The big picture
Isaiah 6 opens in verse 1 with “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine…”, and closes in verse 13 with “But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, holy, eyes, lips, people. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 13Isaiah 6:1-7
1–7: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a…
Isaiah 6:1–7 opens with “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…” and reaches “And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah in the temple vision, seraphim covering face and feet, smoke and thresholds shaking, with particular weight carried by holy, lips, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled…” Naming Uzziah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Isaiah 6:1-7
King James Version1In 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.
2Above 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.
3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5Then 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.
6Then 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:
7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Isaiah 6:8-13
8–13: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who…
Isaiah 6:8–13 opens with “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said…” and reaches “But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah in the temple vision, seraphim covering face and feet, smoke and thresholds shaking, with particular weight carried by LORD, ears, eyes.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Isaiah 6:8-13
King James Version8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 6:1 begins with “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.”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 6:6 forms a natural hinge: “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:”
The final note
Isaiah 6:13 leaves the reader with “But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, holy, eyes, lips, people, twain help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What repeated description explains the judgment?
The earth is corrupt and filled with violence, especially in verses 11-13.
What does obedience look like here?
Detailed preparation, gathering provisions and constructing what God commands.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
- lest
- so that something does not happen
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.