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Exodus 33:20 (NKJV)

20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Isaiah 6:1-2 (NKJV)

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

In Exodus God made it very clear that no man can look at the brightness of his glory & live,so could the Seraphim have covered their faces because of the glory of his presence

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  • This may be assuming the purpose for why the seraphim cover their faces that the text doesn't directly indicate. Perhaps that's something an answer will need to address? – user2910 Nov 27 '16 at 14:53
  • See also Daniel 10:5-9. – Lucian Aug 9 '17 at 20:36
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"Allusion" is certainly the wrong word for whatever relation these two texts have.

For there to be an "allusion", the text must include some kind of verbal association whereby the connection between the texts can be triggered in the mind of the reader/hearer. And that is simply lacking in the case of the two texts brought together by OP.

There may, on the other hand, be some shared conceptual space in terms of thinking about "God's face" in the Hebrew Bible (see the many hits a search of Google Scholar gives for "god's face" + "exodus 33", for example). But even that consideration fails to draw these two particular texts together in any significant way.

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  • @David, yes agreed but this is an indirect reference, not explicitly mentioned,but why would they have covered their faces in the presence of God other than avoiding looking at his glory – collen ndhlovu Nov 27 '16 at 16:28
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    @collenndhlovu "Indirect reference" is not a meaningful category of "allusion". The OBVIOUS reason the seraphim cover their faces in Isaiah 6 is because the One on the throne is "Holy, Holy, Holy". They didn't need to read Exod 33:20. – Dɑvïd Nov 27 '16 at 17:06
  • @David Give a biblical citation where it points to them covering their faces because of the One on the throne is Holy,Holy,Holy – collen ndhlovu Nov 27 '16 at 18:26
  • @collenndhlovu Isaiah 6:2-3. – Dɑvïd Nov 27 '16 at 20:15

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