The big picture
Isaiah 20 opens in verse 1 with “In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,)…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 3 with “And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years…”, and closes in verse 6 with “And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation…” Repeated or prominent terms include Assyria, barefoot, Egypt, king, naked. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 6Isaiah 20:1-6
1–6: In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of…
Isaiah 20:1–6 opens with “In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought…” and reaches “And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 20 develops its own movement around Assyria, barefoot, Egypt, king, naked, with particular weight carried by Assyria, barefoot, Egypt.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and…” Naming Ashdod and Assyria keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Isaiah 20:1-6
King James Version1In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
2At 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.
3And 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;
4So 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.
5And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
6And 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?
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 20:1 begins with “In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 20:6 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
Isaiah 20:6 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Assyria, barefoot, Egypt, king, naked, Ashdod help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What assumption drives Abraham's deception?
He assumes there is no fear of God in the place and that he will be killed.
How does the chapter expose that assumption?
Abimelech responds seriously to God's warning and confronts Abraham about wrongdoing.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
- spake
- spoke
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.