Isaiah 28:20
ESV
For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
NIV
The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
NASB
The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.
CSB
Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.
NLT
The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you.
KJV
For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
NKJV
For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
What does Isaiah 28:20 mean?
This is a kind of proverb or saying. Isaiah applies it to Judah's trust in foreign powers like Egypt (Isaiah 30:1–2) to save them from the Assyrians (Isaiah 20:6). It's easy for Egypt to promise to step in and defend Judah. But they simply didn't have the will or the ability to do so (Isaiah 30:3–5).Scripture compares this to the promise of a good night's sleep on a bed that is too short with a blanket that is too small. Instead of resting well throughout the night, the person will be hanging off the bed and shivering from the cold. In the same way, Egypt's promise of protection will quickly be exposed as worthless when the Assyrians flood into Judah and begin their reign of destruction.
