Isaiah 20:6

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? THE INHABITANT OF THIS ISLE - i:e., coast on the Mediterranean-Philistia, perhaps Phoenicia (cf. ; ; ; ). SHALL SAY ... BEHOLD, SUCH IS OUR EXPECTATION, WHERE WE FLEE FOR HELP TO BE DELIVERED FROM THE KING OF ASSYRIA: AND HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE? "We," emphatic. If Egypt, in which we trusted, was overcome-if such has been the fate of that strong empire, whence we had our expectation of deliverance from Assyria, how shall we, a small weak state,...

6._Lo, what is become of our expectation? _He calls them _expectation_, or _lurking_, because the Jews turned towards them, whenever they were oppressed by any calamity, and placed their hope in them. We are accustomed to turn our eyes to that quarter from which we expect any assistance. Hence also, to “look” often signifies, in the Hebrew language, to “hope.” (Psalms 34:5.) Now, they ought to have looked to God alone. Their wandering levity is therefore censured. And the same thing must happen to us, and deservedly, that when we have been invited by God, and refuse the sure refuge which he offers to us, and allow ourselves to be captivated by the delusions of Satan, we may lie down naked and destitute with shame and disgrace. _And the inhabitants of the island shall say. _He gives the name _island _not only to Jerusalem, but to the whole of Judea; and it is

AND THE INHABITANT - The dwellers generally. OF THIS ISLE - The word אי _'iy_ “isle” is used here in the sense of “coast, or maritime” country, and is evidently applied to Palestine, or the land of Canaan, which is a narrow coast lying on the Mediterranean. That the word is often used in this sense, and may be applied to a maritime country, see the notes at Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 41:1. The connection here requires us to understand it of Palestine. SHALL SAY ... - Shall condemn their own folly in trusting in Egypt, and seeking deliverance there. AND HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE? - They shall be alarmed for their own safety, for t

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 20:1 A PROPHECY AGAINST EGYPT AND ETHIOPIA. The Assyrian inscriptions enable us to date this prophecy with a near approach to exactness. Ashdod was besieged by an Assyrian army twice in the reign of Sargon—in his ninth year and in his eleventh year. On the former occasion it is probable that the arms of a general (Tartan) were employed; on the latter it is nearly certain that Sargon made the expedition in person. The capture of Ashdod, here mentioned, is consequently the first capture. Egypt and Ethiopia were at the time united under one head, Shabak, or Shabatok; and the inhabitants of Ashdod looked to this quarter for deliverance from the Assyrian power. Shortly after the first capture, they revolted, deposed the king whom Sargon had set over them,

AND THE INHABITANTS OF THIS ISLE SHALL SAY, IN THAT DAY,.... Not of Ashdod, Isaiah 20:1 or the isle of Caphtor, Jeremiah 47:4 but the land of Israel, as both Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; so called, because it bordered on the sea, as such countries are sometimes called isles; see Jeremiah 25:22. Ben Melech interprets it of Jerusalem, and observes that the word signifies a place or country, whether it has a river or sea encompassing it, or not; besides, the land of Canaan had the Mediterranean sea on one side of it, and the sea of Galilee and Tiberias on the other, and was moreover separated from all other countries by the power, providence, and presence of God: behold, such [is] our expectation, whither

CHAPTER 20 The Near-Punishment of Egypt by Assyria 1. _Isaiah walks naked and barefooted (Isaiah 20:1)_ 2. _The meaning of his action (Isaiah 20:3)_ 3. _Egypt punished by Assyria (Isaiah 20:4) _ A strong party in Jerusalem looked to Egypt for help from the threatening Assyrian invasion. This prophecy shows the utter hopelessness of expecting help from Egypt. The victory of Assyria over Egypt is predicted....

ISAIAH 20. THE SIGN OF EGYPT'S OVERTHROW. The year in which the Assyrian Tartan, or commander-in-chief, came to Ashdod was 711. This city had been in negotiation with Egypt against Assyria, and so too had Judah, Moab, and Edom. Isaiah had protested against this policy by the sign here recorded. To show the futility of trusting in Egypt and Ethiopia he put off his outer garment, and for three years walked stripped and barefoot like a captive, symbolising the fate that was coming on these lands. Ashdod was quickly captured, many of its inhabitants were taken to Assyria and their place supplied by other exiles, as had been the case with Samaria. We do not know how Judah was treated. The desperate measures taken by Isaiah, and the summary punishment of Ashdod, may have kept Judah from open rebellion. Isaiah 20:2 seems to represent the command to walk in captive's dress as given to Isaiah in...

ISLE. sea coast, or coast land. See note on Isaiah 11:11...

The effect which the sight of these miserable gangs of captives will produce on the inhabitants of Palestine. This is the real motive of the prophecy. Hezekiah probably took the warning. _they shall be afraid_ R.V. better: DISMAYED. The subject is indefinite "men....

AND THEY SHALL BE AFRAID, &C.— We have, in these words, the consequence of the divine judgment upon the Egyptians and Cushites; and the scope of the prophesy, namely, to convince the inhabitants of Palestine, and, among these, some factious persons in Jerusalem, of the vanity of the confidence which they placed in the Egyptians and Cushites, as their tutelar deity; for when they should see the completion of this prophesy, they would then condemn their own folly, for placing their expectations on so feeble a defence. All the maritime places, or places on the sea-coast, are called by the word אי _ai, isle;_ the prophet therefore may here mean the seacoasts of Palestine, where was the city of Ashdod, or _Azotus._ Some, who imagine that the Scriptures call any place or country an _isle,_ suppose that the prophet means Judah, or Jerusalem; but the truth seems to be, that he is to be understoo...