John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 6:5

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts." — Isaiah 6:5 (ASV)

Woe to me! for I am undone. The Prophet now relates how powerfully he was affected by that vision, namely, that he was so terrified by seeing God that he expected immediate destruction. He assigns the reason for believing that it is all over with him: because, says he, I am a man of unclean lips.

I wonder why Jerome renders it, because I was silent; since there is no ambiguity in the expression. דמה (damah) does indeed signify to be silent, but here the undoubted mark of a passive verb is added. This passage may likewise be rendered, Woe to me! for I have been reduced to silence. In the Scriptures, silence is often taken for death, and those who have been buried are said to have been reduced to silence. But as the meaning is the same, I will not dispute much about the translation.

The Prophet, therefore, means that he was so terrified as to resemble a dead man. And certainly, we need not wonder at this, for the whole man, as far as relates to the flesh, must be reduced to nothing so that it may be renewed according to God.

From where does it come that men live—that is, imagine that they live—and are swelled with vain confidence in their wisdom or strength, but because they do not know God? Accordingly, until God reveals Himself to us, we do not think that we are men, or rather, we think that we are gods; but when we have seen God, we then begin to feel and know what we are.

From this springs true humility, which consists in this: that a man makes no claims for himself and depends wholly on God. Therefore, on this point, the present and similar passages ought to be carefully studied.

It was customary with the godly fathers, whenever they saw God, to break out into these words:

I am gone; I am utterly undone. (Judges 13:22)

Our life, therefore, until our minds earnestly draw near to God, is a vain delusion. We walk in darkness and can distinguish truth from falsehood only with difficulty; but when we come into the light, it is easy to perceive the difference. So, when God draws near to us, He brings light with Him, so that we may perceive our worthlessness, which we could not formerly see while we entertained a false opinion of ourselves.

And yet my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts. But does the sight of God bring death to men? For it appears strange that the sight of God or approach to Him should take away life, of which He is the source and giver.

I reply that this is an accidental result, for it takes place through our fault and not on account of the nature of God. Death is within us, but we do not perceive it unless it is compared with the life of God.

This is unquestionably what the Prophet means, for he does not merely say that he is dead but assigns the reason: because he has unclean lips.

But why does he confine the pollution to the lips? Was he pure in understanding or in the other parts of the body?

I answer: the Prophet mentions that which he regarded as the most valuable—his tongue, which was consecrated to God, for God had appointed him to be a Prophet. Even though he was in other respects a sinner, yet because the office which he held was holy, this part of his body was sacred.

And as it does not correspond to the divine holiness, he confesses that, even in that part which in itself is more holy, he is polluted. Such appears to me to be the true and natural meaning of this passage, in the explanation of which commentators have until now been unsuccessful.

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. This is added by way of explanation, for he includes himself as an individual in the number of the common people, tainted with that pollution which extends to the whole body, and forgets the purity which he had received from God because it cannot dwell in His presence.

Hence, it is evident that they are mistaken who imagine that the Prophet spoke under erroneous views, as the common people are accustomed to contrive a variety of false notions concerning God. For, as I have said, the presence of God and approach to Him is the destruction of our flesh because it shows that we are nothing in ourselves.

When he who is conscious of his wretchedness sees God, what can he expect but destruction? For God is our judge, to whom, we know, nothing is concealed or unknown, and in whose sight our purity is impure. And if this happened to the Prophet, what ought we to think of ourselves?

For what are we in comparison to him? Even if the LORD has begun to cleanse us, we still ought to acknowledge our pollution, the remains of which always continue in our flesh.

From this, we also ought to draw a universal doctrine: that the lips of all men are impure and polluted until the Lord has cleansed them. From this, it also follows that human doctrines have an uncleanness that betrays them, and that there is nothing pure but what has come from God.