Isaiah 6:5 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.
Isaiah 6:5 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."
Isaiah 6:5 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."
Isaiah 6:5 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!"
Isaiah 6:5 nlt
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."
Isaiah 6 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 3:6 | Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. | Moses' fear in God's presence |
| Ex 33:20 | "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." | Humanity cannot directly behold God's glory |
| Judg 6:22 | When Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD, Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face." | Gideon's fear after divine encounter |
| Judg 13:22 | And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God." | Manoah's similar fear of death |
| 1 Kgs 8:10-11 | the glory of the LORD filled the house...the priests could not minister because of the cloud | Divine glory overpowering priestly service |
| Job 42:5-6 | "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." | Job's profound repentance after seeing God |
| Psa 51:15 | O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. | Plea for purified speech for worship |
| Ezek 1:28 | ...I fell on my face, and I heard a voice... | Ezekiel's awe-filled prostration |
| Dan 10:8 | ...no strength was left in me... | Daniel weakened by a divine vision |
| Hab 3:16 | My lips quivered at the sound; decay entered my bones... | Prophet's physical reaction to God's presence |
| Mal 3:2 | "Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?" | Question of standing before a holy God |
| Matt 15:18 | But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. | Unclean lips reflect a defiled heart |
| Luke 5:8 | When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" | Peter's conviction in Jesus' presence |
| Rom 3:10-12 | "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God... All have turned aside..." | Universal human sinfulness affirmed |
| Rom 7:24 | Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? | Paul's lament over indwelling sin |
| Jas 3:6-9 | The tongue also is a fire...the very world of iniquity among our members, defiling the whole body... | The destructive nature of the tongue |
| Heb 4:12-13 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword... disclosing the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | God's word reveals innermost defilement |
| Heb 12:29 | for our God is a consuming fire. | God's essence is holy and consuming |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." | Call to holiness mirroring God's character |
| Rev 1:17 | When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. | John's physical reaction to Christ's glory |
Isaiah 6 verses
Isaiah 6 5 Meaning
Isaiah 6:5 marks a pivotal moment in the prophet's encounter with the divine. Having beheld the glorious and transcendent holiness of the LORD (Yahweh) in His heavenly throne room, Isaiah is struck by an overwhelming awareness of his own profound unworthiness and sinfulness, declaring himself utterly undone. His immediate focus is on his "unclean lips," symbolizing his impure speech and the unholiness that characterizes him and his people, unfit to stand in the presence of the thrice-holy God. This powerful confession of personal and corporate sin is a necessary response to experiencing absolute divine purity.
Isaiah 6 5 Context
Isaiah 6 presents a transformative vision foundational to Isaiah's prophetic call. The chapter begins with the setting "in the year that King Uzziah died." This date is significant; Uzziah was a long-reigning, powerful, and generally prosperous king in Judah. His death marked an era of uncertainty and likely national mourning, but it also, in prophetic theology, often signified the shifting of focus from earthly kingship to the heavenly King. It's against this backdrop of national transition and potential spiritual decline that Isaiah experiences a magnificent theophany in the temple. He sees the Lord enthroned, high and lifted up, surrounded by seraphim crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" (Isa 6:3). The thundering sound shakes the temple foundations, and smoke fills the house. It is this direct encounter with absolute, unapproachable holiness and transcendent glory that utterly shatters Isaiah's previous perceptions and fills him with a crushing awareness of his and his people's uncleanness, culminating in the cry of verse 5. The verse immediately precedes his purification and commissioning, highlighting the necessary step of personal repentance before being able to serve God effectively.
Isaiah 6 5 Word analysis
- Then: Waw consecutive. Indicates immediate consequence of the preceding vision. Direct response to divine glory.
- I: Refers to Isaiah the prophet. Signifies a deeply personal realization. Not a hypothetical; his own confession.
- said: Expressed verbally. Outward articulation of internal conviction. Confession before the divine presence.
