Isaiah 6:2

Isaiah 6:2

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

a. NLT: Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

b. NIV: Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

c. YLT: Seraphs are standing above it: six wings hath each one; with two eachcovereth its face, and with two each covereth its feet, and with twoeach flieth.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew.

e. Septuagint: And seraphs stood round about him: each one had six wings: and with two they covered [their] face, and with two they covered [their] feet, and with two they flew. 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Seraphim were standing above, at his service. Each one had six wings: with two it would cover its face, with two it would cover its legs, and with two it would fly.

1. “Above it stood the seraphims…”

a. above [4605 * ma’al] [Strong : from 5927; properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.:-- above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on (X very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.]

1). “Above” refers to the throne of God and perhaps the heavenly Temple.

a). Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

b. it stood [5975 * ‘amad] [Strong: a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive):--abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-)stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.]

c. the seraphims [8314 * saraph] [Strong: from 8313; burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color):--fiery (serpent), seraph.] [Gesenius: serpent, fiery serpent, poisonous serpent (fiery from burning effect of poison), seraph, seraphim, majestic beings with 6 wings, human hands or voices in attendance upon God.]

1). This is a great lesson in “context”, where context is everything. This Hebrew word is used 7 times in the Old Testament and in all the instances it is clear which one is being referred to, earthly creatures or heavenly creatures. The context though is clear.

a). Numbers 21:6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

b). Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

c). Deuteronomy 8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness,wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

d). Isaiah 6:2

e). Isaiah 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

f). Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

g). Isaiah 30:6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

2). Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsh Commentary: This is the only passage in the Scriptures in which the seraphim are mentioned. According to the orthodox view, which originated with Dionysius the Areopagite, they stand at the head of the nine choirs of angels, the first rank consisting of seraphim, cherubim, and throni. And this is not without support, if we compare the cherubim mentioned in Ezekiel, which carried the chariot of the divine throne; whereas here the seraphim are said to surround the seat on which the Lord was enthroned. In any case, the seraphim and cherubim were heavenly beings of different kinds; and there is no weight in the attempts made by Hendewerk and Stickel to prove that they are one and the same. And certainly the name serpahim does not signify merely spirits as such, but even, if not the highest of all, yet a distinct order from the rest; for the Scriptures really teach that there are gradations in rank in the hierarchy of heaven. Nor were they mere symbols or fanciful images, as Hvernick imagines, but real spiritual beings, who visibly appeared to the prophet, and that in a form corresponding to their own supersensuous being, and to the design of the whole transaction. Whilst these seraphim hovered above on both sides of Him that sat upon the throne, and therefore formed two opposite choirs, each ranged in a semicircle, they presented antiphonal worship to Him that sat upon the throne.

2. “…each one had six wings…”

a. each one [259 * ‘echad] [Strong: a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together]

b. had six [8337 * shesh; masculine shishshah] [Strong: a primitive number; six (as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.]

c. wings [3671 * kanaph] [Strong: from 3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other, overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part, wing((-ed)).]

3. “…with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.”

a. with twain [8147 * shnayim; dual of 8145; feminine shttayim] [Strong: two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

b. he covered [3680 * kacah] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm.]

c. his face [6440 * paniym] [Strong:  plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

d. with twain [8147 * shnayim; dual of 8145; feminine shttayim] [Strong: two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

e. he covered [3680 * kacah] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm.]

f. his feet [7272 * regel] [Strong: from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X according as, X after, X coming, X follow, ((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.]

g. with twain [8147 * shnayim; dual of 8145; feminine shttayim] [Strong: two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

h. he did fly [5774 * `uwph] [Strong: a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence (as denominative from 5775) to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning):--brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), X set, shine forth, weary.]

1). Even though the same Hebrew word is used for an earthly snake, the description here is of no earthly snake, these beings have three sets of wings, and he had feet. It does not mention in this verse that he had hands but it is mentioned a few verses later.

a). Isaiah 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

2). They also had a mouth for they spoke.

1). Isaiah 6:3, 4 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

6:4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

3). These beings were created by God before He created the earth.

a). Job 38:1-7 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

38:2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

38:4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

b). A closer look in the Job passage reveals this was the Second Person of the Triune Godhead, before He became man (Jesus). During this time He was known as the Word and the LORD.

4). They are to be included with all the other ranks of angels.

a). Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: