Isaiah 6

Isaiah 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 The doors are supposed to open, and the veil hiding the Holy of Holies to be withdrawn, unfolding to his view a vision of God represented as an Eastern monarch, attended by seraphim as His ministers of state ( 1 Kings 22:19 ), and with a robe and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 the pretext for sawing him asunder in Manasseh's reign ( Hebrews 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], ( 2 Chronicles 26:19-21 ). 754 B.C. [CALMET] 578 (Common Chronology). This is not the first beginning of Isaiah's prophecies, but his inauguration to a higher degree of the prophetic office: Isaiah 6:9 , &c., implies the tone of one who had already experience of the people's obstinacy.
Lord--here Adonai, Jehovah in Isaiah 6:5 ; Jesus Christ is meant as speaking in Isaiah 6:10 , according to John 12:41 . Isaiah could only have "seen" the Son, not the divine essence ( John 1:18 ). The words in Isaiah 6:10 are attributed by Paul ( Acts 28:25 Acts 28:26 ) to the Holy Ghost. Thus the Trinity in unity is implied; as also by the thrice "Holy" ( Isaiah 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 ( Numbers 21:6 ), called so from the poisonous inflammation caused by their bites. Seraph is to burn; implying the burning zeal, dazzling brightness ( 2 Kings 2:11 , 6:17 , Ezekiel 1:13 , Matthew 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 Numbers 21:8 , 2 Kings 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 ( Ezekiel 1:5-12 ). (But compare Revelation 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 Daniel 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 ( Exodus 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 Ezekiel 1:11 , their bodies). Man's service a fortiori consists in reverent waiting on, still more than in active service for, God.