The Message of Yeshayahu 20/1/en

The Message of Yeshayahu 20

Introduction

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Who is Yeshayahu's Audience?

Yeshayahu 20 tells of one the more bizarre symbolic acts performed by a prophet, Yeshayahu's walking unclothed and barefoot as a sign of impending captivity:

EN/HEע/E

(ב) בָּעֵת הַהִיא דִּבֶּר י"י בְּיַד יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ לֵאמֹר לֵךְ וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק מֵעַל מׇתְנֶיךָ וְנַעַלְךָ תַחֲלֹץ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן הָלֹךְ עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף. (ג) וַיֹּאמֶר י"י כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ עַבְדִּי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת עַל מִצְרַיִם וְעַל כּוּשׁ.

(2) at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying: 'Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put thy shoe from off 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 to be for three years a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia,

Though the parable is clear, the larger message and intended audience of the prophecy is not. The prophecy's heading speaks of the capture of Ashdod, suggesting that perhaps Yeshayahu's words are addressed to them  Yet, Ashdod is never mentioned again in the body of the prophecy, which appears instead to be aimed at Kush and Egypt. After all, it is their captivity and downfall which Yeshayahu foretells.  Finally, verse 6 introduces yet another group of people, "יֹשֵׁב הָאִי הַזֶּה", those who will be distressed for having put their trust in Egypt. The word "הַזֶּה" would suggest that it is this group who are the direct audience of Yeshayahu's words and that he is actively speaking to them. yet, what island peoples might Yeshayahu be speaking to?

Additional Questions

Though this prophecy is merely six verses long, there is much which is unclear:

• וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק – Why was Yeshayahu wearing sackcloth to begin with?  Does its removal constitute its own individual sign, or is this just a means to an end – Yeshayahu's walking around unclothed?¹
• עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף – Did Yeshayahu walk around literally naked?  Would that not

¹ If the latter, it is not clear why Hashem did not simply direct Yeshayahu to disrobe in general, rather than specifying the removal of the sackcloth.