Samaria, Sargon
probably usurped the supreme power and destroyed him; the siege began
in 723 B.C., and ended in
721 B.C., the first year
of Sargon's reign. Hence arises the paucity of inscriptions of the
two predecessors of Sargon, Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser; the
usurper destroyed them, just as Tiglath-pileser destroyed those of
Pul (Sardanapalus), the last of the old line of Ninus; the names of
his father and grandfather, which have been deciphered in the palace
of his son Sennacherib, do not appear in the list of Assyrian kings,
which confirms the view that he was a satrap who usurped the throne.
He was so able a general that Hezekiah made no attempt to shake off
the tribute until the reign of Sennacherib; hence Judah was not
invaded now as the lands of the Philistines and Egypt were. After
conquering Israel he sent his general, Tartan, to attack the
Philistine cities, "Ashdod," c., preliminary to his
invasion of Egypt and Ethiopia for the line of march to Egypt lay
along the southwest coast of Palestine. The inscriptions confirm the
prophecy; they tell us he received tribute from a Pharaoh of "Egypt";
besides destroying in part the Ethiopian "No-ammon," or
Thebes ([Nahum 3:8](../../../kjv/nahum/3/8)); also that he
warred with the kings of "Ashdod," Gaza, c., in harmony
with Isaiah here a memorial tablet of him is found in Cyprus also,
showing that he extended his arms to that island. His reign was six
or seven years in duration, 722-715 B.C.
[G. V. SMITH].

**1. Tartan**—probably the same
general as was sent by Sennacherib against Hezekiah (). GESENIUS takes
"Tartan" as a title.
**Ashdod**—called by the
Greeks Azotus ([Acts 8:40](../../../kjv/acts/8/40)); on the
Mediterranean, one of the "five" cities of the Philistines.
The taking of it was a necessary preliminary to the invasion of
Egypt, to which it was the key in that quarter, the Philistines being
allies of Egypt. So strongly did the Assyrians fortify it that it
stood a twenty-nine years' siege, when it was retaken by the Egyptian
Psammetichus.
**sent**—Sargon himself
remained behind engaged with the Phoelignician cities, or else led
the main force more directly into Egypt out of Judah [G. V. SMITH].

**2. by**—literally, "by the
hand of" (compare [Ezekiel 3:14](../../../kjv/ezekiel/3/14)).
**sackcloth**—the loose
outer garment of coarse dark hair-cloth worn by mourners ([Ezekiel 3:14](../../../kjv/ezekiel/3/14)) and by prophets, fastened at the waist by a girdle ([Matthew 3:4](../../../kjv/matthew/3/4);
[2 Kings 1:8](../../../kjv/2-kings/1/8); [Zechariah 13:4](../../../kjv/zechariah/13/4)).
**naked**—rather,
"uncovered"; he merely put off the outer sackcloth,
retaining still the tunic or inner vest ([1 Samuel 19:24](../../../kjv/1-samuel/19/24);
[Amos 2:16](../../../kjv/amos/2/16); [John 21:7](../../../kjv/john/21/7));
an emblem to show that Egypt should be stripped of its possessions;
the very dress of Isaiah was a silent exhortation to repentance.

**3. three years**—Isaiah's
symbolical action did not continue all this time, but *at
intervals,* to keep it before the people's mind during that period
[ROSENMULLER]. Rather,
join "three years" with "sign," *a three years'
sign,* that is, a sign that a three years' calamity would come on
Egypt and Ethiopia [BARNES],
([Isaiah 8:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/8/18)). This is the only
instance of a strictly symbolical act performed by Isaiah. With later
prophets, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, such acts were common. In some
cases they were performed, not literally, but only in prophetic
vision.
**wonder**—rather, "omen";
conveying a threat as to the future [G. V. SMITH].
**upon**—in reference to,
against.

**4. buttocks uncovered**—BELZONI
says that captives are found represented thus on Egyptian monuments
([Isaiah 47:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/47/2); [Isaiah 47:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/47/3);
[Nahum 3:5](../../../kjv/nahum/3/5); [Nahum 3:8](../../../kjv/nahum/3/8);
[Nahum 3:9](../../../kjv/nahum/3/9)), where as here, Egypt
and Ethiopia are mentioned as in alliance.

**5. they**—the Philistine allies
of Egypt who trusted in it for help against Assyria. A warning to the
party among the Jews, who, though Judah was then the subordinate ally
of Assyria, were looking to Egypt as a preferable ally (). Ethiopia was their "expectation"; for Palestine
had not yet obtained, but *hoped for* alliance with it. Egypt
was their "glory," that is, boast (); for the alliance with it was completed.

**6. isle**—that is, coast on the
Mediterranean—Philistia, perhaps Phoelignicia (compare [Isaiah 23:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/23/2);
[Isaiah 11:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/11/11); [Isaiah 13:22](../../../kjv/isaiah/13/22);
[Psalms 72:10](../../../kjv/psalms/72/10)).
**we**—emphatical; if
Egypt, in which we trusted, was overcome, how shall *we,* a
small weak state, escape?

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