Texts in Conversation
Amos and Isaiah both echo a similar tradition that describes military defeat as nakedness. Amos says the bravest soldiers will strip and flee for their lives, while Isaiah sees whole nations marched into exile stripped and barefoot.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Amos 2:16
Hebrew Bible
13 Look! I will press you down, like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; strong men will have no strength left; warriors will not be able to save their lives. 15 Archers will not hold their ground; fast runners will not save their lives, nor will those who ride horses. 16 Bravehearted warriors will run away naked in that day.” The Lord is speaking.
Isaiah 20:3
Hebrew Bible
2 At that time the Lord announced through Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments and barefoot. 3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated.
Search:
Notes and References
"... The translation 'with naked buttocks' is undisputed; the only question that remains is whether ערוה should be understood metaphorically as 'the disgrace of Egypt' or literally as the Egyptians' private parts. If it is the latter, then the complete nudity of a body region that is otherwise carefully protected from sight would be meant. Accordingly, the audience reacts with consternation and embarrassment (verse 5). For having to flee naked is a peculiar threat, as the climax in Amos 2:13-16 or the humiliation of Yhwh's unfaithful wife in Hosea 2:5 show drastically. ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.