Isaiah 6:2

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Above {H4605} it stood {H5975} the seraphims {H8314}: each one {H259} had six {H8337} wings {H3671}; with twain {H8147} he covered {H3680} his face {H6440}, and with twain {H8147} he covered {H3680} his feet {H7272}, and with twain {H8147} he did fly {H5774}.

S'rafim stood over him, each with six wings - two for covering his face, two for covering his feet and two for flying.

Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Isaiah 6:2 provides a vivid description of the celestial beings known as seraphim, who attend God's throne in the prophet Isaiah's awe-inspiring vision. This verse, part of Isaiah's commissioning, emphasizes the profound holiness and majesty of the Lord, setting the stage for the prophet's call to ministry.

Context

This verse is part of the pivotal sixth chapter of Isaiah, which recounts the prophet's profound vision in the year that King Uzziah died. Following the opening chapters that detail Judah's spiritual corruption and God's impending judgment, Isaiah 6:1 describes the Lord sitting on a high and lifted-up throne, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Against this backdrop of divine sovereignty and glory, the seraphim are introduced as powerful attendants, highlighting the supreme sanctity of God's presence.

Key Themes

  • Divine Holiness and Majesty: The primary theme conveyed by the seraphim's actions is the absolute holiness of God. Their posture—covering their face and feet—demonstrates profound reverence and humility in the presence of the Almighty, indicating that even these exalted beings cannot fully behold or expose themselves before God's unapproachable light.
  • Worship and Adoration: The seraphim's primary role appears to be continuous worship and service. Their six wings are used specifically for reverence (covering face and feet) and for swift obedience (flying), underscoring their dedication to God's will and glory. This visual imagery reinforces the idea of God's worthiness of all praise.
  • Heavenly Beings: This verse offers a unique glimpse into the nature and appearance of the seraphim, a distinct class of heavenly beings. Their six wings suggest a capacity for both swift movement and profound humility, serving as guardians of God's holiness and executors of His commands.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "seraphims" is seraphim (שְׂרָפִים), which literally means "burning ones" or "fiery ones." This etymology suggests their fiery appearance or perhaps their role in purifying, as seen later in the chapter when a seraph touches Isaiah's lips with a live coal (Isaiah 6:6-7). The description of their six wings is precise: two for covering the face (reverence, awe), two for covering the feet (humility, modesty, or covering the 'private parts' of the body as a sign of respect), and two for flight (readiness to serve and execute God's commands).

Practical Application

Isaiah 6:2 serves as a powerful reminder of God's transcendent holiness and our proper response to His presence. Just as the seraphim demonstrate profound reverence, we too are called to approach God with humility, awe, and adoration. This verse encourages us to cultivate a deeper sense of God's majesty in our worship and daily lives, recognizing that He is utterly unique and worthy of our deepest respect. It also highlights the importance of humility in service, mirroring the seraphim's readiness to fly while simultaneously acknowledging their smallness before the Creator. The vision underscores that true service flows from a heart of profound reverence and understanding of God's incomparable glory, a theme echoed in the future vision of heavenly worship in Revelation 4:8.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Revelation 4:8

    ¶ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

  • Ezekiel 1:11

    Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward; two [wings] of every one [were] joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

  • Psalms 104:4

    Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

  • Psalms 103:20

    Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

  • Psalms 18:10

    And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

  • Isaiah 6:6

    Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, [which] he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

  • 1 Kings 6:24

    And five cubits [was] the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other [were] ten cubits.

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