In the year that Tartan came into Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it;
verse value 4274
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "go" (בֹּ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Ashdod" (אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "in·year·of" (בִּשְׁנַ֨ת), "Tartan-field marshal" (תַרְתָּן֙), "to·Ashdod" (אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "go" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "king" (root מלך, 73x in Isaiah); "Assyria" (root אשור, 43x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Assyria', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּשְׁנַ֨ת [in·year·of] (752) + בֹּ֤א [go] (3) + תַרְתָּן֙ [Tartan-field marshal] (1050) + אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה [to·Ashdod] (320) + בִּשְׁלֹ֣חַ [when·sending] (340) + אֹת֔וֹ [him] (407) + סַֽרְג֖וֹן [Sargon] (319) + מֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (90) + אַשּׁ֑וּר [Assyria] (507) + וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם [and·he·fought] (94) + בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד [against·Ashdod] (317) + וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ [and·he·captured·it] (75) = 4274.
Ibn Ezra
Regarding "the envoy." Sargon. It is possible that it refers to Sennacherib or another [individual].
"And Ashdod was to the Philistines:"
Radak
“By the year that the Tartan came.” This matter occurred in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah of Judah, when [Sennacherib] came against Jerusalem and heard that Taharqa, king of Cush, had set out to fight against him. He departed from there and fought against Egypt and Cush, conquered them, and returned to Jerusalem with the captives. Prior to this, in that same year, he sent the Tartan to Ashdod, and he captured it. At that time, this prophecy was spoken to Isaiah: Just as the king of Assyria captured Ashdod, so too will he capture Egypt and Cush. And there are those who explain that three years before the king of Assyria came to Jerusalem, this event occurred—namely, that the Tartan came to Ashdod and captured it—and at that time this prophecy was spoken to Isaiah, [stating] that at the end of three years the king of Assyria will lead away the exile of Egypt and the exile of Cush, as it says, “For three years it shall be a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Cush.” And according to our interpretation, “three years” is connected to “my servant Isaiah shall go naked and barefoot,” [meaning] that for three years he went [in this manner], and this was a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Cush, for thus shall they go.
Sargon. He is Sennacherib, and our Sages of blessed memory stated that he has eight names:
Metzudat David
"In the year, etc." Then Assyria began to perform mighty deeds and to conquer the lands of the nations.
Metzudat Zion
Sargon. He is Sennacherib, as our Sages of blessed memory said:
Malbim
"In the year"—this was three years before the defeat of Sennacherib. Sargon is Sennacherib.
at that time Hashem spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying: ‘Go, and loose the sackcloth from off your loins, and put your shoe from off your foot.’ And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
verse value 5639
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֮) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go" (לֵ֗ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "Isaiah" (יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 140: from·off, from·off. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·engrave" (וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤), "the·sackcloth" (הַשַּׂק֙), "your·loins" (מׇתְנֶ֔יךָ). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "saying" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "from·off" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root ערום ("naked") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root יחף ("and·barefoot") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'foot', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 5 words.
Rashi
“And you shall open the sack above your loins.” The Targum renders it: “And you shall remove the sack from your waist.” And the words themselves prove this, for until now He had not commanded him to gird himself with a sack; rather, He is telling him to untie it. Moreover, He says, “And your sandal shall be loosened,” which is a sign of mourning. And the meaning of “you shall open” is like (Exodus 39): “unsealed, opened seals”—to gird the sack tightly against his flesh, so that it shall be engraved upon his flesh.
"From above your loins." Above your loins:
“Naked.” The Targum [renders it] “in tattered and worn-out garments,” and not literally naked.
Ibn Ezra
"At that time." And you shall loosen the sackcloth. As a sign that the prophet was wearing sackcloth. And this is a difficult question: How could the prophet go naked to serve as a sign concerning Egypt? And I will explain it at the beginning of the Book of the Twelve Prophets, with the help of God.
Radak
"At that time." In the hand of the prophet Isaiah was the calamity of Egypt and Cush; he spoke through him, and said to him that he should perform the sign himself, so that it would be a sign for them: "And you shall go naked and barefoot." And the reason He said to him, "And you shall uncover the sack," is because he was wearing a sackcloth in mourning for the exile of the tribes, and mourned over them. And He said to him that he should open that sack which was girded upon his flesh and upon his loins, and he should remove his sandals, and go naked and barefoot.
