Girls · Hebrew · Old Testament · rising · 8th century BC (Isaiah's vision)
Seraphina
/seh-ruh-FEE-nuh/
שְׂרָפִים (seraphim — plural)
"Burning one; fiery; aflame"
Isaiah 6:2
RoleDerived from the seraphim — angelic beings of Isaiah's vision
Etymology
From 'saraph' (שָׂרָף), meaning to burn. The seraphim are the highest order of angels, described in Isaiah 6 as six-winged beings surrounding God's throne, endlessly crying 'Holy, holy, holy.' Seraphina is the feminine singular form — one who burns.
Who they were
The seraphim appear only in Isaiah 6, and the vision is one of the most overwhelming in scripture. Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were the seraphim — each with six wings: two covering their faces, two covering their feet, and two for flying. They called to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' The sound shook the doorposts. The temple filled with smoke. Isaiah cried, 'Woe to me! I am ruined!' One of the seraphim flew to him with a live coal from the altar, touched his lips, and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.' The seraphim are burning ones — aflame with worship, ablaze with holiness, fierce enough to purify with fire and tender enough to cleanse a prophet's lips. Seraphina, as a name, captures the beauty and intensity of worship at its highest pitch — not tepid, not polite, but burning.
Character qualities
- Blazing worship
- Purifying fire
- Beauty and ferocity combined
Key verse
Isaiah 6:3
Where they appear
Themes
Variants & related forms
Serafina · Sera · Fina
Read their story
Seraphina's story begins in Isaiah.
The full passage is at Isaiah 6:2. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.
Find a Bible to read it in →