1 AND now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
12 The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts.
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

1 And now, O yee Priests, this commaundement is for you.

2If ye will not heare, and if yee will not lay it to heart, to giue glory vnto my name, saith the Lord of hostes; I will euen send a curse vpon you, and will curse your blessings: yea, I haue cursed them already, because yee doe not lay it to heart.

3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread doung vpon your faces, euen the doung of your solemne feasts, and one shall take you away with it.

4And yee shall know that I haue sent this commaundement vnto you, that my couenant might be with Leui, saith the Lord of hostes.

5My couenant was with him of life and peace, and I gaue them to him, for the feare, wherewith he feared mee, and was afraid before my name.

6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquitie was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equitie, and did turne many away from iniquitie.

7For the priests lips should keepe knowledge, and they should seeke the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes.

8But yee are departed out of the way: ye haue caused many to stumble at the law: ye haue corrupted the couenant of Leui, saith the Lord of hostes.

9Therefore haue I also made you contemptible and base before al the people, according as yee haue not kept my wayes, but haue bin partiall in þe law.

10Haue we not all one father? hath not one God created vs? Why doe we deale treacherously euery man against his brother, by prophaning the couenant of our fathers?

11 Iudah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Ierusalem: for Iudah hath prophaned the holinesse of the Lord which he loued, and hath maried the daughter of a strange God.

12The Lord will cut off the man that doth this: the Master and the scholler out of the tabernacles of Iacob, and him that offereth an offring vnto the Lord of hostes.

13And this haue yee done againe, couering the Altar of the Lord with teares, with weeping and with crying out, in so much that hee regardeth not the offering any more, or receiueth it with good will at your hand.

14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath bene witnes betweene thee and the wife of thy youth, against whome thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy couenant.

15And did not he make one? yet had he the residue of the spirit: and wherefore one? that hee might seeke a godly seed: therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deale treacherously against the wife of his youth.

16For the Lord the God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away: for one couereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts, therfore take heed to your spirit, that ye deale not treacherously.

17 Ye haue wearied the Lord with your words: yet ye say, Wherein haue we wearied him? when ye say, Euery one that doeth euill, is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of iudgement?

II == Lev 26:14 ; Deut 28:15

 

 

 

 

III == 1st Kings 14:10

 

 

 

V == Num 25:12 ; Deut 33:8-9 ; Ezek 34:25 ; 37:26

VI == Deut 33:10 ; Jer 23:22 ; James 5:20

 

 

VII == Lev 10:11 ; Deut 17:9-10 ; 24:8 ; Hag 2:11-12 ; Gal 4:14

 

VIII == 1st Sam 2:17 ; Neh 13:29 ; Jer 18:15

 

IX == 1st Sam 2:30

 

X == Job 31:15 ; 1st Cor 8:6 ; Eph 4:6

 

 

XI == Ezra 9:1 ; 10:2 ; Neh 13:23

 

 

 

XII == Neh 13:28-29

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Prov 2:17 ; 5:18

 

 

 

XV == Ezra 9:2 ; Matt 19:4-5 ; 1st Cor 7:14

 

 

XVI == Deut 24:1 ; Matt 5:32 ; 19:8

 

 

XVII == Isa 43:24 ; Amos 2:13 ; Mal 3:13-15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen,

2 And if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. Yes, I have already cursed it, because you do not lay it to heart.

3 Lo, I will deprive you of the shoulder and I will strew dung in your faces, The dung of your feasts, and you will be carried off with it.

4 Then you will know that I sent you this commandment because I have a covenant with Levi, says the LORD of hosts.

5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace; fear I put in him, and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name.

6 True doctrine was in his mouth, and no dishonesty was found upon his lips; He walked with me in integrity and in uprightness, and turned many away from evil.

7 For the lips of the priest are to keep knowledge, and instruction is to be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; You have made void the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts.

9 I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, Since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions.

10 Have we not all the one Father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with each other, violating the covenant of our fathers?

