Bible Strands
Isaiah 65:5
They 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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God speaks against a group that claims spiritual superiority while practicing grave-dwelling and eating pork. He identifies their self-proclaimed holiness as the immediate cause of His relentless judgment.
The words — קְדַשְׁתִּ֑י/ךָ (ke.dash.Ti./cha) translates literally as “I am set apart from you,” and אֵ֚לֶּה ('E.leh) identifies the subjects as “these people.” The Hebrew syntax records their declaration as a self-exalting statement rather than a divine verdict.
The thread — The pattern of self-righteous contempt appears in Luke 18:9, Luke 7:39, and Proverbs 16:5. Each reference tracks the same trajectory of individuals who mistake ritual separation for moral superiority.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to measure claimed holiness against actual conduct. It demands the rejection of self-declared spiritual status and the recognition that God judges separation by obedience, not by exclusion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Luke 18:9 To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
- Luke 7:39 When 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 is a sinner!”
- Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished.
- Luke 15:28 The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
- Romans 2:17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
- Deuteronomy 29:20 The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven
- Luke 5:30 But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Deuteronomy 32:20 He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.
- Proverbs 6:16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Proverbs 10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.