Isaiah 6

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 6

1¶ In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2Above 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.

3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.

4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5¶ Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6Then 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:

7And he laid [it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me.

9¶ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

11Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

12And the LORD have removed men far away, and [there be] a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

13But yet in it [shall be] a tenth, and [it] shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance [is] in them, when they cast [their leaves: so] the holy seed [shall be] the substance thereof.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

In a vision following King Uzziah's death, Isaiah saw the Lord enthroned, surrounded by seraphim proclaiming His holiness. Overwhelmed by his own unworthiness, Isaiah's lips were purified by a live coal from the altar. Subsequently, he volunteered to be God's messenger, receiving a commission to deliver a message that would cause the people's hearts to be hardened, leading to the land's desolation, yet with a promise of a holy remnant.

Medium Summary

In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah beheld a profound vision of the Lord seated on a high throne, His glory filling the temple. Seraphim attended Him, crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts." Overcome by his own sinfulness, particularly his "unclean lips," Isaiah lamented his state. One of the seraphim then touched his mouth with a live coal from the altar, purging his iniquity. Hearing the Lord's call for a messenger, Isaiah readily responded, "Here am I; send me." He was commissioned to deliver a message that would cause the people to hear but not understand, and to see but not perceive, leading to their spiritual hardening. This would ultimately result in the desolation of the land and the removal of its inhabitants, though a "holy seed" would remain.

Long Summary

In the significant year of King Uzziah's death, the prophet Isaiah experienced a profound and awe-inspiring vision of the Lord. He saw God seated upon a high and exalted throne, His majestic train filling the entire temple. Above the throne stood the seraphim, each with six wings, using two to cover their faces, two to cover their feet, and two to fly, as they ceaselessly proclaimed, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." The very foundations of the temple moved at their voices, and the house was filled with smoke, signifying God's presence. Overwhelmed by this divine encounter and acutely aware of his own sinfulness, Isaiah cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." In an act of purification, one of the seraphim flew to him, carrying a live coal taken from the altar, and touched it to Isaiah's lips, declaring his iniquity removed and his sin purged. Following this cleansing, Isaiah heard the Lord's voice asking, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Without hesitation, Isaiah responded with profound willingness, "Here am I; send me." The Lord then commissioned him with a difficult message: to speak to a people who would hear but not understand, and see but not perceive, effectively causing their hearts to become hardened. This spiritual blindness and deafness was intended to prevent them from converting and being healed. When Isaiah inquired how long this state would endure, the Lord revealed it would continue until the cities were wasted, the houses without inhabitants, and the land utterly desolate, with the people removed far away. However, amidst this judgment, a promise was given: a tenth, a "holy seed," would remain, like the enduring substance within a felled oak, ensuring a future for God's people.

Core Concepts

  • Vision of God's MajestyIsaiah beholds the Lord enthroned in the temple, high and lifted up, with His glory filling the sanctuary, signifying His supreme sovereignty and holiness.
  • Seraphim and Divine WorshipCelestial beings with six wings, the seraphim, attend God's throne, continually proclaiming His absolute holiness ("Holy, holy, holy") and the earth's fullness with His glory.
  • Isaiah's PurificationRecognizing his own sinfulness, particularly his "unclean lips," Isaiah is cleansed by a seraph who touches his mouth with a live coal from the altar, purging his iniquity.
  • Divine CommissioningAfter his purification, Isaiah responds to the Lord's call for a messenger with immediate willingness, volunteering himself to be sent.
  • Spiritual HardeningIsaiah is tasked with delivering a message that will cause the people to hear and see without understanding or perceiving, leading to their spiritual insensitivity and preventing conversion.
  • Desolation and JudgmentThe consequence of the people's unresponsiveness is foretold as utter desolation of the land, cities without inhabitants, and the removal of the people.
  • The Holy RemnantDespite the widespread judgment, a promise is given that a "tenth" or "holy seed" will remain, like the enduring substance of a tree, ensuring the continuation of God's chosen line.