Verse 3
Their joy in God’s presence was evident in their calling out to each other ascribing supreme holiness to Yahweh of armies. A triple appellation of holiness, a "trisagion," indicated that Yahweh’s holiness is superlative, the greatest possible, and complete. Nowhere else in the Old Testament is there another threefold repetition of God’s holiness, but there is in the New (Revelation 4:8). Other repetitions of words three times for emphasis are not uncommon (e.g., Jeremiah 22:29; Ezekiel 21:27; Revelation 8:13). Holiness is distinctness from all that is not divine, especially in reference to ethical behavior. [Note: Oswalt, p. 180.] God’s glory is His manifested holiness. [Note: Delitzsch, 1:192.]
"His holiness is simply his God-ness in all his attributes, works, and ways. . . . He is not like us, only bigger and nicer. He is in a different category. He is holy." [Note: Ortlund, p. 77.]
Isaiah saw God as absolutely upright, correct, and true. His glory was not restricted to the throne room or to heaven, however, but it filled the whole earth. God’s glory fills the earth in that the revelation of God’s attributes fills the earth (cf. Psalms 19:1-3). God’s glory refers to the outshining of His person.
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