6.2
The Book of Isaiah 6.2 · Seraphs stood above him6.2Seraphs stood above him
Isaiah's vision of the Lord on his throne continues. Winged beings stand in attendance above him.
· · ·
שְׂרָפִים1
śərāp̄îm
Seraphsburning ones
were
עֹמְדִים2
ʿōməḏîm
standing
מִמַּעַל3
mi-maʿal
abovefrom above
לוֹ4
lô
himto him
. שֵׁשׁ5
šēš
Six
כְּנָפַיִם6
kənāp̄ayim
wings
, שֵׁשׁ7
šēš
six
כְּנָפַיִם8
kənāp̄ayim
wings
לְאֶחָד9
lə-ʾeḥāḏ
to each one
: בִּשְׁתַּיִם10
bi-štayim
with two
יְכַסֶּה11
yəḵasseh
he coveredhe covers
פָנָיו12
p̄ānāyw
his face
, וּבִשְׁתַּיִם13
û-ḇi-štayim
and with two
יְכַסֶּה14
yəḵasseh
he coveredhe covers
רַגְלָיו15
raḡlāyw
his feet
, וּבִשְׁתַּיִם16
û-ḇi-štayim
and with two
יְעוֹפֵף׃17
yəʿôp̄ēp̄
he flewhe flies
. Seraphs were standing above him. Six wings, six wings to each one: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
Seraphs were standing above him. Six wings, six wings to each one: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
6.3
The Book of Isaiah 6.3 · Holy, holy, holy6.3Holy, holy, holy
The seraphs call to one another in worship. Their cry names the one on the throne.
· · ·
And one called to the other and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
↔ echoes in other books:
Śərāp̄îm are “burning ones”. The same word names the fiery serpents in the wilderness (Numbers 21:6) and the “flying serpent” of Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6. These are not the chubby angels of later art: Isaiah’s seraphs are winged, burning things with faces, hands and feet, and they cover themselves in the presence of the king.
“Feet” (raḡlayim) is also a polite Hebrew word for the private parts (as in Isaiah 7:20). Some readers take the second pair of wings that way: one pair hides the face from God’s glory, one hides the body’s shame.