Isaiah 6:3 · Bible study
Isaiah 6:3 Commentary: Holy, Holy, Holy
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why is 'holy' repeated three times? Study the thrice-holy God, His transcendent holiness, and how His glory fills the whole earth.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God is supremely holy, and His glory fills the whole earth.
- Key words: Holy (qadosh, H6918), glory (kavod, H3519), fullness (melo, H4393), Yahweh of hosts (Yahweh tseva'ot).
- Main debate: Whether the triple 'holy' refers to the Trinity or is simply an emphatic superlative.
- Theological theme: God's transcendence (holiness) and immanence (glory filling the earth) meet in worship.
- Best use: Teaching on God's holiness, worship, and mission (the earth will be filled with His glory).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!”
KJV King James Version 1769
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And this one hath called unto that, and hath said: `Holy, Holy, Holy, is Jehovah of Hosts, The fulness of all the earth is His glory.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And one called to the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el uno al otro daba voces, diciendo: Santo, santo, santo, Jehová de los ejércitos: toda la tierra está llena de su gloria.
E clamavam uns aos outros, dizendo: Santo! Santo! Santo é o SENHOR dos exércitos! Toda a terra está cheia de sua glória!
Ils criaient l’ un à l’ autre, et disaient: Saint, saint, saint est l’ Éternel des armées! Toute la terre est pleine de sa gloire!
Und einer rief zum andern und sprach: Heilig, heilig, heilig ist der HERR Zebaoth; alle Lande sind seiner Ehre voll!
En de een riep tot den ander, en zeide: Heilig, heilig, heilig is de HEERE der heirscharen! De ganse aarde is van Zijn heerlijkheid vol!
E l’uno gridava all’altro e diceva: Santo, santo, santo è l’Eterno degli eserciti! Tutta la terra è piena della sua gloria!
I wołał jeden do drugiego, mówiąc: Święty, święty, święty, Pan zastępów; pełna jest wszystka ziemia chwały jego.
И взывали они друг ко другу и говорили: Свят, Свят, Свят Господь Саваоф! вся земля полна славы Его!
彼此 呼喊 說：聖哉！聖哉！聖哉！萬軍 之耶和華；他的榮光 充滿 全 地！
And one said in a loud voice to another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of armies: all the earth is full of his glory.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 6:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the threefold repetition of 'holy' marks a Hebrew superlative, expressing God's supreme holiness. Barnes notes that Hebrew often repeats words for emphasis, like 'the temple of the Lord' three times in Jeremiah 7:4. This cry is antiphonal, sung between choirs of seraphim, reflecting temple practice seen in Exodus 15:20, 21 and Ezra 3:11 (Clarke, Cambridge). The second line declares that God's glory fills the whole earth, a theme echoed in Numbers 14:21 and Psalm 72:19. While many early Christian readers saw a reference to the Trinity (Calvin, Cambridge note the ancient church found an allusion), this is not the uniform view of all interpreters. Yet all agree the vision grounds Isaiah's call and his subsequent message about the Holy One of Israel (Keil).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Trinitarian reference: Early church fathers and some commentators (e.g., Calvin, Gill) see the threefold repetition as pointing to Father, Son, and Spirit.
- Emphatic superlative: Barnes and Keil emphasize Hebrew repetition for intensity, not necessarily Trinitarian, citing other triple repetitions (Jeremiah 7:4, Ezekiel 21:27).
- Both meanings: Some (e.g., Cambridge) allow that the original meaning is superlative but the fuller New Testament revelation supports a Trinitarian reading.
What is clear: The threefold 'holy' underscores God's supreme holiness, and the whole earth is filled with His glory—a truth that stands regardless of the Trinitarian interpretation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity reference | The early Christian church commonly saw this as an allusion to the three persons of the Godhead. | Modern interpreters differ: some follow the early church, while others see only a Hebrew superlative (Barnes, Keil and Delitzsch). |
| Meaning of 'holy' | The word connotes separation, distance from creation, and pure transcendence. | Some emphasize moral purity (Cambridge notes ethical perfection is included), while others focus on ontological otherness (Keil). |
| Antiphonal nature | The cry was sung responsively between groups of seraphim. | Whether three groups each sang one 'holy' or one group sang the whole line and the other responded with the second line (Clarke, Barnes). |
| Relation of holiness to glory | God's holiness is His hidden glory, and His glory is His revealed holiness. | Some see this as a present fact (the earth already full, as in the seraphim's sight), others as a future hope (Numbers 14:21, Habakkuk 2:14). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah's vision came 'in the year that King Uzziah died' (v.1), a time of national uncertainty after a long and prosperous reign. Uzziah's death marked the end of an era, and the prophet saw the true King on His throne. The setting is the temple, filled with the Lord's train. Above the throne stood seraphim, fiery beings whose six wings (covering face, feet, and for flying) express humility and readiness to serve. Their cry is antiphonal: 'one called to another,' alternating between groups or individuals in a pattern familiar from Hebrew worship (Exodus 15:20, 21; Psalm 136).
The Hebrew word 'holy' (qadosh) means 'separate' or 'set apart.' It conveys God's transcendence, His utter otherness from creation and sin. The triple repetition intensifies this: God is not merely holy, but holy in the highest degree. The second line uses 'fullness of the whole earth' (melo kol ha'aretz) to describe God's glory. 'Glory' (kavod) is His visible weight and majesty, manifest in creation and redemption. Here the seraphim proclaim that the earth is already full of this glory, a present reality that the rest of Isaiah's prophecy will unfold as a future hope (11:9; Habakkuk 2:14).