“And he did so.” The walking naked and barefoot: this matter should not be interpreted literally, as if God commanded the prophet to walk naked and barefoot—far be it from Him! Likewise, what God said to Hosea, “Take for yourself a wife of harlotry,” and likewise what He said to Ezekiel, “Pass a razor over your head and your beard,” and likewise what He told him to eat barley cakes baked in cow dung, and all these and similar things are not matters that God would command His prophets to actually do. Rather, all of it occurred in the prophetic vision, wherein the prophet saw in the prophetic vision that God commanded him to do thus, and he did thus within that prophetic vision. Even though the time may seem prolonged, as in this prophecy for three years, and in Hosea’s prophecy, “And he went and took, and she conceived and bore a son, and afterward she conceived and bore a daughter”—all of this occurred within the prophetic vision at one single moment.
And your sack. He uses the singular form as a general statement, and Jonathan translated it as “you shall open the sack,” reversing the sense, and said: “You shall bind the sack upon your loins.”
Metzudat David
And you shall open the sack. For Isaiah was mourning over the exile of the Ten Tribes, and he wore a sackcloth around his loins for grief and mourning. And the Omnipresent said to him: Let the sackcloth be removed from your loins, and you shall remain naked, for that alone was what he wore while walking. He was walking naked and barefoot.
Metzudat Zion
"Go." This is a matter of urging.
And you shall open. The meaning of "permitting" is like "he loosed my cord" (Job 30):
Motnekha. Your loins.
"shall perform the levirate act." The meaning is that of pulling off, as in "the one who performs the levirate act shall loosen the sandal" (Deuteronomy 25:9).
And he was barefoot. The meaning of "barefoot" is the absence of shoes, as it is said: "Withhold your foot from going barefoot" (Jeremiah 2:25).
Malbim
“And you shall open the sack” — for he had been clothed in sackcloth since the day of the exile of the Ten Tribes. He commanded him to remove his sackcloth and to remove his sandals, to be barefoot and naked. He did not walk thus for more than one day, or a short hour, within his house.
And Hashem said: ‘Like as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot to be for three years a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia,
verse value 4647
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "went" (הָלַ֛ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Egypt" (עַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "three" (שָׁלֹ֤שׁ), "and·sign" (וּמוֹפֵ֔ת), "and·upon·Ethiopia" (וְעַל־כּֽוּשׁ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "like·as" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·barefoot', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר [like·as] (521) + הָלַ֛ךְ [went] (55) + עַבְדִּ֥י [my·servant] (86) + יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖הוּ [Isaiah] (401) + עָר֣וֹם [naked] (316) + וְיָחֵ֑ף [and·barefoot] (104) + שָׁלֹ֤שׁ [three] (630) + שָׁנִים֙ [years] (400) + א֣וֹת [sign] (407) + וּמוֹפֵ֔ת [and·sign] (532) + עַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם [upon·Egypt] (480) + וְעַל־כּֽוּשׁ [and·upon·Ethiopia] (432) = 4647.
Rashi
“Three years.” He shall walk thus as a sign and a wonder to Egypt and to Cush, that at the end of three years the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt, etc. We have learned that Tartan conquered Ashdod three years before the downfall of Sennacherib, for his downfall occurred when he brought the captives of Egypt and Tirhakah, king of Cush, before Jerusalem in chains, when he came to besiege Hezekiah.
Ibn Ezra
And He said. A sign, and a wonder, as it is written (Ezekiel 24:24): “And Ezekiel shall be to you as a sign.”
And the meaning of "three years" is: whether it be three years from today, or whether Egypt shall be in distress for three years.
Radak
"And he said." Thus it was heard in the prophetic vision, after he had gone naked and barefoot, that the Lord was calling to him and saying: "Just as My servant Isaiah went as a sign and a wonder—what My servant Isaiah did, when I commanded him to be a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and Cush—so shall they do, to indicate that thus shall they go before their captors."
Metzudat David
"Three years." This is a sign of what will happen at the end of three years to Egypt and to Cush.
Metzudat Zion
"Three years." Just as in the phrase "for three years," where the lamed is omitted.
“Sign and wonder.” One interpretation for both is that they refer to the concept of a sign, and the doubling of the word employs synonymous terms, such as “land of earth” (Daniel 12:2) and similar expressions.
