Isaiah 20:1–3

Every witness, in order

1. 8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

   The oracle as first spoken or written

   – No copy survives

   No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.

2. c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)

   Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3. Sargon, the tartan and "naked and barefoot… three years" as in the Masoretic Text. Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.

3. 1st century BC (reported)

   4QIsa-a (4Q55), Qumran Cave 4

   ◐ Contains part of itDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. What survives agrees with the Masoretic Text.

4. 1st century BC (reported)

   4QIsa-b (4Q56), Qumran Cave 4

   ◐ Contains part of itDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. Sargon's name is partly preserved, with damaged letters.

5. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

   Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

   In anno quo ingressus est Thathan in Azotum, cum misisset eum Sargon, rex Assyriorum, et pugnasset contra Azotum, et cepisset eam: in tempore illo locutus est Dominus in manu Isaiæ, filii Amos, dicens: Vade, et solve saccum de lumbis tuis, et calceamenta tua tolle de pedibus tuis. Et fecit sic, vadens nudus et discalceatus. Et dixit Dominus: Sicut ambulavit servus meus Isaias nudus et discalceatus, trium annorum signum et portentum erit super Ægyptum et super Æthiopiam;

   Latin numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

6. AD 1008

   Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

   בִּשְׁנַ֨ת בֹּ֤א תַרְתָּן֙ אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה בִּשְׁלֹ֣ח אֹת֔וֹ סַֽרְג֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ בְּיַ֣ד יְשַׁעְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ לֵ֗ךְ וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤ הַשַּׂק֙ מֵעַ֣ל מָתְנֶ֔יךָ וְנַעַלְךָ֥ תַחֲלֹ֖ץ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑יךָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ כֵּ֔ן הָלֹ֖ךְ עָר֥וֹם וְיָחֵֽף׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלַ֛ךְ עַבְדִּ֥י יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף שָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ א֣וֹת וּמוֹפֵ֔ת עַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְעַל־כּֽוּשׁ׃

   In the year the tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it (v. 1)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3.

7. 1611

   King James Bible

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

   In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

8. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

   Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Isaiah

   How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

   L’année que Tanathan entra dans Azot, quand il y fut envoyé par Arna, roi des Assyriens, et qu’il assiégea la ville et s’en empara; Le Seigneur parla à Isaïe, fils d’Amos, disant: Pars, et ôte le cilice de tes reins; dénoue les sandales de tes pieds, et fais comme je te dis; voyage nu et déchaussé. Et le Seigneur dit: Comme mon serviteur Isaïe a voyagé trois ans nu et déchaussé, pour être pendant trois ans un sujet de signes et de prodiges pour les Éthiopiens et les Égyptiens;

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 20:1–3. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.