Chapter 20 See the opening comments on chapter 19 for background on this chapter. This chapter recounts an incident where Isaiah is to act out a particular message of prophecy concerning Egypt. Isaiah is to strip to the waist and remove his shoes so as to give the appearance of being an exiled captive. This represents the exile Egypt is to experience under the king of Assyria (Note that both Ezekiel and Jeremiah reference Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon, as the one who sacks Egypt in their prophecies. So, even if those prophecies were fulfilled historically Isaiah's is referencing a different event). This exile is to last three years time (review comments on 16:13). Of particular interest is that it seems likely that Isaiah's physical acting out of this prophecy would have been in Jerusalem, not Egypt. Thus, this is a message of warning to them among Israel that would rely on arm of the flesh political alliances for protection from Assyria as v. 5-6 indicate (compare 30:1-5). The question asked by those dismayed at Egypt's fall shows their patent inability to even consider returning to the Lord. Instead, they lament their situation as inescapable and the prophecy of exile applied to Egypt will now apply to them.