The Meaning of Isaiah 20:4 Explained

Isaiah 20:4

KJV: So 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.

YLT: so doth the king of Asshur lead the captivity of Egypt, and the removal of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with seat uncovered -- the nakedness of Egypt;

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So 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. 

What does Isaiah 20:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 20

1  A type prefiguring the shameful captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia

What do the individual words in Isaiah 20:4 mean?

so shall lead away the king of Assyria - as prisoners Egypt and as captives of the Ethiopia young and old naked and barefoot and uncovered with their buttocks to the shame of Egypt
כֵּ֣ן יִנְהַ֣ג מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַ֠שּׁוּר אֶת־ שְׁבִ֨י מִצְרַ֜יִם וְאֶת־ גָּל֥וּת כּ֛וּשׁ נְעָרִ֥ים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י שֵׁ֖ת עֶרְוַ֥ת מִצְרָֽיִם

כֵּ֣ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יִנְהַ֣ג  shall  lead  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָהַג 
Sense: to drive, lead, guide, conduct.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַ֠שּׁוּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁבִ֨י  as  prisoners 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
מִצְרַ֜יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
גָּל֥וּת  as  captives 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: גָּלוּת  
Sense: exile, exiles.
כּ֛וּשׁ  of  the  Ethiopia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כּוּשׁ 
Sense: a Benjamite mentioned only in the title of Ps 7.
נְעָרִ֥ים  young 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וּזְקֵנִ֖ים  and  old 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
עָר֣וֹם  naked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָרֹום  
Sense: naked, bare.
וְיָחֵ֑ף  and  barefoot 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָחֵף  
Sense: barefoot.
וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י  and  uncovered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: חֲשׂוּפַי 
Sense: to strip, strip off, lay bare, make bare, draw out.
שֵׁ֖ת  with  their  buttocks 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁת  
Sense: seat (of body), buttocks.
עֶרְוַ֥ת  to  the  shame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֶרְוָה  
Sense: nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda.
מִצְרָֽיִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.