Isaiah 6:2

Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Isaiah reports a vision he saw in the year King Uzziah died; no human audience is addressed. The seraphim belong to the throne room scene that immediately follows the description of the Lord enthroned (v. 1).

The words — שׂרָפִים (seraphim) derives from the root שׂרף, "to burn," so the term literally means "the burning ones." The participle עֹמְדִים ("standing") presents them in a fixed, ongoing posture rather than a single action.

The thread — Revelation 4:8 describes four living creatures, each with six wings, in a parallel heavenly throne scene. Ezekiel 1:11 likewise depicts multi-winged creatures attending the glory of the Lord.

Why it lands — The highest beings in the created order cover their faces and feet, a posture of humility before the One enthroned. It asks the reader to measure their own standing against that standard.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

שְׂרָפִ֨יםse.ra.Fimseraphim עֹמְדִ֤ים׀'o.me.Dim[were] standing מִמַּ֙עַל֙mi./Ma.'alfrom/ aboveל֔וֹl/o<to> <the>/ himשֵׁ֧שׁsheshsix כְּנָפַ֛יִםke.na.Fa.yimwings שֵׁ֥שׁsheshsix כְּנָפַ֖יִםke.na.Fa.yimwings לְאֶחָ֑דle./'e.Chad[belonged] to/ one בִּשְׁתַּ֣יִם׀bi/sh.Ta.yimwith/ two [wings]יְכַסֶּ֣הye.kha.Sehhe covered פָנָ֗יוfa.Na/vface/ his וּבִשְׁתַּ֛יִםu./vi/sh.Ta.yimand/ with/ two [wings]יְכַסֶּ֥הye.kha.Sehhe covered רַגְלָ֖יוrag.La/vfeet/ his וּבִשְׁתַּ֥יִםu./vi/sh.Ta.yimand/ with/ two [wings]יְעוֹפֵֽף׃ye.'o.Fefhe flew

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Revelation 4:8 And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Ezekiel 1:11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.
Psalms 104:4 He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
1 Kings 6:24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits.
Psalms 18:10 He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
Zechariah 3:4 So the angel said to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have removed your iniquity, and I will clothe you with splendid robes.”
Exodus 25:20 And the cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
Exodus 37:9 And the cherubim had wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the mercy seat.