Malachi 2
2
1Now this command#2:1. “Command” in the sense of instructions to follow, a warning. is for you priests! 2If you will not listen and if you will not take it to heart to honor me, says the Lord Almighty, then I will place a curse on you and I will curse your blessings—in fact I have already cursed them because you haven't taken what I said to heart. 3Watch out! I am going to penalize#2:3. Or “rebuke.” your descendants. I will spread manure on your faces from the animals you sacrifice, the manure from your religious festivals, and you will be thrown out with it. 4Then you will know that I sent you this command so that my agreement with Levi#2:4. “Levi”: this refers not only to Levi, but to his descendants as priests. can continue, says the Lord Almighty. 5My agreement with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him, and respect—he respected me. He stood in awe of me. 6He taught the people the truth; nothing in his teaching was false. He walked with me in peace and did what was right, and he helped many to turn away from sin. 7A priest should explain the truth about God,#2:7. “A priest should explain the truth about God”: literally, “A priest should guard knowledge.” they should go to him to be taught, for he is the Lord Almighty's messenger.
8But you have turned from my way. You have made many people to fall into sin. By your teaching you have broken the agreement with Levi, says the Lord Almighty. 9So I have destroyed any respect you had, and humiliated you before all the people. For you have not kept my ways, and have shown favoritism in what you teach.#2:9. Or “You have not brought blessings to people through your teaching.”
10Don't we all have one Father? Didn't one God create us? So why are we unfaithful to each other, violating the agreement made by our forefathers? 11The people of Judah have been unfaithful and have committed a disgusting sin#2:11. “A disgusting sin”: or “an abominable thing.” in Israel and Jerusalem. For the men of Judah have defiled the Lord's Temple#2:11. “Temple”: literally, “holiness.” (which he loves) by marrying women who worship idols. 12May the Lord expel the family of any man who does this from the nation of Israel! May there be no one left to bring an offering to the Lord Almighty!#2:12. There is much debate over the meaning of the Hebrew text here.
13Something else you do is to pour out your tears on the Lord's altar weeping and moaning because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or doesn't want to accept them.
14“Why not?” you ask. Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife exchanged when you were young.#2:14. Some believe that these priests not only divorced their wives but then married foreign women. You were unfaithful to her, your wife and partner joined to you by marriage contract.
15Did he not make you one, and give some of his Spirit to you? And what does he want? Children of God.#2:15. This is one of the most obscure verses in the Old Testament, and consequently there are many very different interpretations. Some take this line to refer to the man and wife become one flesh, as noted in Genesis. Others see the “not one” as the subject of the sentence and so another possible translation would be something like: “No one would have acted like that if he had a remnant of the spirit.” Some have seen the “one” as referring to Abraham as the father of Israel, and the fact that he divorced Hagar may have cited as a precedent by some for their divorces. The response then would be that Abraham was protecting the “children of God” through Isaac. Whatever the case, it seems best to leave some of the ambiguity present, though in the context of discussing marriage relationships it would seem that the original design for marriage in Eden would be a relevant aspect for Malachi to mention. So watch what you do, and don't be unfaithful to the wife you married when you were young. 16For I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel, for it's a violent attack on the wife,#2:16. “A violent attack on the wife”: literally, “covers his garment with violence.” says the Lord Almighty. So watch what you do, and don't be unfaithful.
17You have worn the Lord out with your words.#2:17. This may be a reference to mindless repetitions of prayers.
“How have we worn him out?” you ask.
By saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he is happy with them, or by asking, where is the Lord's justice?
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Malachi 2
2
The Priests Do Not Teach the LORD’s Word Correctly
1“And now, you priests, this warning is for you. 2If you won’t listen and if you won’t consider giving honor to my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “then I’ll send a curse on you, and I’ll curse the blessings you give. Yes, I’ve already cursed them because you don’t carefully consider this.
3“I’m going to punish your descendants. I’m going to spread excrement on your faces, the excrement from your festival sacrifices. You will be discarded with it. 4Then you will know that I sent you this warning so that my promise #2:4 Or “covenant.” to Levi will continue,” says the Lord of Armies. 5“I promised Levi life and peace. I gave them to him so that he would respect me. He respected me and stood in awe of my name. 6The teaching that came from his mouth was true. Nothing unjust was found on his lips. He lived with me in peace and honesty and turned many people away from sin.
7“A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.
8“But you have turned from the ⌞correct⌟ path and caused many to stumble over my teachings. You have corrupted the promise made to Levi,” says the Lord of Armies. 9“So I have made you disgusting, and I have humiliated you in front of all the people, because you have not followed my ways. You have been unfair when ⌞applying⌟ my teachings.”
The People Break Their Marriage Vows
10Don’t all of us have the same father? Hasn’t the same God created us? Why are we unfaithful to each other? And why do we dishonor the promise given to our ancestors? 11Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the Lord loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god. 12May the Lord exclude anyone who does this, whoever he may be. May he exclude them from Jacob’s tents and from bringing offerings to the Lord of Armies.
13Here is another thing you do: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears. You moan and groan because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them from you.
14But you ask, “Why ⌞aren’t our offerings accepted⌟?” It is because the Lord is a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been unfaithful. Yet, she is your companion, the wife of your marriage vows. 15Didn’t ⌞God⌟ make you one? Your flesh and spirit belong to him. And what does the same ⌞God⌟ look for but godly descendants? So be careful not to be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. “I hate the person who covers himself with violence,” says the Lord of Armies. “Be careful not to be unfaithful.”
17You have tried the patience of the Lord with your words.
But you ask, “How have we tried his patience?”
When you say, “Everyone who does evil is considered good by the Lord. He is pleased with them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”
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