Commentaires bibliques

Isa 6:1-13.

VISION OF JEHOVAH IN HIS TEMPLE.

Isaiah is outside, near the altar in front of the temple. The doors are supposed to open, and the veil hiding the Holy of Holies to be withdrawn, unfolding to his view a vision of God represented as an Eastern monarch, attended by seraphim as His ministers of state

(1Ki 22:19),

and with a robe and flowing train (a badge of dignity in the East), which filled the temple. This assertion that he had seen God was, according to tradition (not sanctioned by

Isa 1:1;

see

Introduction),

the pretext for sawing him asunder in Manasseh's reign

(Heb 11:37).

Visions often occur in the other prophets: in Isaiah there is only this one, and it is marked by characteristic clearness and simplicity.

1. In . . . year . . . Uzziah died--Either literal death, or civil when he ceased as a leper to exercise his functions as king [Chaldee],

(2Ch 26:19-21).

754 B.C. [CALMET] 758 (Common Chronology). This is not the first beginning of Isaiah's prophecies, but his inauguration to a higher degree of the prophetic office:

Isa 6:9,

&c., implies the tone of one who had already experience of the people's obstinacy.

Lord--here Adonai, Jehovah in

Isa 6:5;

Jesus Christ is meant as speaking in

Isa 6:10,

according to

Joh 12:41.

Isaiah could only have "seen" the Son, not the divine essence

(Joh 1:18).

The words in

Isa 6:10

are attributed by Paul

(Ac 28:25, 26)

to the Holy Ghost. Thus the Trinity in unity is implied; as also by the thrice "Holy"

(Isa 6:3).

Isaiah mentions the robes, temple, and seraphim, but not the form of God Himself. Whatever it was, it was different from the usual Shekinah: that was on the mercy seat, this on a throne; that a cloud and fire, of this no form is specified: over that were the cherubim, over this the seraphim; that had no clothing, this had a flowing robe and train.

2. stood--not necessarily the posture of standing; rather, were in attendance on Him [MAURER], hovering on expanded wings.

the--not in the Hebrew.

seraphim--nowhere else applied to God's attendant angels; but to the fiery flying (not winged, but rapidly moving) serpents, which bit the Israelites

(Nu 21:6),

called so from the poisonous inflammation caused by their bites. Seraph is to burn; implying the burning zeal, dazzling brightness

(2Ki 2:11; 6:17; Eze 1:13; Mt 28:3)

and serpent-like rapidity of the seraphim in God's service. Perhaps Satan's form as a serpent (nachash) in his appearance to man has some connection with his original form as a seraph of light. The head of the serpent was the symbol of wisdom in Egypt (compare

Nu 21:8; 2Ki 18:4).

The seraphim, with six wings and one face, can hardly be identified with the cherubim, which had four wings (in the temple only two) and four faces

(Eze 1:5-12).

(But compare

Re 4:8).

The "face" and "feet" imply a human form; something of a serpentine form (perhaps a basilisk's head, as in the temples of Thebes) may have been mixed with it: so the cherub was compounded of various animal forms. However, seraph may come from a root meaning "princely," applied in

Da 10:13

to Michael [MAURER]; just as cherub comes from a root (changing m into b), meaning "noble."

twain--Two wings alone of the six were kept ready for instant flight in God's service; two veiled their faces as unworthy to look on the holy God, or pry into His secret counsels which they fulfilled

(Ex 3:6; Job 4:18; 15:15);

two covered their feet, or rather the whole of the lower parts of their persons--a practice usual in the presence of Eastern monarchs, in token of reverence (compare

Eze 1:11,

their bodies). Man's service a fortiori consists in reverent waiting on, still more than in active service for, God.

3.

(Re 4:8).

The Trinity is implied (on "Lord," see on

Isa 6:1).

God's holiness is the keynote of Isaiah's whole prophecies.

whole earth--the Hebrew more emphatically, the fulness of the whole earth is His glory

(Ps 24:1; 72:19).

4. posts of . . . door--rather, foundations of the thresholds.

house--temple.

smoke--the Shekinah cloud

(1Ki 8:10; Eze 10:4).

5. undone--

(Ex 33:20).

The same effect was produced on others by the presence of God

(Jud 6:22; 13:22; Job 42:5, 6; Lu 5:8; Re 1:17).

lips--appropriate to the context which describes the praises of the lips, sung in alternate responses

(Ex 15:20, 21; Isa 6:3)

by the seraphim: also appropriate to the office of speaking as the prophet of God, about to be committed to Isaiah

(Isa 6:9).

seen--not strictly Jehovah Himself

(Joh 1:18; 1Ti 6:16),

but the symbol of His presence.

Lord--Hebrew, "JEHOVAH."

6. unto me--The seraph had been in the temple, Isaiah outside of it.

live coal--literally, "a hot stone," used, as in some countries in our days, to roast meat with, for example, the meat of the sacrifices. Fire was a symbol of purification, as it takes the dross out of metals

(Mal 3:2, 3).

the altar--of burnt offering, in the court of the priests before the temple. The fire on it was at first kindled by God

(Le 9:24),

and was kept continually burning.

7. mouth . . . lips--(See on

Isa 6:5).

The mouth was touched because it was the part to be used by the prophet when inaugurated. So "tongues of fire" rested on the disciples

(Ac 2:3, 4)

when they were being set apart to speak in various languages of Jesus.

iniquity--conscious unworthiness of acting as God's messenger.

purged--literally, "covered," that is, expiated, not by any physical effect of fire to cleanse from sin, but in relation to the altar sacrifices, of which Messiah, who here commissions Isaiah, was in His death to be the antitype: it is implied hereby that it is only by sacrifice sin can be pardoned.

8. I . . . us--The change of number indicates the Trinity (compare

Ge 1:26; 11:7).

Though not a sure argument for the doctrine, for the plural may indicate merely majesty, it accords with that truth proved elsewhere.

Whom . . . who--implying that few would be willing to bear the self-denial which the delivering of such an unwelcome message to the Jews would require on the part of the messenger (compare

1Ch 29:5).

Here am I--prompt zeal, now that he has been specially qualified for it

(Isa 6:7;

compare

1Sa 3:10, 11; Ac 9:6).