Isaiah 6:7

And he laid [it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

And he laid {H5060} it upon my mouth {H6310}, and said {H559}, Lo, this hath touched {H5060} thy lips {H8193}; and thine iniquity {H5771} is taken away {H5493}, and thy sin {H2403} purged {H3722}.

He touched my mouth with it and said, "Here! This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone, your sin is atoned for."

And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven.

Commentary

Isaiah 6:7 is a pivotal moment in the prophet Isaiah's call, detailing his divine purification and preparation for ministry. Following his profound vision of the Lord's glory and his own confession of uncleanness (Isaiah 6:5), this verse describes the immediate and miraculous cleansing orchestrated by God.

Context

This verse is situated within Isaiah's dramatic commissioning vision, which begins in Isaiah 6:1. In this awe-inspiring encounter, Isaiah sees the Lord enthroned, surrounded by six-winged seraphim proclaiming God's holiness. Overwhelmed by the stark contrast between God's absolute purity and his own sinfulness—especially his "unclean lips" in a society of similar defilement—Isaiah expresses despair. In response to his cry, one of the seraphim takes a live coal from the altar with tongs (Isaiah 6:6) and touches Isaiah's mouth, symbolizing a direct, purifying act from God's presence.

Key Themes

  • Divine Purification and Forgiveness: The central message is God's immediate and complete removal of sin. The live coal, taken from the altar where sacrifices were made, represents a fiery, atoning cleansing, making Isaiah fit to stand before a holy God.
  • Preparation for Service: This act of cleansing is not merely for personal redemption but is a necessary step to prepare Isaiah for his prophetic mission. His "unclean lips" are purified so they can speak God's holy words without defilement.
  • God's Holiness and Man's Need: The vision vividly illustrates the infinite gap between God's transcendent holiness and humanity's inherent sinfulness, emphasizing that only divine intervention can bridge this chasm and grant access to His presence.
  • Symbolic Atonement: The coal from the altar connects this purification to the broader biblical theme of atonement, where sin is covered or removed, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice that would truly take away the sin of the world.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used in this verse carry significant weight:

  • "Iniquity" (Hebrew: 'avon) often refers to the guilt or crookedness of sin, the perversion of the moral law.
  • "Sin" (Hebrew: chatta't) typically means "missing the mark" or falling short of God's perfect standard.
  • "Purged" (Hebrew: kaphar) is a crucial word, frequently translated as "atone" or "make propitiation." It signifies a covering, cleansing, or making amends for sin, indicating a thorough and complete removal of guilt and defilement. This is the same root word used for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), highlighting the profound nature of this cleansing.

Related Scriptures

This powerful act of cleansing in Isaiah's life foreshadows broader biblical truths about forgiveness and purification. The concept of God removing sin is echoed in Psalm 103:12, which declares, "as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." The ultimate fulfillment of this cleansing is found in the person of Jesus Christ, who is called the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The New Testament further elaborates on the necessity of blood for remission of sins, as seen in Hebrews 9:22.

Practical Application

Isaiah's experience provides timeless lessons for believers today:

  • Confession Precedes Cleansing: Like Isaiah, we must first acknowledge our sinfulness before a holy God. True repentance opens the door for divine forgiveness and purification. The Bible assures us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
  • Preparation for Purpose: God's cleansing is often a prelude to His calling. When we are purified, we are made ready vessels for His service, equipped to speak His truth and carry out His will (Isaiah 6:8).
  • The Efficacy of God's Grace: This verse beautifully illustrates God's amazing grace and power to transform the defiled into the clean, enabling us to draw near to Him and participate in His divine plan.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 1:9

    Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

  • 1 John 1:7

    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

  • Isaiah 43:25

    I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

  • Daniel 10:16

    And, behold, [one] like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.

  • Hebrews 9:13

    For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

  • Hebrews 9:14

    How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

  • Isaiah 53:5

    But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
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