Isaiah 6:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When Ezekiel received God’s command, he hesitated for seven days by the river, prompting God to use a parable instructing him, “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel” (Ezek. 3:17) and, “I will hold you accountable for their blood” (Ezek. 3:18). Jonah not only declined, but he ran away (Jonah 1:3). So what about Isaiah? Was he braver than these others, including the esteemed Moses? This cannot certainly be claimed. Why did Moses fail to respond when commanded, while Isaiah, not given a direct command, readily made himself available? God did not say, ‘Go,’ but rather asked, “Whom shall I send?” to which Isaiah immediately replied, “Here am I, send me.” Some suggest that Isaiah’s willingness stemmed from his regret over not condemning Hosea for his transgression in the sanctuary, and that he sought to atone for this lapse through diligent service. They argue this compelled him to confess his unworthiness, stating his lips were unclean for not speaking with courage. Yet I find these assertions unconvincing, for the Apostle Paul, who commended Isaiah’s boldness by stating, “But Isaiah is very bold” (Romans 10:20), provides more valid insight. Thus, it is claimed that Isaiah did not meet an ordinary end, but rather suffered severe persecution, as the Jews could not tolerate his fearless proclamations. Furthermore, the Scripture does not state he was present during Hosea's actions and remained silent; rather, such claims are fabrications of interpretations.

What can we deduce? Moses faced a different context than Isaiah. He was sent to a foreign, hostile land, confronting a ruthless tyrant, whereas Isaiah was sent to his own people, who had often received God’s messages over time. Thus, the courage required in each scenario was not the same. Some suggest that Isaiah's readiness arose from his recognition of God’s grace when he confessed for himself and his people, saw the seraphim, and felt his mouth purified, hoping for similar mercy toward his kin, prompting him to embrace the divine call. The saints exhibited love for both God and humanity in ways unparalleled by others. Therefore, anticipating the potential for deliverance from distress, he promptly offered his consent, stating, “Here am I, send me.” Additionally, his spirit was marked by great resolve in the face of peril, as evident throughout his prophetic messages. When he agreed to embark on this mission and felt unable to refuse, he received certain challenging directives. God orchestrated these circumstances wisely; He did not announce from the outset, “Go and proclaim”; instead, He presented the call more broadly without disclosing the specific mission.

The accusation leveled against Christ is clearly established. Who did Isaiah witness on the throne? He recounts, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” While God reconciled with the servant, His countenance remained stern. Much like ourselves, when reconciling with a servant, we may not immediately show our approval but rather withhold it for a time. Hence, God, not wishing to reveal His full disposition to the prophet, inquired, “Whom shall I send?” Like a master addressing his servants, aiming to reprimand them for negligence, He asks, “Whom shall I send? I have no one to fulfill the necessary work,” not because there were none but because none demonstrated sufficient zeal. In this way, God posed, “Whom shall I send?” instead of asking, “Should I send someone who remained silent in the face of violations of the sacred? What of Isaiah? Like a servant sorrowful due to conflict but eager to mend relations, he responded, “Here am I, send me.”

How can we affirm that this exemplifies the glory of Christ? The Evangelist John states, “Though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not in Him: that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, ‘Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, ‘He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, that I should heal them.’ These things said Isaiah, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him” (John 12:37-41). Do you recognize the source of our salvation, our sanctification? Without sanctification, the sacrament remains unfulfilled.

