Seraphim

Isaiah 6:1-13, LBP
₁ IN the year that King Uzziah died I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled his temple.
₂ And above him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.
₃ And one called to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.
₄ And the posts of the door shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
₅ Then I said, Woe is me, I am dismayed; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
₆ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
₇ And he touched my mouth and said to me, Lo, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sins are forgiven.
₈ And I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
₉ And he said to me, Go, and tell this people, You can hear indeed, but understand not; and you can see indeed, but do not perceive.
₁₀ For the heart of this people is darkened and their ears are heavy and their eyes closed, so that they may not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and be forgiven.
₁₁ Then I said, How long, O LORD? And he said, Until the cities lie waste without inhabitants and the houses without men and the land be utterly desolate
₁₂ And the LORD shall have cast off men far away and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
₁₃ And they that remain in it shall be a tenth, and again they shall be burned and shall be made like the terebinth or like an oak which is fallen from its stump. The holy seed is the source thereof.

KJV with Strong’s Concordance Isaiah 6:2,6
6:2 Above 4605 it stood 5975 8802 the seraphims 8314: each one 259 had six 8337 wings 3671; with twain 8147 he covered 3680 8762 his face 6440, and with twain 8147 he covered 3680 8762 his feet 7272, and with twain 8147 he did fly 5774 8787.
6:6 Then flew 5774 8799 one 259 of the seraphims 8314 unto me, having a live coal 7531 in his hand 3027, [which] he had taken 3947 8804 with the tongs 4457 from off the altar 4196:(having…: Heb. and in his hand a live coal)

seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance – means burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent) from the word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-rawf’
– Originated from , a saraph/ seraph which is referenced as H8313 in Strong’s Concordance.

Seraph = H8313 in Strong’s Concordance means a primitive root, to be causatively, set) on fire or cause to, make a burning, up kindle, X utterly. Comes from the Word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-raf’

“It seems that seraphim (plural of seraph) are angelic beings of one of the higher heavenly orders. (((They appear to be similar to cherubim and, like cherubim, are heavenly guardians who serve the Almighty. In the only biblical reference to them they have a special concern for holiness and morality (Isa 1:6-7.”)))))) – from Bridgeway Bible Dictionary – Don Fleming

Note about angelic beings and similar like cherubim: The Bible did not mention that seraphims are categorized under angelic beings though they both seemed to have wings and are able to fly. Cherubims are described in the Bible differently, though just like angels and seraphims, they serve God and can fly and appear as if hanging in the heavens. Note that spiritual entities are able to fly or appear floating in the heavens (sky).

“The word Seraphim mentioned in Isaiah 6:2, 3, 6, 7 means fiery ones, in allusion, as is supposed, to their burning love. ((((They are represented as “standing” above the King as he sat upon his throne, ready at once to minister unto him.)))) Their form appears to have been human, with the addition of wings.” – from Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Matthew George Easton

Note about looking like humans: Seraphims have covered face with wings, they have feet, and hands. (Isaiah 6:2,6) But Isaiah did not mention if their face, feet and hand looks like human.

Seraph/ saraph bible verses

The Hebrew word saraph is used 7 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. They are described as:

A. Burning poisonous serpents

They can bite the people and die due to their poison.

1-2. Numbers 21:6,8

Numbers 21:6-9, LBP
₆ And the LORD sent fiery serpents against the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
₇ Therefore the people came to Moses and said to him, We have sinned, for we have murmured against the LORD and against you; pray before the LORD, that he take the serpents away from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
₈ And the LORD said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass that every one who is bitten by a serpent, when he looks upon it, shall live.
₉ So Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

KJV with Strong’s Concordance Numbers 21:6,8
21:6 And the LORD 3068 sent 7971 8762 fiery 8314 serpents 5175 among the people 5971, and they bit 5391 8762 the people 5971; and much 7227 people 5971 of Israel 3478 died 4191 8799.
21:7 Therefore the people 5971 came 935 8799 to Moses 4872, and said 559 8799, We have sinned 2398 8804, for we have spoken 1696 8765 against the LORD 3068, and against thee; pray 6419 8690 unto the LORD 3068, that he take away 5493 8686 the serpents 5175 from us. And Moses 4872 prayed 6419 8691 for the people 5971.
21:8 And the LORD 3068 said 559 8799 unto Moses 4872, Make 6213 8798 thee a fiery serpent 8314, and set 7760 8798 it upon a pole 5251: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten 5391 8803, when he looketh 7200 8804 upon it, shall live 2425 8804.
21:9 And Moses 4872 made 6213 8799 a serpent 5175 of brass 5178, and put 7760 8799 it upon a pole 5251, and it came to pass, that if a serpent 5175 had bitten 5391 8804 any man 376, when he beheld 5027 8689 the serpent 5175 of brass 5178, he lived 2425 8804.

seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance – means burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent) from the word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-rawf’
– Origated from , a saraph/ seraph which is referenced as H8313 in Strong’s Concordance.

serpents =  5175 in Strong’s Concordance
serpents: 5175 from the word: YGP and pronounced as naw-khawsh’ means serpent, snake which originated from Orig: from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):–serpent. H5172.

