Isaiah 20:6

And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The inhabitants of the coastal region speak to themselves on the day of judgment, observing the collapse of Egypt and Cush as failed political alliances. They voice panic over their lost security and question how they will avoid Assyrian conquest.

The words — The Hebrew יֹשֵׁ֨ב (yo.Shev) literally means “[one who] dwells,” identifying the coastal population as the subjects of the prophecy. The interjection הִנֵּה (hi.neh) translates as “there!” or “see!”, marking a direct confrontation with the reality of fallen hope.

The thread — The rhetorical question of escape recurs in Matthew 23:33 and Hebrews 2:3, where judgment or salvation removes all alternative refuge. The sudden collapse of false security echoes the warning in 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Why it lands — The text forces a reader to confront the futility of trusting human alliances for protection when divine judgment arrives. It demands a clear-eyed assessment of where true security resides.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

Cross-references

Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
Matthew 23:33 You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
1 Thessalonians 5:3 While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Job 6:20 They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.
Job 22:30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
Isaiah 10:3 What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
Isaiah 28:17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.
Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.
Isaiah 30:15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.