Then flew one of the seraphim to me: For flew and seraphim, see the comments on Isa 6.2.

Having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar: A burning coal … from the altar refers to a piece of hot charcoal from the altar. Revised Standard Version‘s rendering for this last part of the verse suggests that the burning coal was actually in the seraph’s hand. However, the seraph picked it up with a pair of tongs from the altar and carried it with them. It may be necessary to restructure these clauses to clarify this. One simple solution is to use the verb “to carry” in place of the phrase in his hand, as Good News Translation has done. Bible en français courant solves it differently, omitting in his hand and placing with tongs at the beginning: “With tongs he held a burning coal that he had taken on the altar.”

Tongs or “a pair of tongs” (Good News Translation) may be difficult to render in the receptor language. It may be possible to make a new expression, for example, “fire fork” or “iron to pick up charcoal.” If no other solution is available, translators could render with tongs as “between two pieces of iron.”

The altar in this context most likely refers to the incense altar inside the Temple (Exo 30.1-10), not the sacrificial altar outside it (Exo 27.1-7). An altar is a table-like structure for offering gifts to God. If no specific term is available in the receptor language, translators may say “table of offerings” or “place of offerings.” They should avoid a term directly associated with traditional cults if it is clear that such a term is inconsistent in the context of the Old Testament.

For the translation of this verse we suggest:

• Then one of the seraphs flew toward me, carrying with a pair of tongs a live charcoal from the altar.

• Then one of the seraphs flew toward me. With a pair of tongs he carried a hot coal from the altar.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .