Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot/2

Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot

Exegetical Approaches

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Not Real: Prophetic Vision

Yeshayahu's fulfillment of Hashem's command took place in a vision and was not witnessed by the public. As such, the message of the prophecy may not have been meant for the people of Judah. 

Sources:Ibn EzraYeshayahu 20Hoshea First Commentary 1:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Rambam2 46About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim, RadakYeshayahu 20Hoshea 1:2About R. David Kimchi

Real

Literal

Yeshayahu carried out Hashem's command in public and exactly how the verses make it. This effectively transmitted the prophecy's message to the people of Judah.

Sources:RambanDevarim 13:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman¹, AbarbanelYeshayahu 20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 20About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

Non-Literal

While these commentators concur Yeshayahu's action took place in public, they dilute the potency of "עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף" to accord the story with the standards we have for our prophets. 

Sources:R. Nahman bar YitzhakYoma 77a-bAbout the Bavli in Yoma,  RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugency, R. Yosef ibn KaspiYeshayahu 20:2About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi

¹ While RambanDevarim 13:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman does not explcitly mention Yeshayahu's action as having taken place in public, his allusion to the event in Devarim 13:2 likely confirms his alignment with this approach. In discussing the difference between an אוֹת and a מוֹפֵת, Ramban writes a מוֹפֵת is a prophetic sign that is complete deviation from nature or abnormal. A paradigm of such an action is Yeshayahu's of our chapter. Such an action qualifies as a מוֹפֵת because "it is a bewilderment that a prophet should walk like this" ("this" referring to עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף).