244 Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer I suggest that the expression ˚ytçdq should be understood as a Qal, taking a direct object indicating comparison. Hence, the speaker in 65,5 expresses his belief that he is “holier than you”, i.e. holier than the prophet whom he is addressing. Such an understanding of the verb ˚ytçdq is supported by several of the ancient versions and by similar syntactical constructions in Biblical Hebrew. Accepting the priestly vocabulary in the longer ˚ytçdq yk ybAçgtAla ˚yla brq in v. 5a, together with my claim that this uttering fits best to a clerical person, I conclude that Isa 65,5 criticizes the priesthood. University of Birmingham Lena-Sofia TIEMEYER Department of Theology Birmingham B15 2TT SUMMARY The expression ˚ytçdq yk ybAçgtAla ˚yla brq (Isa 65,5), is best understood as uttered by one of the priests in Jerusalem. Both the ancient translations as well as contemporary insight in Hebrew grammar support the translation of ˚ytçdq as “I am holier than you”. This indicates that the speaker in v. 5 regards himself as holier than his immediate surroundings. As such, it indicates a priestly identity. The interpretation of the two expressions “ybAçgtAla” and “˚yla brq” support this conclusion: their content express the speaker’s disdain for his opponents and his own sense of self-righteousness. Further, their priestly vocabulary suggests a clerical speaker. Such an understanding complements the claim made by several scholars (e.g., P. Hanson, A. Rofé) that the author of Isa 66,3 held a critical disposition towards the priesthood.