Yesaya 6:2

6:2 Seraphs ¹  stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, ²  and they used the remaining two to fly.

Yesaya 23:13

23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,

these people who have lost their identity! ³ 

The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.

They erected their siege towers, ⁴ 

demolished ⁵  its fortresses,

and turned it into a heap of ruins. ⁶ 

[6:2]  ¹ tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.

[6:2]  ² sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.

[23:13]  ³ tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”

[23:13]  ⁴ tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.

[23:13]  ⁵ tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.

[23:13]  ⁶ sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.