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Malachi Chapter
Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI 2
This
chapter contains a reproof both of priests and people for their sins. It begins
with the priests
Malachi 2:1 and
threatens
in case they attend not to glorify the name of the Lord
they and
their blessings should be cursed
their seed corrupted
dung spread upon them
and they took away with it
Malachi 2:2 and the
end of this commandment being sent them
of giving glory to the name of God
was that the covenant might appear to be with Levi
or him that was typified by
him
Malachi 2:4 of
which covenant some account is given
with the reason why the blessings of it
were given to him
with whom it was
Malachi 2:5 who is
described by the true doctrine he preached; by the purity of his lips; by the
peaceableness and righteousness of his walk and conversation; and by his
usefulness and success in turning many from sin
Malachi 2:6 and it
being part of the priest's office to preserve true knowledge
and communicate
it
it is the duty of the people to seek to him for it; since he is the
messenger of the Lord
Malachi 2:7 but as
for the priests of those times the prophet respects
they were apostates from
the way of the Lord; made others to stumble at the law
and corrupted the
covenant; and therefore became contemptible
base
and mean
in the sight of
the people
Malachi 2:8 who are
next reproved for their marrying with those of other nations
idolatrous persons;
and using polygamy and divorces
which were a profanation of the covenant of
their fathers; a piece of perfidy and treachery among themselves; an
abomination to the Lord; a profanation of his holiness; and led to idolatry
Malachi 2:10
wherefore they are threatened to be cut off from the tabernacles of Jacob
and
their sacrifices to be rejected; insomuch that the altar is represented as
covered with weeping and tears
because disregarded
Malachi 2:12. The
reason of which was
because marrying more wives than one
and these strange
women
was dealing treacherously with their lawful wives; was contrary to the
first creation of man
and the end of it; and therefore such practices ought to
be avoided; and the rather
since putting away was hateful to the Lord
Malachi 2:14 and
the chapter is concluded with a charge against them
that they wearied the Lord
with their wicked words; affirming that the Lord took delight in the men that
did evil; and that there were no judgment
truth
nor righteousness
in him
Malachi 2:17.
Malachi 2:1 “And now
O
priests
this commandment is for you.
YLT
1And now
to you [is] this
charge
O priests
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:
Malachi 2:2 2 If
you will not hear
And if you will not take it to heart
To give glory
to My name
” Says the Lord of hosts
“I will send a curse
upon you
And I will curse your blessings. Yes
I have cursed them already
Because
you do not take it to heart.
YLT
2If ye hearken not
and if
ye lay [it] not to heart
To give honour to My name
said Jehovah of Hosts
I
have sent against you the curse
And I have cursed your blessings
Yea
I have
also cursed it
Because ye are not laying [it] to heart.
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 those that receive them
as
Kimchi; though Abarbinel restrains it to the priests:
and I will curse your blessings
either with which the
priests blessed the people; or with which both they and the people were
blessed; namely
their temporal blessings
such as their corn
and wine
and
oil: and what wicked men have of this world
they have it with a curse
and not
a blessing
as the righteous have; and therefore a little which they have
is
better than much enjoyed by the wicked
Psalm 37:16
yea
I have cursed them already; that is
from the time
they began to despise his name
and not give him the glory due unto him
as
Kimchi and Abarbinel explain it:
because ye do not lay it to heart; to glorify
God.
Malachi 2:3 3 “Behold
I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces
The refuse of
your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it.
YLT
3Lo
I am pushing away
before you the seed
And have scattered dung before your faces
Dung of your
festivals
And it hath taken you away with it.
Behold
I will corrupt your seed
.... Or
"the seed
for you"F18לכם "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"F19גער
"increpabo"
Tigurine version; "increpo"
Drusius
Cocceius; "increpans"
Burkius. it
as the word sometimes signifies;
and so the Targum
"behold
I will rebuke you in the increase
the fruit (son) of the seed.'