Malbim
“Three years” – meaning that after three years this matter would serve as a sign upon Egypt and Cush, that they would go naked into exile. (And I have already explained elsewhere that whenever the words of the Lord, prophesied through a prophet, foretell misfortune for a particular people, it is possible that the event will not occur and will not come to pass, for the Lord is compassionate and gracious, and when they repent, He annuls the decree. The proof is the prophecy of Jonah concerning Nineveh, and the words of Jeremiah to Hananiah son of Azur [Jeremiah 28]. However, whenever the Lord strengthens the prophet’s words by commanding him to perform an actual deed, then the event is certain to occur. All the more so if that deed is something strange that astonishes the ears of those who hear and the eyes of those who see; the stranger the deed, the stronger its indication and fulfillment. For this reason they are called a “sign” and a “wonder”: a “sign” as a token and remembrance, and a “wonder” because of the strangeness of that matter before the eyes of beholders. This was the matter in which the Lord commanded Hosea to take a harlot as a wife, and similar cases. There is no need for the words of Ibn Ezra and his companions, who deviated in this matter to another path, contrary to proper interpretation.)
so shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
verse value 6169
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "king·of·Assyria" (מֶֽלֶךְ־אַ֠שּׁ֠וּר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 380: Egypt, Egypt. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·drive" (יִנְהַ֣ג), "the·captives" (אֶת־שְׁבִ֨י), "and·the·exiles·of" (וְאֶת־גָּל֥וּת). The root מצרים appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·captives" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "so" (root כן, 48x in Isaiah); "king·of·Assyria" (root אשור, 43x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חשף ("and·exposed·of") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·barefoot', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
And "chashufei shet"—like "chashaf shet," and the yod is superfluous, like the yod in "chaloni," "chori," and "shadi."
"Shet." The place where excrement exits. And similarly it is written (II Samuel 10:4): "and he cut off their garments... up to their buttocks (shetotehem)." And this recompense came to them on account of Ham their father, who saw his father's nakedness and did not cover it—measure for measure.
Ibn Ezra
Yes. The exile of Cush, who came to aid them:
And naked. Because the prophet went naked, or because God exposed them.
"Shet." It is the back. The derivation is from the phrase "until their buttocks" (2 Samuel 10:4):
"Egypt's nakedness." This is Egypt's nakedness, or the word "and exposed buttocks" draws itself, and another with it.
Radak
Thus is the conduct. He says, "And exposed of buttocks," after having said "naked and barefoot," because the disgrace in their walking naked is that they shall walk with their nakedness exposed, as the king of Ammon did to the messengers of David, to disgrace them, and he cut off their garments in half, until their buttocks.
"UCHSHOFI" – like "uchshofim"; and similarly, "VAKARA LO CHALONI" – like "chalanim"; and those similar to them.
And “buttocks” – it is a euphemism for the nakedness of the body; similarly, “buttocks” in the phrase “until their buttocks.” And He said “the nakedness of Egypt,” and the same applies to Cush, since He had already mentioned both of them. The reason He repeated the matter regarding Egypt is due to the severity of their disgrace, as it is said about them: “those great of flesh, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys.”
Metzudat David
Thus he shall conduct himself. Just as Isaiah walked, so shall he conduct himself, etc.
"And the nakedness of the thigh." [This refers to] the exposed shame of the nakedness of Egypt, and likewise Cush, for he has already mentioned both of them. And he said "Egypt" because of their great disgrace, as it is stated concerning them: "great of flesh" (Ezekiel 16:27).
Metzudat Zion
"Uchshufei." Its meaning is "exposed," like the phrase "the exposed white" (Genesis 30:37).
Shet. The matter of yesod is like "shetoteyha midukayim" (above 19), and it is in a person like the foundation in a building, and likewise "ad shetoteyhem" (II Samuel 10:4).
Malbim
"Captivity of Egypt": Egypt was not exiled; rather, captives were taken from it. And it exiled all of Cush; [this is] the nakedness of Egypt. It is known that Egypt is called a harlot, and the prophets always censured her with this [description]. Therefore, it specified Egypt with this derogatory term.