Brass/ copper = H5178 in Strong’s Concordance means copper, hence, something made of that metal. From the word: ZYGP, pronounced as “nekh-o’-sheth”

3. Deuteronomy 8:15

KJV with Strong’s Concordance – Deuteronomy 8:15
8:15 Who led 3212 8688 thee through that great 1419 and terrible 3372 8737 wilderness 4057, [wherein were] fiery 8314 serpents 5175, and scorpions 6137, and drought 6774, where [there was] no water 4325; who brought thee forth 3318 8688 water 4325 out of the rock 6697 of flint 2496;

seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance – means burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent) from the word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-rawf’
– Origated from , a saraph/ seraph which is referenced as H8313 in Strong’s Concordance.

serpents =  5175 in Strong’s Concordance
serpents: 5175 from the word: YGP and pronounced as naw-khawsh’ means serpent, snake which originated from Orig: from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):–serpent. H5172.

Deuteronomy 8:11-15, LBP
₁₁ Take heed, lest you forget the LORD your God, in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes, which I command you this day;
₁₂ Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses, and dwell in them;
₁₃ And when your flocks and herds multiply, and your silver and gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;
₁₄ Then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
₁₅ Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, a place of fiery serpents and scorpions and droughts, a place where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock;

B. In Isaiah the seraphs are said to be flying and has wings

4. Isaiah 14:29

KJV with Strong’s Concordance Isaiah 14:29
14:29 Rejoice 8055 8799 not thou, whole Palestina 6429, because the rod 7626 of him that smote 5221 8688 thee is broken 7665 8738: for out of the serpent’s 5175 root 8328 shall come forth 3318 8799 a cockatrice 6848, and his fruit 6529 [shall be] a fiery 8314 0 flying 5774 8789 serpent 8314.(cockatrice: or, adder)

seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance – means burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent) from the word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-rawf’
– Origated from , a saraph/ seraph which is referenced as H8313 in Strong’s Concordance.

serpents =  5175 in Strong’s Concordance
serpents: 5175 from the word: YGP and pronounced as naw-khawsh’ means serpent, snake which originated from Orig: from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):–serpent. H5172.

0 =  H0 in Strong’s Concordance. In Greek Strong: The original word in the Greek or Hebrew is translated by more than one word in the English. The English translation is separated by one or more other words from the original. (((English to send away. Here the verb “send away” is split by the word “her” (send_her_away). The zero means the verb only occurs once in this passage not twice. Sometimes five or six words separate a word.)))

serpents =  H5774 in Strong’s Concordance means Originated from a primitive root which means to cover (with wings or obscurity); in Grk Strong it mans to fly, fly away. It is from the word SER which is pronounced as ‘oof’

____ =  H8789 in Strong’s Concordance. In
Grk Strong means a stem, a mood (participle), count-51

Cockatrice  = H6848 in Strong’s Concordance means a viper (as thrusting out the tongue, i.e. hissing)

Prophecies against Palestina
Isaiah 14:28-32, LBP
₂₈ The conquest of Philistia. In the year that King Ahaz died, came this burden.
₂₉ Rejoice not, whole Philistia, because the rod of him that smote you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a viper, and its offspring shall be a fiery flying serpent.
₃₀ And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant I shall slay.
₃₁ Howl, O city; cry, O city; whole Philistia is in confusion; for there shall come from the north a smoke? and none shall be left in their feasts.
₃₂ What shall one then answer the messengers of the nations? That the LORD has founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall take refuge in it.

LBP

Serpent root ➡ viper ➡ fiery flying serpent

KJV

serpent’s root ➡ cockatrice ➡  fiery  flying  serpent

* Read the glossary below for further explanation about this topic.

