Isaiah 6:5–7
Isaiah knows his lips are unclean, and a coal from the altar cleanses them
Study it word by word5And I said, “Woe to me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and in the midst of a people of unclean lips I dwell; for the King, YHWH Tsevaot, my eyes have seen.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from on the altar.
7And he touched my mouth and said, “Look, this has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is expiated.”
In its context
3And one called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH Tsevaot; the fullness of all the earth is his glory.”
4And the pivots of the thresholds shook at the voice of the one who called, and the house was filling with smoke.
…
8And I heard the voice of Adonai saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me.”
9And he said, “Go, and say to this people, ‘Keep hearing, but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not know.’
Its words in the original
- אֹמַרomar· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אוֹיoy· woe, alas
Woe! A cry of lament or a warning of disaster.
- נִדְמֵיתִיnidmeti· be silent, perish
To be silent, to cease; hence, to perish, to be destroyed or cut off. In the active form, to destroy.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- טְמֵאteme· unclean
Unclean: in a state that keeps a person from coming near the sanctuary or touching what is holy. It does not mean "dirty" or "sinful": many causes of uncleanness are natural (childbirth, a disease, touching a dead body) and pass with time and washing. Jesus taught that what really makes a person unclean comes from the heart (Mark 7:18-23).
- שְׂפָתַיִםsefatayim· lip, language, edge
Lip. From there, the way of speaking: speech or language. Also the shore or edge of something.
- תוֹךְtoch· midst
The middle, the center of something; "in the midst of", "among".
- עַםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- יוֹשֵׁבyoshev· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- מֶּלֶךְmelech· king
King: the ruler of a city, a people or a kingdom.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- צְבָאוֹתtsevaot· host, army
A great ordered company, like an army. "All their host" is everything that fills the heavens and the earth: the stars and the created beings. From this word comes the title "YHWH of hosts" (YHWH Tsevaot).
- רָאוּrau· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- עֵינָena· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- יָּעָףyaaf· fly
Fly; also flutter, dart.
- אֶחָדechad· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.
- שְּׂרָפִיםserafim· fiery serpent, seraph
Fiery: a serpent whose bite burns; it comes from the root "burn." In Isaiah 6 the same word names the seraphim.
- יָדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- רִצְפָּהritspa· pavement; glowing stone
Pavement: a floor covered with stone slabs. The same word can also name a hot stone or glowing coal (Isaiah 6:6).
- מֶלְקַחַיִםmelkachayim· snuffers, tongs
Snuffers: tongs for trimming the wick of the lamps; also tongs for live coals (Isaiah 6:6).
- לָקַחlakach· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- מִּזְבֵּחַmizbeach· altar
Altar: a structure of stone or earth on which sacrifices are offered to God.
- יַּגַּעyaga· touch
Touch; also reach, or strike.
- פִּpi· mouth
Mouth. Also what someone says or commands ("by the mouth of" = by the word of); the edge of a sword; "according to".
- סָרsar· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- עֲוֺנֶavone· iniquity
Iniquity: wickedness, a serious wrong. The same word covers the wrong, the guilt it leaves and the punishment it brings.
- חַטָּאתְchatat· sin, sin offering
Sin: missing the mark of what God asks; also the guilt and the punishment. In the laws the same word also names the sacrifice offered for sin.
- תְּכֻפָּרtechupar· cover, make expiation
Cover. Of the ark, coat it with pitch. Elsewhere in the Bible it is used for "make expiation": cover sin so that it is forgiven.