---
title: "Isaiah 20 - Study King James Bible with ellicotts commentary for english readers"
description: "Read Isaiah 20 with ellicotts commentary for english readers commentary. 1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; 2 At the same time spake t"
image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/ellicotts-commentary-for-english-readers/isaiah/20"
---

[ Read](/kjv/isaiah/20)[ Commentary](/study/isaiah/20)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/isaiah/20) Audio

 1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

 2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.*

 3 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;

 4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with *their* buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.**

 5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

 6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such *is* our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?*
 
[Isaiah 19](/study/isaiah/19) [Isaiah 21](/study/isaiah/21)

## Commentary

 To verse 1
 
**XX.** 

(1) **In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod.**—Better, *the Tartan.*The word was an official title borne by the generalissimo of the Assyrian armies, who was next in authority to the king. He may, or may not, have been the same with the officer of the same rank who appears in [2 Kings 18:17](/kjv/2-kings/18/17) as sent by Sennacherib to Jerusalem. 

**When Sargon the king of Assyria sent him.**—Much light has been thrown by the Assyrian inscriptions on the events connected with this king. Prior to that discovery, there was no trace of his name to be found elsewhere than in this passage, and his very existence had been called in question. As it is, he comes before us as one of the greatest of Assyrian monarchs. He succeeded Shalmaneser VI*,,*the conqueror of Israel, in B.C. 721, at first as guardian and co-regent of his son Samdan-Malik, and afterwards in his own name. His reign lasted till B.C. 704, when he was succeeded by Sennacherib. Long inscriptions, giving the annals of his reign, were found by M. Botta at Khorsabad, and have been interpreted by M. Oppert (*Records of the Past, vii.* 21, 9:1, 11:17, 27, 33) and others. 

**And fought against Ashdod.**—The occasion of the campaign is related by Sargon in the annals just mentioned as happening in his eleventh year. Azuri, the king of Ashdod, refused to pay tribute, and revolted. Sargon deposed him, and placed his brother Akhismit, on the throne. The people, in their turn, rose against Akhismit, and chose Yaman as their king. Sargon then marched against the city, took it, and carried off its gods and its treasures as booty (*Records of the Past, vii.* 40). These events naturally excited the minds of Hezekiah and his counsellors, and led them to look to an alliance with Egypt as their best protection.

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