6.6
The Book of Isaiah 6.6 · A burning coal from the altar6.6A burning coal from the altar
One of the seraphs responds to Isaiah's cry. He brings something from the altar to deal with his unclean lips.
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אֶחָד1
ʾeḥāḏ
One
מִן־2
min-
offrom
הַשְּׂרָפִים3
ha-śśərāp̄îm
the seraphsthe burning ones
וַיָּעָף4
wa-yyāʿāp̄
flewand he flew
אֵלַי5
ʾēlay
to me
, וּבְיָדוֹ6
û-ḇə-yāḏô
and in his hand
was
רִצְפָּה7
riṣpâ
a hot coala hot stone
which
לָקַח8
lāqaḥ
he had takenhe took
מֵעַל9
mē-ʿal
fromfrom upon
הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃10
ha-mmizbēaḥ
the altar
בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם11
bə-melqaḥayim
with tongs
. One of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand was a hot coal which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
One of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand was a hot coal which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
6.7
The Book of Isaiah 6.7 · Your guilt is gone6.7Your guilt is gone
The seraph touches Isaiah's mouth with the coal. His words answer the confession of unclean lips.
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And he touched my mouth and said, “Look, this has touched on your lips and your guilt has gone and your sin is atoned for.”
Riṣpâ is a glowing stone or coal, taken with tongs from the altar where the offerings burn. The seraph, the “burning one”, carries fire to the man who said he was unclean. Fire in the Bible destroys, and it also purifies metal; here it does the second.