The impact on Isaiah is immediate: he cries out in guilt (v.5), showing that holiness exposes human sin. The vision establishes Isaiah's call and his central message: God is the Holy One of Israel, and His glory will cover the earth.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 6:3. The Hebrew text is consistent across major manuscripts.
Reception History
From early centuries, this verse shaped Christian thinking about God. Calvin notes that 'the ancients quoted this passage when they wished to prove that there are three persons in one essence of the Godhead.' The Cambridge Bible states that 'the ancient church found here an allusion to the mystery of the Trinity.' The verse entered the liturgy as the 'Trisagion' ('Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal'), sung in Eastern and Western traditions. John's vision of the four living creatures in Revelation 4:8 echoes this same threefold cry. Throughout history, the verse has been a foundation for understanding God's holiness and for calling the church to unceasing worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's holiness is absolute. The threefold 'holy' uses the Hebrew superlative to declare that God is entirely set apart, perfect in purity and majesty.
- God's glory fills the earth. His presence and power are not confined to heaven; they pervade all creation, as the seraphim declare.
- The proper response is worship. The antiphonal cry models corporate praise, and Isaiah's trembling shows that encounter with the Holy One leads to confession.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Isaiah sees the Lord enthroned in the temple after Uzziah's death.
- The singers: Seraphim, angelic beings, lead worship in humility.
- The song: A threefold declaration of God's holiness, the most emphatic in Scripture.
- The scope: 'The whole earth is full of his glory', God's purpose extends to all creation.
- The outcome: Isaiah's cleansing and commission follow (vv.6, 8).
Illustration hooks
- Repeated emphasis: A witness in court says 'I saw it, I saw it, I saw it' to stress certainty; the threefold holy underscores God's perfectly pure character.
- Our awareness of dirt: A white shirt shows every stain against a dark background. God's holiness makes our sinvisible, like Isaiah's response.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God's holiness matter for daily life?
- How can we see God's glory in a world that often seems filled with suffering and sin?
- What does it mean that the angels cover their faces and feet in God's presence?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is the climax of Isaiah's vision of God. The seraphim's cry reveals who God is and what He is doing. Use these questions to guide group reflection.
Discussion questions
- What does the repetition 'holy, holy, holy' communicate about God? How would you describe holiness in your own words?
- Why do you think the seraphim call to one another instead of singing in unison? What does this say about corporate worship?
- The second line says 'the whole earth is full of his glory.' Where do you see glimpses of God's glory in the world today?
- When Isaiah hears this cry, he cries out 'Woe is me!' (v.5). Why does holiness make us aware of sin? How does that lead to grace?
- How does this verse connect to the rest of Isaiah's message about the Holy One of Israel?
- What does it mean for our church that worship on earth mirrors worship in heaven (see also Revelation 4:8)?
- How can we practice the humility of the seraphim, covering our faces and feet, in our approach to God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 15:11 | Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? |
| Exodus 15:20 | Miriam 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. |
| Exodus 15:21 | Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.” |
| Numbers 14:21 | but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Yahweh’s glory— |
| Ezra 3:11 | They 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. |
| Psalms 19:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. |
| Psalms 19:3 | There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. |
| Psalms 24:7 | Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the seraphim's "Holy, holy, holy" is sung in two choirs responding to each other. He sees this as modeled on the antiphonal singing used in Jewish worship from the time of Moses onward, where priests and Levites sang alternate lines.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the threefold "holy" is a Hebrew idiom of emphasis, meaning supremely holy, not necessarily a direct reference to the Trinity. While later Christian readers, especially with John's gospel, may see a Trinitarian foundation in the angels' praise, the repetition alone does not prove that doctrine.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the vision was meant to strengthen Isaiah for the hard struggles ahead and to terrify a rebellious people with God's majesty. The angels' ceaseless praise is held up as the pattern every believer must follow, not only with words but with a life wholly aimed at God's glory.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The vision of God's holiness strikes Isaiah as an overwhelming sense of distance between the divine and the human, yet the prophet's immediate guilt shows this holiness includes moral purity. The seraphim's threefold "holy" and the declaration that God's glory fills the whole earth reveal both God's transcendent otherness and his self-disclosure in nature.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And one cryed to another, and sayde, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hostes: the whole world is full of his glory.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees the threefold "holy" as affirming the Trinity: each divine Person is declared holy in the gospel—the Father in election, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in regeneration. He also takes "the whole earth is full of his glory" as a promise that Christ's kingdom will one day fill the world.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the threefold "Holy" in the seraphim's cry hints at the Trinity. He also stresses that the Hebrew phrase "the fulness of the whole earth is His glory" means the earth's entire content displays God's glory, not merely that the earth contains it.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues Isaiah placed chapter 6 not at the start of his book but as the third and most sacred entrance, after chapters 1-5 prepared the reader. He insists this is no second call to a special mission; the prophet’s bold, immediate offer to serve would seem unbelievable without the earlier material.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Isaiah received this vision precisely when King Uzziah died. For Henry the timing is the point: even a long and prosperous earthly reign ends, but Isaiah sees the Lord still seated on a throne, high and lifted up, untouched by human mortality. The comfort is that Israel's God lives forever when Israel's king dies.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the threefold repetition of "Holy" points to the Trinity, three persons united in the one Divine essence. He then explains that the "glory" here refers to the outward effects and demonstrations of God's holy character, including his power, wisdom, and goodness.