The Meaning of Isaiah 6:4 Explained

Isaiah 6:4

KJV: And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

YLT: And the posts of the thresholds are moved by the voice of him who is calling, and the house is full of smoke.

Darby: And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

ASV: And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the posts  of the door  moved  at the voice  of him that cried,  and the house  was filled  with smoke. 

What does Isaiah 6:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The praise of one and then another of the seraphim was so powerful that it shook the heavenly temple to its foundations. Isaiah also saw smoke billowing throughout the space, suggestive of God"s power to consume (cf. Isaiah 33:14; Exodus 19:18; Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 10:26-31; Hebrews 12:29; Revelation 9:2), and of prayer ( Revelation 8:4). It evidently arose from the altar of incense ( Isaiah 6:6).

Context Summary

Isaiah 6:1-13 - A Call To Heroic Service
Kings die; Jesus lives. See John 12:41. We are here reminded of Acts 22:17-18. How great the contrast between the worship of these seraphim in the Unseen-Holy and man's perfunctory rites! Six wings-two for meditation, two for humility, and two for service. Service should take only a third of our energy. One cried unto another-one inspired spirit will awaken others. The threefold repetition of the word holy, implies the Trinity. If door-posts tremble, much more should the hearts of sinful men! Isaiah, in the previous chapter, had uttered six woes against others, but his seventh and sorest woe is against himself. The sinner, like the leper, cries, Unclean! Leviticus 13:45. The seraph did not wait to be told; he knew that there was only one cure for such need as the prophet's, Isaiah 6:9-13. When men refuse God's offered grace, every refusal hardens. It is either "the savour of death unto death" or of "life unto life," 2 Corinthians 2:16. The life of the oak and the terebinth only seems to become extinct in winter; there is revival in the spring. Is it winter with you? Pray for the springtime! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 6

1  Isaiah, in a vision of the Lord in his glory
5  Being terrified, has apprehensions removed
8  He offers himself, and is sent to show the obstinacy of the people
13  A remnant shall be saved

What do the individual words in Isaiah 6:4 mean?

And were shaken the posts of the door by the voice of him who cried out and the house was filled with smoke
וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙ אַמּ֣וֹת הַסִּפִּ֔ים מִקּ֖וֹל הַקּוֹרֵ֑א וְהַבַּ֖יִת יִמָּלֵ֥א עָשָֽׁן

וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙  And  were  shaken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּעַ  
Sense: to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble.
אַמּ֣וֹת  the  posts 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
הַסִּפִּ֔ים  of  the  door 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סַף 
Sense: a spreading out, basin, goblet, bowl.
מִקּ֖וֹל  by  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
הַקּוֹרֵ֑א  of  him  who  cried  out 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְהַבַּ֖יִת  and  the  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִמָּלֵ֥א  was  filled  with 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
עָשָֽׁן  smoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׁן  
Sense: smoke.