- "Woe!": Hebrew ʾÔy (אוי). A strong exclamation of sorrow, distress, or lament. Indicates impending judgment or deep despair. It is not merely sorrow, but despair for destruction.
- is me!: Expresses deep personal lament. Identifies Isaiah's profound realization of his own ruin. It is "woe unto myself," emphasizing self-condemnation.
- For I am undone!: Hebrew nidləmêṯî (נדמיתי), from the root dāhəm (דָּמָה), meaning to be cut off, silenced, destroyed, or perish. Conveys utter ruin, sense of being shattered, or completely separated. Signifies his awareness of his spiritual death or incapacity to exist in God's presence.
- Because: Kî (כי). A causal conjunction. Connects Isaiah's self-condemnation directly to his vision of God. His condition is a result of what he has seen.
- I am a man: Emphasizes his humanity, frail and fallible. Contrast with the divine being he just beheld.
- of unclean lips: Hebrew ṭəme śfātāyēm (טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם). "Unclean" (ṭāmē') means ritually impure, morally polluted, or unfit for sacred use. Lips are the instruments of speech and prayer. Signifies the defilement of his communication, thoughts, and character that issue forth from the mouth. Represents sin in general, with emphasis on expressing unholiness.
- And I dwell in the midst: Isaiah is not separate. He is deeply connected to his society.
- of a people: The community he belongs to. It implicates the entire nation of Judah.
- of unclean lips: Reinforces collective impurity. Highlights pervasive sin of society, not just his personal failing. Emphasizes shared guilt and complicity.
- For my eyes have seen: Sensory evidence for his conviction. What he perceived directly triggered his confession. Visual experience leads to spiritual realization.
- The King: Refers to the majestic Lord on the throne. Identifies Him as the sovereign ruler, contrasting with Uzziah's death. Supreme authority.
- The LORD of hosts: Hebrew Yahweh Tseba'oth (יהוה צְבָאוֹת). A powerful divine title. Yahweh (LORD) emphasizes His covenant relationship and active presence. Tseba'oth (hosts/armies) refers to heavenly armies, stellar bodies, or all creation. Denotes God's immense power, sovereignty, and supreme command over all things. Signifies His unassailable authority and omnipresence, highlighting His infinite holiness and majesty.
Isaiah 6 5 Bonus section
The concept of "unclean lips" in ancient Israel extended beyond mere speaking and touched upon the spiritual integrity and ritual purity essential for participating in worship or priestly duties. To have "unclean lips" meant a profound inability to articulate sacred words, utter blessings, or offer pure prayers and praises to God. It reflects not just casual impurity, but a fundamental defilement that permeated one's very being, requiring divine intervention for purification. This self-assessment by Isaiah underscores the immediate and crushing impact of divine holiness, which cannot tolerate the slightest blemish or defilement in its presence. This experience of terror and profound unworthiness is a recurring motif in the Bible for those who encounter God directly, from Abraham falling prostrate to Ezekiel and Daniel being overcome. It signifies the immense chasm between the created and the Creator, emphasizing God's transcendence and His awesome, unapproachable purity.
Isaiah 6 5 Commentary
Isaiah 6:5 captures the essential, humbling truth of human inadequacy when confronted with divine glory. Isaiah, a prophet called to speak for God, is utterly undone by the unadulterated holiness of the LORD of hosts. His declaration of "woe" is a profound lament born from the stark contrast between his defiled human state and the terrifying purity of God. The specific mention of "unclean lips" is deeply significant; in a prophetic context, impure lips render one unfit to convey God's holy message. Furthermore, lips are an instrument of communication, expressing thoughts and shaping a community's moral atmosphere. By acknowledging his own and his people's unclean lips, Isaiah recognizes a fundamental barrier to true communion and service. This powerful confession, far from leading to despair, becomes the prerequisite for purification and, ultimately, for receiving his divine commission, demonstrating that genuine encounters with God always lead to a shattering awareness of sin, followed by a pathway to redemption and purpose.