The
sense is the same; corrupting the seed being a rebuke to them; and rebuking the
seed being a corruption of that
or hindering it from growing up. It is a
threatening of a sore famine that should be in the Jewish nation; and which
Cocceius thinks was that which happened in the days of Claudius Caesar
Acts 11:28. The
Septuagint version renders it
"behold
I separate to you the
shoulder"; the Arabic version
"the right hand"
or arm; and the
Vulgate Latin is
"behold
I will cast forth to you the arm"; the
right shoulder of the sacrifice
which was given to the priests
and here
threatened to be cast to them with indignation
Leviticus 7:32 but
the former sense is best:
and spread dung upon your faces
even the dung of your
solemn feasts; that is
the dung of their beasts which were slain for sacrifice
at their solemn feasts: so this word חג is used for a
beast offered for sacrifice at a festival
Psalm 118:27. The
sense is
that their sacrifices and solemn feasts were so far from being
acceptable to God
that he would reject both them and their persons
and would
cast the very dung of the creatures brought for sacrifice into their faces
and
spread it over them: a phrase expressive of the utmost contempt of them
and of
exposing them to the greatest shame and confusion for their sins. So the
Targum
"I
will make manifest the shame of your sins upon your faces; and will cause to
cease the magnificence of your feasts.'
The
Septuagint render it
the ventricle
or "maw"; which was given to the
priests
Deuteronomy 18:3
and in which the dung was contained:
and one shall take you away with it; with the dung
spread upon them; they looking like a heap of dung
being covered with it
and
had in no more account than that: or "to it"F20אליו
εις το αυτο
Sept.; "ad istud"
so some in Vatablus
De Dieu. ; that is
as Jarchi
explains it
to the dung of the beasts of your sacrifices they shall carry you;
or you shall be carried to it
that ye may be rejected and despised as that.
Kimchi's note is
"the
iniquity (you are guilty of) shall carry you to this contempt; measure for
measure; you have despised me
and ye shall be despised:'
or
"with him"
or "to himself"F21"Ad se"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Tigurine version: Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
Calvin
Burkius. ; meaning he
or it that shall take them
away; either the wind or dung; or the enemy
as Aben Ezra interprets it; by
whom the Romans may be designed
who took them away out of their own land
and
carried them captive. According to the Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions
this is to be understood of God
who render the words
"I will take you
together"
or "with it".
Malachi 2:4 4 Then
you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you
That My covenant with
Levi may continue
” Says the Lord of hosts.
YLT
4And ye have known that I
have sent unto you this charge
For My covenant being with Levi
Said Jehovah
of Hosts.
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
Deuteronomy 33:8
who has a more excellent ministry and priesthood than his
might take place
be
made manifest
and be exhibited under the Gospel dispensation; of which
and of
the person with whom it is
an account is given in the following verses.
Malachi 2:5 5 “My
covenant was with him
one of life and peace
And I gave them to him that
he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name.
YLT
5My covenant hath been with
him of life and of peace
And I make them to him a fear
and he doth fear Me
And because of My name he hath been affrighted.
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 life
who was with the
Father from all eternity
and in time was made manifest in the flesh; and was
made in behalf of persons ordained to eternal life
and in which that was
promised and given to them in him; and in which it was agreed that he should
become man
and lay down his life as such
that they might enjoy it: and it is
called a "covenant of peace"
because the scheme of peace and
reconciliation was drawn in it
and agreed unto; Christ was appointed in it to
be the Peacemaker; and in consequence of which he was sent to procure peace
and he has made it by the blood of his cross: and this covenant may be said to
have been and to be "with him"; because it was made with him from all
eternity
as the head and representative of his people
and he had all the
blessings and promises of it put into his hands; and it stands fast with him
and will do so for evermore.
And I gave them to him; namely
the blessings of
life and peace; eternal life is the gift of God; and not only the promise of
it
but that itself
was given to Christ in covenant for his people
and a
power to give it to as many as the Father gave to him
Psalm 21:4 2 Timothy 1:1 he
gave him also peace to make
put this work of peacemaking into his hand; and he
allows it to be made by him
and that it is rightly effected; and from his
blood and righteousness peace springs to his people; and they enjoy peace in
him and through him
yea
all prosperity and happiness:
for the fear wherewith he
feared me; because of his obedience to the precept and penalty of the law;
because of his righteousness
and sufferings
and death
by means of which life
and peace came to his people
and in which he showed great fear and reverence
of God
Hebrews 5:7 the
word "for" is not in the original text
and may be left out in a
version
or supplied with "and"; and the sense be
besides the
blessings of life and peace
I also gave him the fear with which he feared me;
which must be understood of the grace of fear bestowed on him as man: so the
Septuagint version
"I gave unto him in fear to fear me"; and the
Vulgate Latin version
"and I gave him fear
and he feared me": and
the Arabic version
"I gave him fear
that he might fear me": the
Targum is
"I
gave him the perfect doctrine of the law
or the doctrine of the perfect law
(see James 1:25) that he
might fear before me.'
