New English Translation
Isaiah 65:5
5They say, ‘Keep to yourself! Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’ These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
Isaiah 65:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
- New International Version (NIV)who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who say, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you." These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.
Context of Isaiah 65:5
3These people continually and blatantly offend me as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards and burn incense on brick altars. 4They sit among the tombs and keep watch all night long. They eat pork, and broth from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans. They say, ‘Keep to yourself! Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’ These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long. 6Look, I have decreed: I will not keep silent, but will pay them back; I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, 7for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” says the Lord. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and offended me on the hills, I will punish them in full measure.”
Read all of Isaiah 65Isaiah 65:5 word by word
הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ קְרַ֣ב אֵלֶ֔יךָ אַל־תִּגַּשׁ־בִּ֖י כִּ֣י קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אֵ֚לֶּה עָשָׁ֣ן בְּאַפִּ֔י אֵ֥שׁ יֹקֶ֖דֶת כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Which sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Standקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- by thyself, come not nearנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- to me; for I am holierקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
- a smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
- in my noseאַף'aph · face: noseH639
- a fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- that burnethיָקַדyâqad · to burnH3344
- all the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
Cross-references for Isaiah 65:5
- Matthew 9:11When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Luke 5:30But the Pharisees and their experts in the law complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Luke 7:39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”
- Luke 15:2But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
- Luke 18:9Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.
- Acts 22:21Then he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- Romans 2:17But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God
- Jude 1:19These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.
- Proverbs 6:16There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him:
- Proverbs 10:26Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
- Proverbs 16:5The Lord abhors every arrogant person; rest assured that they will not go unpunished.
- James 4:6But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
- Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory.
- Deuteronomy 32:20He said, “I will reject them, I will see what will happen to them; for they are a perverse generation, children who show no loyalty.
Commentaries on Isaiah 65:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For I am holier than thou - So the Chaldee renders it. קדשתיך kedashticha is the same with ממך קדשתי kadashti mimmecha . In the same manner חזקתני chazaktani, Jeremiah 20:7, is used for ממני חזקת chazacta mimmenni, "thou art stronger than I." - L.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Which say, Stand by thyself - Who at the time that they engage in these abominations are distinguished for spiritual pride. The most worthless people are commonly the most proud; and they who have wandered farthest from God have in general the most exalted idea of their own goodness. It was a characteristic of a large part of the Jewish nation, and especially of the Pharisees, to be self-righteous and proud. A striking illustration of this we have in the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5do not come near me, for I am holier than you!: The people of Israel used the words of ritual purification found in the law of Moses. They spoke as if they were clean and obedient to God. But they also practiced worship influenced by pagan religions. Their actions did not match their words. Because of this hypocrisy, God was deeply displeased. The text says they were like a bad smell in his nostrils. This image shows how offensive their behavior was to…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. (Mt 9:11; Lu 5:30; 18:11; Jude 19). Applicable to the hypocritical self-justifiers of our Lord's time. smoke--alluding to the smoke of their self-righteous sacrifices; the fire of God's wrath was kindled at the sight, and exhibited itself in the smoke that breathed forth from His nostrils; in Hebrew the nose is the seat of anger; and the nostrils distended in wrath, as it were, breathe forth smoke [Rosenmuller] (Psa 18:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 65:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 65
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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