Isaiah 65:5

5 And then they say to others, "Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!' I cannot stand people like that - my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.

Isaiah 65:5 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 65:5

Which say, stand by thyself,
&c], According to Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi, these are the unclean persons that did the above things; who say to the righteous, "draw near to thyself" F16; so the words are, go to thine own place, or to thine own company: and come not near to me;
keep off at a distance, as unworthy of such company: for I am holier than thou;
but this is the language of a self-righteous man, of a Pharisee that strictly observed the rituals of the law; and fitly describes such who lived in the times of Christ; and exactly agrees with the characters of such, who not only would have no dealings with the Samaritans, but washed themselves when they came from market, or any public place, lest they should be defiled with the common people of their own nation; and, even with religious persons, would not stand near them while praying; but despised them, if they had not arrived to that pitch of outward sanctity they had; see ( John 4:9 ) ( Mark 7:4 ) ( Luke 18:9 Luke 18:11 Luke 18:12 ) . The phrase may be rendered, "do not touch me" F17; and the Pharisees would not suffer themselves to be touched by the common people, nor would they touch them. Maimonides F18 says,

``if the Pharisees touched but the garments of the common people, they were defiled all one as if they had touched a profluvious person, and were obliged to dip themselves all over;''
so that, when they walked in the streets, they used to walk on the sides of the way, that they might not be defiled by touching them F19. So Epiphanius F20 relates of the Samaritan Jews, that when they touch one of another nation, they dip themselves with their clothes in water; for they reckon it a defilement to touch anyone, or to touch any man of another religion; and of the Dositheans, who were another sect of the Samaritans the same writer observes F21, that they studiously avoid touching any, for they abhor every man. A certain Arabic geographer of note F23 makes mention of an island, called the island of the Samaritans, inhabited by some Samaritan Jews, as appears by their saying to any that apply to them, do not touch; and by this it is known that they are of the Jews who are called Samaritans; and this same arrogant superstition, as Scaliger observes F24, continues in that people to this day, as those relate who have conversed with them: these are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day:
very offensive to the divine Being, as smoke is to the eyes and nostrils; very abominable to him; and whose proud and vain conduct raised indignation in him, and kindled the fire of his anger, which was continually exercised on them; see ( Luke 16:15 ) . The Targum is,
``their vengeance is in hell, where the fire burns all the day.''

FOOTNOTES:

F16 (Kyla brq) "accede ad te", Vatablus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Cocceius; "appropinqua ad te", Piscator.
F17 (yb vgt la) "ne contigas me"; so some in Vatablus; "ne attingite me", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ne tangae rue": Cocceius.
F18 In Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 7.
F19 lb. Hilcot Abot Tumaot, c. 13. sect. 8.
F20 Contra Haeres. haeres. 9.
F21 Contra Haeres, haeres 13.
F23 Apud Scaliger de Emendat, Temp. l. 7.
F24 Ibid.

Isaiah 65:5 In-Context

3 They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardens and burn incense on pagan altars.
4 At night they go to caves and tombs to consult the spirits of the dead. They eat pork and drink broth made from meat offered in pagan sacrifices.
5 And then they say to others, "Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!' I cannot stand people like that - my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.
6 "I have already decided on their punishment, and their sentence is written down. I will not overlook what they have done, but will repay them
7 for their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They have burned incense at pagan hill shrines and spoken evil of me. So I will punish them as their past deeds deserve."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.