Consequently, when He asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go to these people?" He speaks to a nation that has rejected prior messengers and demonstrated through their actions that only those willing to risk their very lives could approach them. The hardness of Israel's heart is evident from what God revealed to the blessed Ezekiel: “Son of man, go and speak my words to the house of Israel: For you are not being sent to a people with an unfamiliar tongue, but to the house of Israel, who would not comprehend your words” (Ezekiel 3:4-7). Therefore, rather than expressing confusion, He identifies the Israelites as steeped in disobedience, asking “Whom shall I send?” And without hesitation, the prophet responds, “Here I am, send me.” Similarly, when the divine coal impacts us, we too will be freed from sin and emboldened to undertake the mission, much like the early disciples did. Though they were initially from among the Jews and bore unclean lips prior to their faith in Christ, they later boldly confessed, transformed by the touch of the coal, and were called into apostleship, heeding that call without delay. While the wise Moses implored the Lord to choose another (Exodus 4:13), and Jeremiah lamented, “O Lord God, I cannot speak for I am a child” (Jeremiah 1:6), those who are in Christ possess a fervor for apostleship and ministry that surpasses that of the ancient prophets. A prime example of this is the blessed prophet Isaiah, who, after being touched by the coal, proclaimed with eagerness, “Here I am, send me.”

Moses, when summoned to the esteemed role of leading a great nation, responded by questioning, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? He also lamented, O Lord, I was not adequate even yesterday and the day before, long before You began to speak to Your servant; he again implored, Please, O Lord, choose another who is fit for this task (Ex. 3:11; Ex. 4:10, 13). In contrast, Isaiah, without objection, recognized the urgency of the mission and willingly positioned himself in the midst of peril, untouched by the distress that the people might cause him. Observe the discernment and wisdom of the Prophet: in response to the two questions—Whom shall I send? and who shall go?—he provided a single reply: Here I am, send me. He refrained from adding, "And I will go," for the choice to assume the mission was his, but the strength needed for the journey relied on the grace of God. Thus, he expressed what was within his free will by stating, "Here I am, send me," while leaving the matters of grace to the Lord. He did not guarantee he would go, fully aware of his own frailty. Yet, he heard the Lord’s voice—not through physical ears, but in the depths of his soul, for God imparts His will to those whom He wishes to reveal it. In those not prepared to receive it with purity, images form through an indescribable power, as if they perceive the spoken Word of God, even though no air carries nor hearing transmits these impressions. God inscribes His will upon the soul of the Prophet, and he who absorbs God’s thoughts is said to hear. Thus, when the Prophet declared, Here I am, send me, he remained silent regarding what followed. He refrained from saying, "I will go," recognizing that such a vow was significant and beyond his ability. What he could not commit to, the Lord provided: Go and declare to these people (Isaiah 6:9). By saying, Here I am, the Prophet already displayed courage, daring to associate himself with the eternal Being after his lips were cleansed. However, those who persist in sin and have not been graced to know the Almighty cannot assert, Here I am. As God placed the Apostles first and the prophets second (cf. 1 Cor. 12:28), Isaiah was first endowed with the gift of apostleship. Moses, too, has a role among the Apostles when it is stated, Come, I will send you to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 3:10). Yet Isaiah offered himself as the need arose, understanding the requirement for a messenger in a general sense. How shall we interpret this? There is no contradiction among the saints, even when they appear to reason differently about the same issue. Since Moses was aware of the purpose for which he was sent, he hesitated, recognizing Pharaoh’s hardened heart and the people's disobedience, along with the challenges of leading them. Having faced the ingratitude of the Israelites before, he retreated to the solitude of the wilderness, acting as a shepherd to escape the tumult of cities. Thus, he asks, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the people out of Egypt? (cf. Ex. 3:11). Pharaoh would not part with the people easily, and the people themselves would be difficult to govern, consistently resisting those who cared for their welfare. This concern becomes evident through Moses when, after the incident with the golden calf, God, with grace towards His servant, instructed him to Go and lead this people (cf. Ex. 32:34), promising that His angel would lead before him (cf. Ex. 33:2). In response, Moses pleaded, O Lord, if You do not go with us, please do not bring us up from here (cf. Ex. 33:15). What was Moses’ consideration? He understood that the people were sinful and required the forgiveness of their transgressions, which angels cannot grant. Angels may punish sinners, but they cannot absolve them. Therefore, he requested that God Himself accompany them, reiterating his earlier plea: Choose another who is able (Ex. 4:13)—let the true Lawgiver and all-powerful Savior, who alone bears the authority to forgive sins, come forth (cf. Mark 2:10). As the fullness of time had not yet arrived, and humanity was to be instructed through symbols, the prophet's appeal went unanswered. Meanwhile, after his sins were absolved, Isaiah, recognizing he dwelled among unclean people, heard the call, Who will go for Us? Realizing the necessity of sending someone for their deliverance, he joyfully volunteered, saying, Here I am, send me. Thus, Moses' reluctance and Isaiah's enthusiasm are each remarkable. The saint's response is thoughtful, acknowledging the Lord's question, Whom shall I send, and who will go?—to which he replied, Here I am. However, regarding the inquiry of who will go, he did not assert, "I will go," fully understanding that to act, he needed God’s assistance. Thus, while he offered what was within his will, he maintained silence about matters demanding divine action. Many times it has been noted how he hears the voice of the Lord, for in the soul of the individual graced with such favor, an inexplicable power imagines the Word of God. The power of the Almighty communicates in the worthy not through physical hearing, but within the purified soul, inscribing thoughts as if silently writing down the concepts that our natural hearing typically grasps through sound. Therefore, the Prophet perceives an inner voice in his heart, akin to the experiences encountered in dreams, where it seems we hear without any external speaker, and no sound enters through air to our ears. This is how God communicates; this is how the saints hear!

