They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
Parallel translations
- WEB One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!”
- KJV And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
- BSB And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
- NKJV And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
- NASB And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The seraphim cry, 'Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies,' declaring the whole earth full of His glory. It is the supreme biblical proclamation of God's holiness.
Overview
The threefold 'holy' is the strongest form of emphasis in Hebrew, exalting God's holiness above all His attributes. The cry that the whole earth is full of His glory affirms that His majesty fills all creation despite human sin. The historic church has heard in this threefold acclamation a foreshadowing of the triune God, and it shapes Christian worship to this day (Revelation 4:8).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rev 4:8–9The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”
- Ps 72:19Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.
- Ezra 3:11They sang to one another in praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of Yahweh’s house had been laid.
- Num 14:21but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Yahweh’s glory;
- Exod 15:11Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
- Ps 57:11Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
- Isa 40:5Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
- Exod 15:20–21Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
- Isa 11:9–10They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.
- Zech 14:9Yahweh will be King over all the earth. In that day Yahweh will be one, and his name one.
- Hab 2:14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.
- Ps 24:7–10Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
- Isa 24:16From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs. Glory to the righteous! But I said, “I pine away! I pine away! woe is me!” The treacherous have dealt treacherously. Yes, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously.
- Ps 19:1–3For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.
- Rev 15:3–4They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations.
- Eph 1:18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 6:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.