5. Isaiah 30:6

KJV with Strong’s Concordance – Isaiah 30:6
30:6 The burden 4853 of the beasts 929 of the south 5045: into the land 776 of trouble 6869 and anguish 6695, from whence [come] the young 3833 and old lion 3918, the viper 660 and fiery 8314 0 flying 5774 8789 serpent 8314, they will carry 5375 8799 their riches 2428 upon the shoulders 3802 of young asses 5895, and their treasures 214 upon the bunches 1707 of camels 1581, to a people 5971 [that] shall not profit 3276 8686 [them].

seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance – means burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent) from the word: SXY which is pronounced as saw-rawf’
– Origated from , a saraph/ seraph which is referenced as H8313 in Strong’s Concordance.

serpents =  H5774 in Strong’s Concordance means Originated from a primitive root which means to cover (with wings or obscurity); in Grk Strong it mans to fly, fly away. It is from the word SER which is pronounced as ‘oof’

____ =  H8789 in Strong’s Concordance. In
Grk Strong means a stem, a mood (participle), count-51

Isaiah 30:1-17, LBP
₁ WOE to the rebellious children, says the LORD, who take counsel, but not of me; and who offer wine offerings, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin;
₂ Who start to go down to Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthen themselves by the strength of Pharaoh, and to take shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
₃ Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be to your shame, and the shelter of the shadow of Egypt to your confusion.
₄ For while Pharaoh is in Zoan, his princes and ambassadors shall act deceitfully.
₅ They go to a people that cannot profit them, neither be a help nor a profit, but shame and reproach.
₆ The prophecy concerning the oppressors of the south: Into a land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lion and the young lion, the viper and the fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the backs of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
₇ For the Egyptians shall help in vain and in falsehood; therefore I have warned them, for this their trust is in vain.
₈ Now come, write it on these tablets and on the book of their covenant, that it may be for the time to come, for a testimony for ever and ever;
₉ For this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD;
₁₀ Who have said to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not to us reproof; speak to us deception, prophesy lies;
₁₁ Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
₁₂ Therefore thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel: Because you have despised this word and trusted in oppression and have complained and yet trusted in it;
₁₃ Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall and as a high wall whose breaking comes suddenly at an instant.
₁₄ And its breaking is as the breaking of the potter’s vessel that is broken in pieces, without pity; so that there shall not be found in its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth or to take water with it out of the cistern.
₁₅ Therefore thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel: When you will repent and rest you will be saved; in quietness and in hope shall be your strength; but you would not listen.
₁₆ But you said, Not so, for we will ride upon horses, and will flee upon swift ones; therefore you shall flee, and your pursuers shall be swift.
₁₇ A thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall you flee till you are left as a beacon on the top of a mountain and as an ensign on a hill.

6-7. Isaiah 6:2,6

– verse above, seraphim topic.

Linking Seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-13 in the Beasts being described in Revelation 4:6-9

Some Biblical scholars connect this with Revelation 4:6-9. But, we can find a difference

Revelation 4:6-9, LBP
₆ And before the throne was a sea of glass resembling crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about it, and in front of the throne, were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind.
₇ And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast was like a calf, and the third beast had a face of a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
₈ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about it; and they were full of eyes within; and they had no rest day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, the LORD God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.
₉ And when those wild beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him who sat on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,

Revelation 4:6, KJV
₆ And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Revelation 4:6, ASV
₆ and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.

Revelation 4:6, NLT
₆ In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

Similarities: six wings & glorifying God

The only resemblance we can find with the Seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-13 and the beasts in Revelation 4:6-9 is that (1) they have six wings (2) they can fly (3) they both glorify God saying “Holy, holy, holy, the LORD God Almighty” / Lord of Hosts

Differences:

1. Covered face vs. Different Faces and described individually

The seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-13 has covered their feet with their two wings and can fly, and they covered their face with two wings. But the faces of the beings in Revelation 4:6-9 were individually described. The author states that the first beast looks like a lion, the second beast resembles a calf, the third beast has a resemblance with a face of a man, and the fourth beast is like a flying eagle. Notice that each beast was described separately as the verse emphasize “the first beast”, ” the second beast”, “the third beast” and the “fourth beast.” The verse did not say the beast has a face of a lion, calf, man and flying eagle. If this is the way it has been described then its safe to assume that the beast has four face with six wings. But instead, the author is very clear in stating that they are four different beasts. Just because the seraphim in Isaiah has six wings and the four beasts in Revelation have six wings too doesn’t mean that they are the same. If we scrutinize the verse we’ll see that the beasts being described in Revelation are separate beings, and different from seraphims.

2. Full of eyes

The beasts in Revelation 4:6-9 are described to have full of eyes within, before, and behind, but Isaiah 6:1-13 nor other verses in the Bible did not mention that seraphims are full of eyes. There are other beings in the Bible that are mentioned to have this appearance. (LINK LlNK LINK)———-

3. Location

Isaiah 6:1-13 described the seraphim to be standing above God, who sits on the throne. While the beast in Revelation 4:6-9 are situated in the center, and around the throne (KJV, NLT, ASV). Only prashitta mentioned that they are also located in front of the throne.