And was afraid before my name; frightened
and put into
consternation
as he was when in the garden
and he began to be heavy and sore
amazed
Mark 14:33 or he
was broken and bruised
as Kimchi interprets the word here used
because of the
name of the Lord
to satisfy his justice
fulfil his law
and glorify all his
perfections.
Malachi 2:6 6 The
law of truth[a] was in his
mouth
And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and
equity
And turned many away from iniquity.
YLT
6The law of truth hath been
in his mouth
And perverseness hath not been found in his lips
In peace and in
uprightness he walked with Me
And many he brought back from iniquity.
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 was abundantly qualified:
and iniquity was not found in his lips; there was
none in his nature; nor in his heart; nor in his life; nor in his lips; none
could be found there by men nor devils: there was no falsehood in his
doctrines; no deceit in his promises; no dissimulation in his expressions of
love to men; nothing vain
light
frothy
and unprofitable
dropped from him in
common conversation; no reviling in return to his enemies; nor any impatient
expressions or murmurings at the time of his sufferings and death
1 Peter 2:22
he walked with me in peace and equity: he walked
with God
he had communion with him; though he was sometimes left alone
he was
not alone
God was with him; he was conformable to his will
and walked
according to it
in obedience to his law
moral and ceremonial
and in the
discharge of all religious duties: he walked with God "in peace"
without quarrelling with any of his dispensations towards him; he did nothing
to break the peace that subsisted between them
but always did the things which
pleased his father
and had peace in what he did; and he walked with him in
"equity"
or righteousness
fulfilling his righteous law
and
bringing in an everlasting righteousness:
and did turn many away from iniquity; doctrinal and
practical; which is to be understood
not of a bare reformation only in
principle and practice
but of true real conversion; of which there were many
instances under the ministry of his forerunner John the Baptist
and under his
own ministry when in person on earth; and under the ministry of his apostles
attended with his Spirit and power
both in Judea
and in the Gentile world.
Malachi 2:7 7 “For
the lips of a priest should keep knowledge
And people should seek the
law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
YLT
7For the lips of a priest
preserve knowledge
And law they do seek from his mouth
For a messenger of
Jehovah of Hosts he [is].
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge
.... Or
"shall keep knowledge"
as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions;
or "do keep knowledge"
as the Arabic version; and so the Syriac
version
"for the lips of the priest drop knowledge"; all this is
true of Christ our great High Priest; for as it was predicted of him
that his
lips should keep knowledge
so they have kept it
and do keep it; not
concealing it
but preserving it
and communicating it freely and openly; as he
did to his disciples and followers when here on earth
and by them to others;
and still does by his Spirit
giving to men the knowledge of themselves and
state; the knowledge of himself
and the way of salvation by him
and of the
truths of the Gospel:
and they should seek the law at his mouth; not the law
of Moses
but the doctrine of grace
and any wholesome instruction and advice;
which he is greatly qualified to give
being the wonderful Counsellor: it may
be rendered
"they shall seek"
or "do seek"; and which has
been fulfilled
especially in the Gentiles
and in the isles that waited for
his law or doctrine
Isaiah 11:10
for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts; or
"angel"F23מלאך αγγελος
Sept;
"angelus"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Cocceius
Burkius. ; he is the Angel of God's presence
and of the covenant
Isaiah 63:9 Malachi 3:1 which
name he has from being sent
for he came not of himself
but his Father sent
him; he was sent as a priest to atone for the sins of his people
and to be
their Saviour; and as a prophet
to instruct and teach them; and therefore they
should seek to him for knowledge
and attend his word and ordinances
and
implore his spirit and grace.
Malachi 2:8 8 But
you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You
have corrupted the covenant of Levi
” Says the Lord of hosts.
YLT
8And ye
ye have turned from
the way
Ye have caused many to stumble in the law
Ye have corrupted the
covenant of Levi
Said Jehovah of Hosts.
