Isaiah 65:5

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 Living Translation (NLT)Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.

Context of Isaiah 65:5

3A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 4Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 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. 6“Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom— 7Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,” Says the Lord, “Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills; Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

Isaiah 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 9:11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
• Luke 5:30And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against 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 spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
• Luke 15:2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
• Luke 18:9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
• Acts 22:21Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
• Romans 2:17Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,
• Jude 1:19These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
• Proverbs 6:16These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
• Proverbs 10:26As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
• Proverbs 16:5Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
• James 4:6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
• 1 Peter 5:5Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
• Deuteronomy 29:20“The Lord would not spare him; for then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the Lord would blot out his name from under heaven.
• Deuteronomy 32:20And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.

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

• Bigotry
• Church
• Condescension of God
• Heathen
• Hypocrisy
• Presumption
• Self-Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Cry
• Sought
• Thence
• Fire
• Isaiah
• Nose; Nostrils
• Oreb; Zeeb
• Salvation

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