Malachi2
New Living Translation
1“Listen, you priests—this command is for you!
2Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart.
3I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.
4Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
5“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.
6They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.
7“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
8But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
9“So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.”
10Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?
11Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.
12May the Lord cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
13Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure.
14You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.
15Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.
16“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
17You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Malachi 2.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The priests reproved for neglecting their covenant. (1–9). The people reproved for their evil practices. (10–17).
vv1-9
What is here said of the covenant of priesthood, is true of the covenant of grace made with all believers, as spiritual priests. It is a covenant of life and peace; it assures all believers of all happiness, both in this world and in that to come. It is an honour to God's servants to be employed as his messengers. The priest's lips should not keep knowledge from his people, but keep it for them. The people are all concerned to know the will of the Lord. We must not only consult the written word, but desire instruction and advice from God's messengers, in the affairs of our souls. Ministers must exert themselves to the utmost for the conversion of sinners; and even among those called Israelites, there are many to be turned from iniquity. Those ministers, and those only, are likely to turn men from sin, who preach sound doctrine, and live holy lives according to the Scripture. Many departed from this way; thus they misled the people. Such as walk with God in peace and righteousness, and turn others from sin, honour God; he will honour them, while those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed.
vv10-17
Corrupt practices are the fruit of corrupt principles; and he who is false to his God, will not be true to his fellow mortals. In contempt of the marriage covenant, which God instituted, the Jews put away the wives they had of their own nation, probably to make room for strange wives. They made their lives bitter to them; yet, in the sight of others, they pretend to be tender of them. Consider she is thy wife; thy own; the nearest relation thou hast in the world. The wife is to be looked on, not as a servant, but as a companion to the husband. There is an oath of God between them, which is not to be trifled with. Man and wife should continue to their lives' end, in holy love and peace. Did not God make one, one Eve for one Adam? Yet God could have made another Eve. Wherefore did he make but one woman for one man? It was that the children might be made a seed to serve him. Husbands and wives must live in the fear of God, that their seed may be a godly seed. The God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away. Those who would be kept from sin, must take heed to their spirits, for there all sin begins. Men will find that their wrong conduct in their families springs from selfishness, which disregards the welfare and happiness of others, when opposed to their own passions and fancies. It is wearisome to God to hear people justify themselves in wicked practices. Those who think God can be a friend to sin, affront him, and deceive themselves. The scoffers said, Where is the God of judgement? but the day of the Lord will come.
Key Words
כֹּהֵן: literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
מִצְוָה: a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law)
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
אִם: used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
שׂוּם: to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
לֵב: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
Malachi 2God's covenant of peace given specifically to Phinehas/Levi, ensuring an everlasting priesthood.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses' blessing on Levi, illustrating the fear and dedication required by the original priestly covenant.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Nehemiah's contemporary condemnation of the priests for defiling the covenant of Levi.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jesus references God's creation of one husband and one wife, confirming monogamous intent.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The standard covenant curses of Deuteronomy that God threatens to send upon the faithless priests.
Supported by JFB
Historical record of post-exilic Jews marrying foreign women and profaning the priesthood.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The foundational creation account establishing the covenant of marriage where two become one flesh.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The ignominious threat of being swept away like dung, denoting utter rejection and contempt.
Supported by JFB
God's standard for true prophets/priests: to stand in His counsel and turn many from evil.
Supported by JFB
The catastrophic consequences when priests reject knowledge and fail to keep the law for the people.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament comparison: ministers are ambassadors (messengers) of Christ, as priests were to Yahweh.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The divine principle that those who despise God will be lightly esteemed, fulfilled in the priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Mosaic regulation of divorce, contrasted with Malachi's declaration that God hates divorce.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Wordplay on 'messenger' (Malachi), highlighting the priest's office as God's official envoy.
Supported by JFB