do 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 him (see Isaiah 1:10–15).