Isaiah 65:5
in Isaiah 65They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that 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.
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 65
Commentary
14 notes on this verse(Verses 4, 5.) Those who dwell in tombs and sleep in the temples of idols, who eat pork meat and unclean broth from their vessels, who say, 'Go away from me, do not come near me, for you are unclean.' LXX: They sleep in tombs and caves because of the nightmares, those who eat pork meat and the broth of sacrifices, all their vessels are profane. They say, 'Go far away from me, do not come near me, for I am clean.'
This site's exposition
to a people who continually provoke Me to My face
on Isaiah 65:3-5
The sins are named: “sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick”, and “sitting among the graves” to consult the dead. Gill and Clarke trace these rites to pagan practice in Judah. Even holiness becomes a boast, and such people are “smoke in My nostrils”.
This site's exposition
Such people are smoke in My nostrils
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown explain that the Hebrew nose is the seat of anger, so smoke in My nostrils is a fire that burns. Clarke notes that holier than you is one Hebrew verb. Augustine compares the Pharisee who judged the woman at the feet of Jesus.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
So insofar as they say, "Do not touch me, because I am pure," they are like this Pharisee who had invited the Lord and who thought [the Lord] did not know the woman, just because he had not stopped her touching his feet. But in another respect the Pharisee is better, in that while he thought Christ was only a man, he did not believe that sins could be forgiven by a man. So the Jews appear to have a better understanding than the heretics. What did the Jews say? "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Does a mere man have the audacity to claim this for himself?" What … does the heretic say? "I forgive, I cleanse, I sanctify."
Here is the power that avenges. It is said that he, hearing these things, is minded to comfort us in our ignorance. For since the memory is maintained for us from writings of actions in the past that encourage us to remember and almost bring …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Fourth, as to their contempt for the just: that say, namely, to those who do not adore idols: he is grievous unto us (Wis 2:15); or that say, to God: who say to God: depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They say, " Stand by thyself, keep off" ( get thee to thine, so the original is); "keep to thy own companions, but come not near to me, lest thou pollute me; touch me not;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Holier - Thus they esteemed themselves holier than others, though all their holiness lay in rituals, and those too, such as God never commanded. Of these God saith, These are a smoak in my nostrils, a fire that burneth all the day; that is, a continual provocation to me: as smoak is an offense to our noses.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Which say, stand by thyself, &c.
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which 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 commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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] (Ps 18:8).
THE Apostle Paul shall be our interpreter here. You remember how in the 10th chapter of his Epistle to the Romans he quotes from this chapter and says, "Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me. But to Israel He says, all day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people"?
THE Apostle Paul shall be our interpreter here. You remember how in the 10th chapter of his Epistle to the Romans he quotes from this chapter and says, "Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me. But to Israel He says, all day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people"? Isaiah was very bold to speak the Gospel so plainly, when a legal spirit prevailed, and very bold to defy the enmity of his own nation by declaring that they would be rejected for their sins, while the far-off heathen would be brought in by Sovereign Grace. He was bold to denounce hypocrites to their faces and to smite a proud nation with the threats of the Lord. Perhaps it was for this boldness that he suffered a cruel death by the hands of Manasseh. The application of the passage to Israel is just thus. Year after year God dealt with great patience towards His chosen people, but they seemed to be desperately set upon idolatry in one form or another. Sometimes they worshipped Jehovah, but then they did it under figures and symbols, whereas He has expressly forbidden that even His own worship should be thus celebrated. He who said in the First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me," also said in the Second, "You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in Heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them." At other times they altogether rejected Jehovah and worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth and whole troops of the gods of the heathen and thus they exceedingly provoked the Lord. They also practiced necromancy, or pretended communion with the dead, witchcraft and sorcery and all manners of abominable rites like the depraved nations around them.
For I am holier than thou - So the Chaldee renders it. קדשתיך kedashticha is the same with קדשתי ממך kadashti mimmecha. In the same manner חזקתני chazaktani, Jer 20:7, is used for חזקת ממני chazacta mimmenni, “thou art stronger than I.” - L.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ | haomerim | who say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| קְרַ֣ב | kerav | draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to yourself | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּגַּשׁ־ | tigash- | you draw near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| בִּ֖י | bi | to me | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ | kedashticha | I am set apart from you | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֵ֚לֶּה | ʾeleh | these [people] | H428 → | 746 times |
| עָשָׁ֣ן | ʾashan | [are] smoke | H6227 → | 25 times |
| בְּאַפִּ֔י | beapi | in nose my | H639 → | 276 times |
| אֵ֥שׁ | ʾesh | a fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| יֹקֶ֖דֶת | yokedet | [which] burns | H3344 → | 9 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיּֽוֹם׃ | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
הָאֹֽמְרִים֙who say
haomerimH559 →5305 times
קְרַ֣בdraw near
keravH7126 →280 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto yourself
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּגַּשׁ־you draw near
tigash-H5066 →125 times
בִּ֖יto me
bi
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָI am set apart from you
kedashtichaH6942 →171 times
אֵ֚לֶּהthese [people]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
עָשָׁ֣ן[are] smoke
ʾashanH6227 →25 times
בְּאַפִּ֔יin nose my
beapiH639 →276 times
אֵ֥שׁa fire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
יֹקֶ֖דֶת[which] burns
yokedetH3344 →9 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיּֽוֹם׃the day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 16:5Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished.
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:16–17
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
- Proverbs 11:21
Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.
- Romans 2:8–9
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.
- James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 6:16–17
Through
Luke 7:39When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she…
it leads to
- Luke 7:16
A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
- Luke 15:2
So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
- Proverbs 23:7
for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
- Luke 7:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Isaiah
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 99:8; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1497: “Self-righteousness—a Smoldering Heap of Rubbish” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodore of Heraclea, FRAGMENTS ON ISAIAH and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.