Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 6:2
COM commentary-section · status:draft · license:PD
2. stood —not necessarily the posture of standing; rather, were in attendance on Him [MAURER], hovering on expanded wings. the —not in the Hebrew. seraphim —nowhere else applied to God's attendant angels; but to the fiery flying (not winged, but rapidly moving ) serpents, which bit the Israelites ( Numbers 21:6 ), called so from the poisonous inflammation caused by their bites. Seraph is to burn; implying the burning zeal, dazzling brightness ( 2 Kings 2:11 ; 2 Kings 6:17 ; Ezekiel 1:13 ; Matthew 28:3 ) and serpent-like rapidity of the seraphim in God's service. Perhaps Satan's form as a serpent ( nachash ) in his appearance to man has some connection with his original form as a seraph of light. The head of the serpent was the symbol of wisdom in Egypt (compare Numbers 21:8 ; 2 Kings 18:4 ). The seraphim, with six wings and one face, can hardly be identified with the cherubim, which had four wings (in the temple only two ) and four faces ( 2 Kings 18:4- : ). (But compare Revelation 4:8 ). The "face" and "feet" imply a human form; something of a serpentine form (perhaps a basilisk's head, as in the temples of Thebes) may have been mixed with it: so the cherub was compounded of various animal forms. However, seraph may come from a root meaning "princely," applied in Revelation 4:8- : to Michael [MAURER]; just as cherub comes from a root (changing m into b ), meaning "noble." twain —Two wings alone of the six were kept ready for instant flight in God's service; two veiled their faces as unworthy to look on the holy God, or pry into His secret counsels which they fulfilled ( Exodus 3:6 ; Job 4:18 ; Job 15:15 ); two covered their feet, or rather the whole of the lower parts of their persons—a practice usual in the presence of Eastern monarchs, in token of reverence (compare Job 15:15- : , their bodies ). Man's service a fortiori consists in reverent waiting on, still more than in active service for, God. return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verse-3" class="com-number"
Pericope (part_of)
- part_of
pericope/per-isa-6-001
절 (explains)
Source
source-manifest/jfb— Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (PD)- evidence_grade: T_theological