Isaiah 6:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

NIV: With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'

NASB: He touched my mouth with it and said, 'Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.'

CSB: He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.

NLT: He touched my lips with it and said, 'See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Seeing God's glory in the temple has utterly convinced Isaiah that he is unworthy to speak about the Lord's holiness. In fact, Isaiah knows that his sinfulness makes him so unworthy to appear before the Lord that he deserves to die (Isaiah 6:5). The Lord's purpose in revealing Himself to Isaiah was not to judge him for unworthiness. Has plans to use Isaiah as His prophet to His people.

One of the "fiery serpent" seraphim angels flies toward Isaiah with a burning-hot coal from the altar of atonement or incense (Isaiah 6:6). He places the coal against Isaiah's mouth. He tells Isaiah that when the coal touched his lips, his personal guilt was taken away and his sin paid for.

The word "atone" means to make amends or reparation. In other words, Isaiah's sin was covered by the fire from the alter where Israel sacrificed the animals to receive atonement on a national level. With his sin set aside, Isaiah was free to be used by the Lord to give God's word to his people.

Isaiah 6:1–7 describes Isaiah's call to serve as God's prophet in response to a powerful vision. This vision takes place near the beginning of his ministry, which is also the same year that King Uzziah of Judah dies. In this vision, Isaiah sees the Lord on a throne in His temple. Angelic seraphim call out about God's holiness in voices that shake the building. The prophet is overwhelmed by his own uncleanness. One of the seraph touches his lips with a coal from the altar, pronouncing his sin paid for.

Isaiah 6 describes the vision of God, experienced by Isaiah, which began his work as a prophet. He sees the Lord in royal robes sitting on a throne in the temple. There are angelic seraphim calling out to each other about His holiness. Isaiah is overwhelmed by his own uncleanness until one seraph touches his lips with a burning coal from the altar. With his sin symbolically atoned for, Isaiah volunteers to go to his people on behalf of the Lord. The message he preaches will not penetrate their dull hearts. Yet Isaiah must preach until the judgment comes.

Isaiah 6 seems to answer the question of why Isaiah (Isaiah 1:1) was qualified to speak of Judah's sin and the Lord's coming judgment. The previous five chapters have already been on this topic. Isaiah describes seeing God in the temple on a throne, while hearing seraphim calling out about the Lord's holiness. After his lips are cleansed, Isaiah volunteers to take the Lord's message to his people Judah. The Lord shows Isaiah that message will not be received and that he will preach until the judgment comes. Chapters 7 and 8 detail Isaiah's early prophecies, including a famous prediction about the Messiah.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/4/2024 4:52:23 AM