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Isaiah 6:1-2
New English Translation
Isaiah 6:1-2
New English Translation
Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year of King Uzziah’s death,[a] I saw the Lord[b] seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs[c] stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,[d] and they used the remaining two to fly.
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- Isaiah 6:1 sn That is, approximately 740 b.c.
- Isaiah 6:1 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- Isaiah 6:2 tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.
- Isaiah 6:2 sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.
New English Translation (NET)
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