Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6/1/en
Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6
Introduction
The Vision
Descriptions of theophanies are somewhat rare in Tanakh, making Yeshayahu's vision of Hashem in Chapter 6 somewhat unique. Yeshayahu views Hashem sitting on His throne, surrounded by angels who laud Him. At the sound, the House trembles and fills with smoke. Yehsayhu then cries out:
(ה) וָאֹמַר אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב כִּי אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ י"י צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי. (ו) וַיָּעׇף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם לָקַח מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. (ז) וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר. (ח) וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל אֲדֹנָי אֹמֵר אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח וּמִי יֵלֶךְ לָנוּ וָאֹמַר הִנְנִי שְׁלָחֵנִי.
(5) Then said I: Woe is me! for I am undone; Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For mine eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts. (6) Then flew unto me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; (7) and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Lo, this hath touched thy lips; And thine iniquity is taken away, And thy sin expiated. (8) And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, And who will go for us? Then I said: 'Here am I; send me.'
