And now, O ye priests ,.... That despised and profaned the name of the Lord; that suffered such corrupt and illegal sacrifices to be brought and offered up: this commandment is for you : of giving glory to the name of God; of taking care of his worship; of teaching the people knowledge, and directing them in the way in which they should walk; as follows: read more
If ye will not hear ,.... The commandment enjoined them; or the Gospel preached to them by Christ, and his apostles: and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts ; which they had despised and profaned before; if they did not take care of his worship and service, and honour the Messiah sent unto them, in whom the name of the Lord was: I will even send a curse upon you ; both upon priests and people; those that bring the bad offerings, and... read more
Behold, I will corrupt your seed ,.... Or, "the seed for you" F18 לכם "propter vos", Munster, Drusius. ; that is, for your sake, as Kimchi and Ben Melech explain it; meaning the seed they cast into the earth, which the Lord threatens to corrupt and destroy; so that it should not spring up again, and bring forth any increase: or, "rebuke" F19 גער "increpabo", Tigurine version; "increpo", Drusius, Cocceius; "increpans", Burkius. it, as the word sometimes signifies; and so the... read more
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you ,.... See Gill on Malachi 2:1 , that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts ; not that the ceremonial law might be confirmed and established, on which the Levitical priesthood was founded; for it was the will of God that that should be abolished, because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it; but that the covenant of grace made with Christ, the antitype of Levi, with whom the true Urim and Thummim are, ... read more
My covenant was with him of life and peace ,.... Not with Aaron, nor with Phinehas; nor is it to be understood of a covenant, promising temporal life and outward prosperity to either of them; Aaron living a hundred and twenty three years, Numbers 33:39 and Phinehas, according to some Jewish writers, above three hundred years, which they gather from Judges 20:28 but of the covenant made with Christ from everlasting, called "a covenant of life", because it was made with Christ the Word of... read more
The law of truth was in his mouth ,.... The Gospel, the word and doctrine of truth; which comes from the God of truth; is concerning Christ the truth and men are guided into it by the Spirit of truth; it contains most glorious truths, and nothing but truth: and this was in the mouth of Christ, being put there by his Father, who gave him what he should say, and what he should speak; and which was preached by him in the most faithful manner, and so as it never was by any other, for which he... read more
If ye will not hear - What I have spoken, lay it to heart, and let it sink down into your souls. Give glory unto my name - That honor that is due to me as a Father, and that fear that belongs to me as a Master, Malachi 1:6 . I will even send a curse upon you - I will dispense no more good. I will curse your blessings - Even that which ye have already shall not profit you. When temporal blessings are not the means of leading us to God and heaven, they will infallibly lead us to... read more
Behold, I will corrupt your seed - So as to render it unfruitful. Newcome translates, - "I will take away from you the shoulder." This was the part that belonged to the priest, Leviticus 7:32 ; Deuteronomy 18:3 . Spread dung upon your faces - Instead of receiving a sacrifice at your hands, I will throw your offerings back into your faces. Here God shows his contempt for them and their offerings. read more
This commandment - That in the first verse; to drive such priests from his presence and his service. That my covenant might be with Levi - I gave the priesthood and the service of my altar to that tribe. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Malachi 2:1-9
What was said in the foregoing chapter was directed to the priests (Mal. 1:6): Thus saith the Lord of hosts to you, O priests! that despise my name. But the crimes there charged upon them they were guilty of as sacrificers, and for those they might think it some excuse that they offered what the people brought, and therefore that, if they were not so good as they should be, it was not their fault, but the people?s; and therefore here the corruptions there complained of are traced to the source... read more