ישעיהו, פרק כ׳, פסוק ד׳

The defeat of the mighty empires of Egypt and Cush by the king of Assyria brings with it a profound level of humiliation and a complete loss of human dignity. Mirroring the destitute path taken by the prophet Isaiah, the defeated populations are led away entirely stripped of protection, honor, and basic modesty.

A careful distinction is made between the specific fates of these two nations, reflecting the different nature of their downfall [מלבי״ם]. Cush suffers the harsh reality of exile, meaning the entire nation is completely uprooted from its homeland. This severe punishment is a direct result of Cush stepping in to assist Egypt in the first place [אבן עזרא]. Egypt, on the other hand, faces captivity. Rather than a total displacement, a portion of the Egyptian population is taken away into forced slavery while the rest of the people remain in their land.

As they are led away, the captives and exiles are subjected to extreme physical exposure by God's decree, directly paralleling the prophet's earlier actions [אבן עזרא]. They are forced to march with their bodies bare, specifically their hindquarters [רש״י, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The physical exposure targets the area that serves as the body's foundation—the base upon which a person sits, much like a foundation supports a building [מצודת ציון, שד״ל]. This deeply degrading vulnerability is not random but serves as a precise, measure-for-measure punishment. Because Ham, the ancient ancestor of these nations, once looked upon his father Noah in a state of undress and failed to cover him, his descendants are now condemned to march in public disgrace, entirely uncovered [רש״י, חומת אנך].

While both nations endure this march, the ultimate focus narrows specifically to the shame of Egypt. The primary approach among commentators is that although the physical humiliation applies equally to both, Egypt is singled out due to its notorious reputation for immorality, promiscuity, and vulgarity. For a society so deeply entrenched in moral corruption, having their bodies publicly exposed serves as a uniquely stinging disgrace and a painful, visible reminder of their own depravity [שד״ל]. Ultimately, the uncovering of their physical foundation is simultaneously a complete exposure of Egypt's profound moral shame [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם].