Old Testament · Prophecy

Isaiah 6

Holy, Holy, Holy

Isaiah sees God on His throne. The seraphim cry out. The temple shakes. And a man undone by his own unworthiness hears: who will go?

King James Version BSB KJV

1In 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.

5Then 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.

9And 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.

Understand This

Isaiah 6, explained

What Isaiah 6 is saying

In the year of Uzziah's death, Isaiah receives his throne-room commissioning. He sees the Lord exalted among seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy,' is cleansed by a burning coal, and volunteers for a mission of hardening. God tells him to preach until the cities lie waste, though a holy seed remains in the stump.

The background behind it

Uzziah's death (ca. 740 BC) marked a political turning point as Assyrian power surged. The trisagion ('Holy, holy, holy') became foundational in both Jewish and Christian liturgical tradition. The 'hardening' commission is quoted by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels and by Paul in Acts 28.

Themes running underneath

Divine holiness, human sinfulness, and gracious cleansing converge in a single scene. The paradox of a prophet commissioned to bring incomprehension raises deep questions about divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Why it still matters

Encountering God's holiness simultaneously exposes unworthiness and offers transformation. Isaiah's 'Here am I, send me' remains the paradigmatic response to divine calling.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 66 chapters of Isaiah · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.