At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Parallel translations
- WEB The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
- KJV And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
- NKJV And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
- NASB And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
- NLT Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
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
At the seraphim's voice the temple thresholds shake and the house fills with smoke. It conveys the awesome, fearful power of God's holy presence.
Overview
The trembling foundations and billowing smoke recall Sinai, where God's presence shook the mountain (Exodus 19:18). These signs emphasize that encountering the holy God is overwhelming, not comfortable. The scene prepares for Isaiah's stricken response in the next verse.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Rev 15:8And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
- 2 Chr 5:13The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
- Exod 40:34Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
- 1 Kgs 8:10–12And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD
- Rev 11:19Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
- Ezek 10:5The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
- Amos 9:1I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.
- Ps 18:8Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
- Ezek 1:24When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 6:4 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.