New Living Translation
Isaiah 6:5
5Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Isaiah 6:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”
Context of Isaiah 6:5
3They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
Read all of Isaiah 6Isaiah 6:5 word by word
וָאֹמַ֞ר אֽוֹי־לִ֣י כִֽי־נִדְמֵ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ טְמֵֽא־שְׂפָתַ֙יִם֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וּבְתוֹךְ֙ עַם־טְמֵ֣א שְׂפָתַ֔יִם אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֑ב כִּ֗י אֶת־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת רָא֥וּ עֵינָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I, Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
- me! for I am undoneדָּמָהdâmâh · to ceaseH1820
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of uncleanטָמֵאţâmê' · uncleanH2931
- lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
- and I dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- for mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the Kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Isaiah 6:5
- Exodus 33:20But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”
- Judges 6:22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
- Judges 13:22and he said to his wife, “We will certainly die, for we have seen God!”
- Job 42:5I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
- Daniel 10:6His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.
- Habakkuk 3:16I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us.
- Luke 5:8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
- Revelation 1:16He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
- Exodus 4:10But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
- Exodus 6:12“But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!”
- Jeremiah 1:6“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
- Zechariah 3:1Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.
- Matthew 12:34You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
- James 3:1Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
- Isaiah 29:13And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
- Jeremiah 9:3“My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. They only go from bad to worse. They do not know me,” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 6:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Wo is me! for I am undone - נדמיתי nidmeythi, I am become dumb. There is something exceedingly affecting in this complaint. I am a man of unclean lips; I cannot say, Holy, holy, holy! which the seraphs exclaim. They are holy; I am not so: they see God, and live; I have seen him, and must die, because I am unholy. Only the pure in heart shall see God; and they only can live in his presence for ever, Reader, lay this to heart; and instead of boasting of thy…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Wo is me! - That is, I am filled with overwhelming convictions of my own unworthiness, with alarm that I have seen Yahweh. For I am undone - Margin, Cut off.‘ Chaldee, I have sinned.‘ Septuagint, I am miserable, I am pierced through.‘ Syriac, I am struck dumb.‘ The Hebrew word may sometimes have this meaning, but it also means “to be destroyed, to be ruined, to perish;” see Hosea 10:15; Zephaniah 1:2; Hosea 4:6; Isaiah 15:1. This is probably the meaning…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Woe is me, for I am ruined: The prophet felt unworthy of the vision. He was painfully aware of his personal uncleanness (unclean lips) when compared to the holiness of God. Isaiah knew that he was unworthy to speak the pure word of God, as were his people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. undone--(Ex 33:20). The same effect was produced on others by the presence of God (Jud 6:22; 13:22; Job 42:5, 6; Lu 5:8; Re 1:17). lips--appropriate to the context which describes the praises of the lips, sung in alternate responses (Ex 15:20, 21; Is 6:3) by the seraphim: also appropriate to the office of speaking as the prophet of God, about to be committed to Isaiah (Is 6:9). seen--not strictly Jehovah Himself (Joh 1:18; 1Ti 6:16), but the symbol of…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 6:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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