11 Judah has broken faith; an abominable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. Judah has profaned the temple which the LORD loves, and has married an idolatrous woman.

12 May the LORD cut off from the man who does this both witness and advocate out of the tents of Jacob, and anyone to offer sacrifice to the LORD of hosts!

13 This also you do: the altar of the LORD you cover with tears, weeping and groaning, Because he no longer regards your sacrifice nor accepts it favorably from your hand;

14 And you say, "Why is it?" -  Because the LORD is witness between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have broken faith though she is your companion, your betrothed wife.

15 Did he not make one being, with flesh and spirit: and what does that one require but godly offspring? You must then safeguard life that is your own, and not break faith with the wife of your youth.

16 For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel, And covering one's garment with injustice, says the LORD of hosts; You must then safeguard life that is your own, and not break faith.

17 You have wearied the LORD with your words, yet you say, "How have we wearied him?" By your saying, "Every evildoer is good in the sight of the LORD, And he is pleased with him"; or else, "Where is the just God?"

v 1,2. Malachi speaks directly to the priests that if they don’t heed and honor God, they will receive a curse instead of the blessing on themselves and the people.

 

v 3,4. Continued disobedience would cause the priesthood to be taken from the descendants of Levi. Instead of the maw, or stomach, which the priests was for the priests, they would get the dung from it, and they would be as unclean as the offerings. The Lord is giving them this warning so that His covenant might continue with Levi.

v 5,6. God made a covenant of peace with Phinehas, Num. 25: 10-13, after he smote the adulterer and Midianite woman in the tent and further punishment. In doing so he turned many from sin. He revered God and was true and upright.  

 

v 7-9. The man whose name is “The Messenger” gives a rebuke to the priests who were supposed to be the messengers of God. They had caused many to stumble by not requiring perfect sacrifices. Therefore they will be despised and humiliated.

 

 

v 10. Now Malachi asks three questions.
1. Have we not one father? God.
2. Has not God created us? A distinct people.
3. Why do we deal treacherously? By being unfaithful to the covenant of the Lord with us. Disobedience.

v 11. The abominable thing was marrying pagan women who worshiped false gods, and tempted them to. Intermarriage was a real problem after the exile, and rebuked by Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra 9:1,2, 10-12; Neh. 13:23-27. 

v 12,13. Those repeating that would be cut off by death or lack of posterity, even offerings and many tears won’t take away the penalty of what they have done. This was for both priests and others. Nehemiah drove away one priest who intermarried.

v 14. Yet they asked 
[4]why (won’t you accept our offerings)? Now it comes out that some had divorced their Jewish wives, the wives of their marriage covenant, to marry the heathen women. (Adultery)

v 15. God had made them one, Gen. 2:24. (This may have a secondary meaning that Israel was now one nation and should not break faith with God.)

v 16. God does not have a comparative, but real hatred of divorce. Spreading the skirt symbolizes marriage, but God describes violation of the marriage as a covering of violence. God allowed Moses to make concession to protect the wife if divorce should occur, but Jesus emphasized it was not God’s plan, Matt. 5:31,32; 19:1-12 etc. It is the covenant that makes the marriage, not the sexual act of adultery. They were to take heed not to break the marriage agreement or relationship to God.

v 17. God does not change or grow weary, Isa. 40:28, but now he is wearied with the faithless words of the people, as with the sins in Isa. 43:24. Amazingly, the people say,
[5] how have we wearied thee? They claimed God looked with favor on those doing evil. This is like the familiar,”Why do the wicked prosper?” This was voiced by Job 21:7-26 and 24:1-17; Psalms 73:16-20; Ecl. 8:14; Jeremiah 12:7-17 and Habakkuk 1. There is the problem that the righteous suffer with the wicked and the wicked are blessed by the same rain as the righteous. The answer is not in the immediate, but in the ultimate. However, these people were Hypocritical, they were the ones who were to blame, and were wrong to ask [6] where is the God of justice?