Back to Today
Isaiah 6:8
I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
Permalink Verse page
Interpretation

The prophet calls a send me that is worked out in solitude and community in Isaiah 6:8—look for "send" and "heard". Give send me in conversations that test patience—steady the will with prayer.

Context

The setting is Isaiah—prophetic oracle, developing send me. Read in Isaiah 6, its force becomes clearer. It also intersects prophetic hope & judgment. Listen for “send” alongside “heard”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate Isaiah with Isaiah son of Amoz. Many scholars judge Isaiah as follows: Scholars often distinguish major sections (sometimes called Deutero/Trito‑Isaiah).. Date: 8th–5th century BC. This verse leans into prophetic hope & judgment. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). A long compositional arc is often proposed (Proto/Deutero/Trito).

More details
Traditional:Isaiah son of Amoz
Modern scholarship:Multiple authors (Proto‑, Deutero‑, Trito‑Isaiah).
Date:8th–5th century BC
  • Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero).
  • Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Masoretic tradition preserves the Hebrew text, standardized c. 6th-10th centuries CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered 1947-1956) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not affect the core meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the probably reflects the initial text text.
Sources & witness notes
MT