The prophet states he shall go, not out of foolishness or arrogance, but out of boldness, since his mouth has been purified, sin has been removed, and iniquity has been forgiven. Similarly, when the Lord instructs Moses, "Go therefore, I will send thee to Pharaoh, king of Egypt" (Isaiah 3:10), Moses responds with, "I pray the Lord, choose another who is capable and send him," or, as rendered in Hebrew, "Send whom You have to send" (Exodus 4:13). This response reflects humility, not defiance; despite being educated in all the wisdom of Egypt, he remained unaware of his need for purification. Isaiah offers himself to serve not due to his own merits but through the grace of the Lord that has cleansed him. Some believe Isaiah volunteered thinking good news would be delivered to the people, yet upon hearing the command to tell them, "With your ears you will hear and not understand; and seeing you will see and not know" (Isaiah 6:9), he hesitated and inquired, "What shall I cry out?" (Isaiah 40:6). Jeremiah, to whom it was said, "Take out of my hand this cup of the wine of wrath and drink from it all the nations to whom I send you" (Jeremiah 25:15), willingly accepted the cup of judgment to present it to opposing nations, that they might drink, retch, and fall. After receiving the command to first offer it to Jerusalem, he exclaimed, "You have drawn me, O Lord, and I am drawn away" (Jeremiah 20:7). This conveys the interpretation found in Hebrews. Offering oneself to the Lord for a mission is not an act of pride, but rather a call to obedience.

Furthermore, having already referenced a learned man proficient in Hebrew, let us address an additional point that I have not yet discussed. He interprets the tongs used to remove coals from the altar and cleanse the mouth as symbolizing the sufferings endured by Isaiah during King Manasseh’s reign, through which he ultimately proclaimed to the Lord, "Behold, I am he; send me" (Isaiah 6:8, 5; according to the Septuagint). While Hosea lived, Isaiah remained oblivious to his wretchedness, uncrushed and unmoved; however, upon Hosea’s death, he realized his unclean lips, acknowledging his unworthiness to behold God. He expressed a desire for brokenness, recognizing that it might enable him to be worthy of seeing the Divine. He lamented, "For I also am a man of unclean lips and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Isaiah, though righteous, had only spoken wrong, thus suffering from an unclean mouth rather than an impure conscience. In contrast, I, who gaze lustfully and falter with my hands and feet, sin with all my members, bearing the weight of uncleanliness. Even after having been baptized with the Spirit, I have again stained my garment and require cleansing with another baptism, specifically with fire (Matthew 3:11).