And they shall be dismayed and ashamed, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
verse value 2788
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·will·be·shattered" (וְחַתּ֖וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·of·Egypt" (וּמִן־מִצְרַ֖יִם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "because·of·Ethiopia" (מִכּוּשׁ֙), "their·expectation" (מַבָּטָ֔ם), "and·of·Egypt" (וּמִן־מִצְרַ֖יִם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·will·put·to·shame" (root בוש, 21x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·will·put·to·shame', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְחַתּ֖וּ [and·they·will·be·shattered] (420) + וָבֹ֑שׁוּ [and·they·will·put·to·shame] (314) + מִכּוּשׁ֙ [because·of·Ethiopia] (366) + מַבָּטָ֔ם [their·expectation] (91) + וּמִן־מִצְרַ֖יִם [and·of·Egypt] (476) + תִּפְאַרְתָּֽם [their·glory] (1121) = 2788.
Rashi
And they shall be cut off and broken. All who gaze and look for help from Cush, and who boast in the support of Egypt.
Their glory. "Vantance" (boasting) in Old French:
Ibn Ezra
And they shall be dismayed. The Israelites who fled to Egypt:
“Of Cush, their hope.” This means that their eyes are set upon them.
Their glory. That they used to boast in them:
Radak
"And they shall be ashamed and confounded." This is said concerning Israel, that their trust was in Cush and Egypt, because they were warriors for the king of Assyria, as it is said regarding Tirhakah, king of Cush, "He has come out to fight against you." And regarding Judah and Benjamin, it refers to the remnant that remained, few in number, in the land, for the Ten Tribes were already included in the exile in the sixth year of Hezekiah. And when the king of Assyria dealt with the captivity of Egypt and the exile of Cush, it was in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah. They were looking to Cush to fight against the king of Assyria, and thereby they would escape from his hand. And thus they boasted of being saved through them from the king of Assyria. And when they saw the defeat of Cush and Egypt at the hand of the king of Assyria, they shall be ashamed and confounded.
Metzudat David
And they shall be dismayed. The Israelites, who had been gazing toward the help of Cush and boasting in their trust in Egypt, upon the arrival of their downfall, shall be dismayed and ashamed of their gazing and their boasting.
Metzudat Zion
And they were cut. The meaning is: broken:
Malbim
"Vachato" – the term is restrictive, [meaning] "Vachato" from the Cushites, their hope; and "Veshav" from Egypt, their pride. Those who looked to Cush to obtain help from them will now be dismayed, for they will see that they have no hope left; and those who boasted in Egypt, who did not look to them for help but rather boasted in their honor and their covenant, will now be ashamed in contrast to what they had boasted about initially.
And the inhabitant of this coast-land shall say in that day: Behold, such is our expectation, whither we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’
verse value 3441
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁם֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·we·fled" (אֲשֶׁר־נַ֤סְנוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 312: dwelling, to·help. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "not" (הָאִ֣י), "behold·thus" (הִנֵּה־כֹ֣ה), "our·expectation" (מַבָּטֵ֗נוּ). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·will·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "that·we·fled" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root בטן ("our·expectation") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root מלט ("we·will·slip·away") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Assyria', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 3 words.
Rashi
"The one who sits upon this island." The Land of Israel, which relied upon Pharaoh for assistance:
This word. It is the language of the islands of the sea:
Ibn Ezra
And it is said: "The one dwelling in the islands of the sea, surrounding Egypt, from among Israel."
Behold. Thus it happened to those to whom we fled:
Radak
And it says “the coastland (ha-i)” [of] the Land of Israel, because it is on the border of the sea.
“To whom we fled there for help.” As its Targum renders it: “That we intended to flee there, to help, to be delivered from before the king of Assyria—until now they have not saved themselves, so how shall we be saved?”
Metzudat David
"יושב האי הזה" – this refers to the Land of Israel, which is situated on the border of the sea.
26. From our womb. 27. Thus has it befallen the nations whom we used to look to for help, whom we thought to flee to in order to save ourselves from the King of Assyria.
And how shall we be saved? If it came to pass for them that they could not save themselves, how shall we be saved through their help?
Metzudat Zion
25. Likewise:
“Nisnu.” From the language of “nisah” and flight:
Malbim
And it says, "the inhabitant of this coast" — the land of Judah, who trusted in Egypt and Cush — and they shall see that they could not help themselves; how then will they save others?
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim