Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. The Jerusalem Bible refers to Isaiah 6-12 as Isaiah's Book of Immanuel. This chapter records the calling of Isaiah to be the messenger of God to the people of Israel.

Text

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, Aleppo Codex, Codex Leningradensis.
Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls :

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Marchalianus.

In Jewish prayer, the entire Isaiah 6 is part of the Haftara on the Shabbat when the parasha of Yitro, which includes the Ten Commandments, is read from the Torah scroll.

The date of the death of Uzziah has been estimated as around 740 BCE. Archaeologist William F. Albright dated Uzziah's reign to 783–742 BCE.

"Seraphim": described here as the 'messengers in the divine council', but has no real biblical parallel. The root word ś-r-p, for Seraph, gives a portrayal of the 'burning ones'.

This verse is repeated several times in daily Jewish services, including the Kedushah prayer during the repetition of the Amidah, and is part of the Sanctus in Christian Eucharistic Prayer.

"Us": the plural form refers to 'the entire divine assembly'.
"Here am I; send me": This declaration is remarkable because it is in contrast to the despair Isaiah expresses in and for the observation that his human voice is heard in the heavenly court. The Jerusalem Bible notes Abraham and Isaiah as examples of biblical characters who readily respond, and contrasts them with Moses and Jeremiah, whose response is hesitant.