Isaiah 6:8

Context

Chapter 6 of Isaiah records the vision that Isaiah saw in the year that King Uzziah died (the mid-eighth century BC). Isaiah sees the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and hears the seraphim cry, "Holy, holy, holy" (6:3). He laments that he is "a man of unclean lips" (6:5). A seraph then touches his mouth with a live coal from the altar and declares that his sin is purged (6:6-7). Verse 8 follows immediately: the Lord asks whom He shall send, and Isaiah responds. In verses 9-10, the commission Isaiah receives is to deliver a word of judgment that will "make the heart of this people fat." Verses 11-13 state that this commission will continue until the cities are laid waste, and then speak of "the holy seed" that remains as a stump.

Interpretation

• As a call narrative: Many commentators read this chapter as a prophetic call narrative, placing it alongside the calls of Moses (Exodus 3), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3). It is often noted that while Moses and Jeremiah hesitated, Isaiah volunteered.
• The meaning of "us": God's use of the plural in the question "who will go for us?" has been interpreted in various ways. Since the early church, many Christian interpreters have read it as an intimation of the Trinity. Many modern Old Testament scholars see it as a "divine council" scene in which God speaks in the midst of the heavenly host, as in 1 Kings 22:19-22. Others regard it as a plural of majesty. John 12:41 records that Isaiah saw the Lord's glory, and this verse serves as a basis for interpretations that connect the vision with Christ.
• The wording of the response: "Here am I" renders the Hebrew hineni. Because Abraham (Genesis 22:1) and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4) answered with the same word, it is understood to express a posture of immediate obedience to a call.
• As a pattern of worship: In liturgical studies, the chapter's sequence—beholding the holy God, confession of sin, forgiveness, calling, and dedication—is sometimes cited as a model for the structure of worship.

Questions of Application

This verse is widely used as a text urging commitment to missions. Some point out, however, that quoting verse 8 in isolation obscures the context of verses 9-13, in which Isaiah's commission was to proclaim judgment to a people who would not listen. Interpreters also differ in emphasis as to whether this call should be limited to the special office of prophet or regarded as a model applicable to the calling of every believer.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, this verse is frequently read and preached as a text for pledging dedication on occasions such as missionary commissioning services, Mission Sunday, times of decision at retreats, and ordination and installation services. The phrase "send me" is also commonly used as a motto for short-term mission teams and mission gatherings.

Related Passages

• Isaiah 6:1-7
• Isaiah 6:9-10
• Jeremiah 1:6-10
• 1 Samuel 3:4
• Romans 10:14-15