According to Hoyt Brewster, the “live coal” (2 Nephi 16:6) was a symbol of God’s cleansing power. Through its touch, Isaiah’s sins were “purged” and he was sanctified to perform God’s work… . The Hebrew word for “live coal” is ritzpah, translated as a “glowing (incandescent) stone.” (See Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, 131) [ Hoyt W. Brewster, Jr., Isaiah Plain & Simple, p. 46]
2 Nephi 16:6 Taken with tongs from off the altar ([Illustration] Canaanite horned altar or incense burner from Megiddo in ancient Palestine (c. 1900 B.C.) in the Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem. This distinctive style of altar was also used by the Israelites (see Leviticus 4:7; 1 Kings 1:50; 2:28). Courtesy LaMar C. Berrett. [Daniel Ludlow, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 188]
2 Nephi 16:6 Taken with tongs from off the altar (Illustration): Four-horned incense burner from Monte Alban Period I (Southern Mexico)] This illustration shows the similarity in style with the four-horned Hebrew altars. [Joseph Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 88]