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Glossary: Strong’s Concordance

Seraphims = 8314 in Strong’s Concordance
Word: SXY
Pronounce: saw-rawf’
Strong: H8314
Orig: from 8313; burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color):–fiery (serpent), seraph. H8313
Use: TWOT-2292a,2292b Noun Masculine
Grk Strong: G785 G3789
1) serpent, fiery serpent
1a) poisonous serpent (fiery from burning effect of poison)
2) seraph, seraphim
2a) majestic beings with 6 wings, human hands or voices in attendance upon God

Seraph = H8313 in Strong’s Concordance
Word: SXY
Pronounce: saw-raf’
Strong: H8313
Orig: a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire:–(cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, X utterly.
Use: TWOT-2292 Verb
Grk Strong: G1143 G2289 G2545 G2618 G2664
1) to burn
1a) (Qal) to burn
1b) (Niphal) to be burned
1c) (Piel) burner, burning (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be burnt up, be burned

serpents =  H5175 in Strong’s Concordance
Serpent:
Word: YGP
Pronounce: naw-khawsh’
Strong: H5175
Orig: from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):–serpent. H5172
Use: TWOT-1347a Noun Masculine
Grk Strong: G1404 G3789
1) serpent, snake
1a) serpent
1b) image (of serpent)
1c) fleeing serpent (mythological)

serpents =  H5774 in Strong’s Concordance
Word: SER
Pronounce: oof
Strong: H5774
Orig: a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence (as denominative from 5775) to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning):–brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), X set, shine forth, weary. H5775
Use: TWOT-1582,1583,1583c
Grk Strong: G649 G1590 G1600 G1634 G2186 G2872 G4072
v
1) to fly, fly about, fly away
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to fly, hover
1a2) to fly away
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to fly, light upon
1c) (Polel)
1c1) to fly about or to and fro
1c2) to cause to fly to and fro, brandish
1d) (Hithpolel) to fly away
2) (Qal) to cover, be dark
n f
3) gloom

Cockatrice  = H6848 in Strong’s Concordance
Word: RTV
Pronounce: tseh’-fah
Strong: H6848
Orig: from an unused root meaning to extrude; a viper (as thrusting out the tongue, i.e. hissing):–adder, cockatrice.
Use: TWOT-1954a,1954b Noun Masculine
Grk Strong: G785 G2289
1) poisonous serpent
1a) a viper snake or adder

Notes:

Cockatrice a two-legged dragon, or serpent-like creature with a rooster’s head

Disclaimer: Depiction of cockatrice from online source. The cockatrice may or may not look like this.

According to Wikipedia the first Bible to use this word in English was John Wyclif’s 1382’s Bible translation “to translate *different Hebrew *words.” Then  King James Version, followed using it. (Read the Cultural References section of Wikipedia’s Cockatrice to see more.) However, the Lamsa Bible which is the translation of Aramaic Prashitta – an early Bible text (circa AD 100-200)  only mentioned the word viper and not cockatrice. Hence we emphasize here that the photo below may or may not exactly represent the viper H6848 in the Bible.

0 =  H0 in Strong’s Concordance
Word:
Pronounce:
Strong: H0
Orig:
Use:
Grk Strong:
The original word in the Greek or Hebrew is translated by more than one word in the English. The English translation is separated by one or more other words from the original. e.g. Mt. 15:30 Strong’s No. G630
English to send away
send G630 G0 her G846 away G630
Here the verb “send away” is split by the word “her”. The zero means the verb only occurs once in this passage not twice. Sometimes five or six words separate a word.
Some exceptions are in Jer. 51:3 where the zero in “bendeth H1869 H0 let the archer H1869 H8802 bend H1869 H8799 ” connects “bendeth” with “bend” not “archer”. See also Nu:16:13, 22:17, 2Sa 12:14

____ =  H8789 in Strong’s Concordance
Word:
Pronounce:
Strong: H8789
Orig:
Use:
Grk Strong:
Stem -Polel See H8847
Mood -Participle See H8813
Count-51

Brass/ copper = H5178 in Strong’s Concordance
Word: ZYGP
Pronounce: nekh-o’-sheth
Orig: for 5154; copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver):–brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass), filthiness, steel. H5154
Use: TWOT-1349a,1350a Noun Masculine
Grk Strong: G3976 G5470 G5475
1) copper, bronze
1a) copper (ore), bronze (as copper alloy)
1b) fetters (of copper or bronze)
1c) copper (as value)
2) lust, harlotry
2a) meaning dubious

References:

• (1) Aramaic of Peshitta: Lamsa, 1933 -LBP (Bible verses)
• (2) KJV with Strong’s Concordance from https://godrules.net/
• (3) Pavao, Paul. “Seraphim: Dragons in Heaven.” Christian History for Everyman. Greatest Stories Ever Told. 2014.
• Accessed on 3/10/2024 from https://www.christian-history.org/seraphim.html
• (4) Bridgeway Bible Dictionary – Don Fleming
• (5) Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Matthew George Easton