But ye are departed out of the way
.... Of truth and
righteousness
of life and peace
of eternal salvation and happiness
pointed
to by Christ and his forerunner
and by his apostles and ministers that
followed him
and which was clearly showed in the preaching of the Gospel: this
was the character of the chief priests
Scribes
and Pharisees
in Christ's
time
to which the prophet seems to have respect; who not only failed in their
observance of legal sacrifices
complained of in the former chapter Malachi 1:1
but
left that way of atonement and salvation they directed to
and led others out
of the way with them:
ye have caused many to stumble at the law; at the
doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ; which was the
stumbling stone they fell at
seeking for righteousness
and directing others
to seek for it
not by faith
but as it were by the works of the law
Romans 9:32
ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi
saith the Lord of hosts: that which
was foreshadowed by the Levitical priesthood and covenant
namely
the covenant
of grace
dispensed under the Gospel dispensation by the ministry of the word
and ordinances; which they rejected
despised
and set at nought
and as much
as in them lay endeavoured to make void
by not attending to these things
nor
suffering others
but doing all they could to bring them into disuse
contempt
and disgrace.
Malachi 2:9 9 “Therefore
I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people
Because you
have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.”
YLT
9And I also
I have made you
despised and low before all the people
Because ye are not keeping My ways
And
are accepting persons in the law.
Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base
.... When
their city and temple were destroyed by the Romans
and they were carried
captive by them
and became a taunt and a proverb in all places where they
came:
before all the people; the nations of the
world
among whom they were scattered:
according as ye have not kept my ways; neither those
which the law directed to
either moral or ceremonial; nor what the Gospel
directed to
the ordinances and institutions of Christ
particularly baptism
which the Jews rejected against themselves
Luke 7:30
but have been partial in the law; in the observance of it
attending to the lesser
and taking no notice of the weightier matters of it
as the Jews are charged by Christ
Matthew 23:23 and
in the interpretation of it
restraining its sense only to outward actions
for
which they are reproved
Matthew 5:1 or
"received faces"
or "accepted persons in the law"F24ונושאים פנים בתורה
"et accepistis faciem in lege"
Pagninus; "assumentes
facies"
Montanus; "suscipitis faciem"
Piscator;
"accipitis faciem"
Cocceius; "et ferentes faciem in lege"
Burkius. ; in matters of the law they were concerned in
they had respect to
the persons of men
by giving the sense of it
and pronouncing judgment
in
favour of some
to the prejudice of others
wrongly.
Malachi 2:10 10 Have
we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously
with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
YLT
10Have we not all one father?
Hath not our God prepared us? Wherefore do we deal treacherously
Each against
his brother
To pollute the covenant of our fathers?
Have we not all one father?.... Whether this is
understood of Adam the first man
of whose blood all nations of the earth are
made
and who in the same sense is the father of all living
as Eve was the
mother of all living; or of Abraham the father of the Jewish people
of whom
as their father
they used to glory; or of Jacob
as Kimchi and Aben Ezra
interpret it
whom the Jews used to call our father Jacob; or of God
who is
the Father of all men by creation
and of the Jews by national adoption of
them; and who may the rather be thought to be meant
since it follows
hath not one God created us? either as men
or formed
us as a body politic; which may serve to explain what is meant by their having
one father: whichever is the sense of these words
the argument from hence is
strong; that there ought to be no partiality used in the law
or any respect
had to persons
in that the rich and the poor have all one Father and one
Creator; see James 2:1
why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother; by perverting
justice
having respect to persons
favouring one to the prejudice of another
as it follows:
by profaning the covenant of your fathers? the covenant
made with them at Sinai
as Jarchi explains it; the law that was then enjoined
them
particularly such as forbid respect of persons
Leviticus 19:15
some think
as Aben Ezra
that a new section here begins
and that the prophet
proceeds to a new reproof
and for another sin these people were guilty of
in
marrying wives of another nation
contrary to the law in Exodus 34:15 which
was dealing treacherously with one another
and profaning the covenant of their
fathers.
Malachi 2:11 11 Judah
has dealt treacherously
And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in
Jerusalem
For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution
which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
YLT
11Dealt treacherously hath
Judah
And abomination hath been done in Israel
and in Jerusalem
For polluted
hath Judah the holy thing of Jehovah
That He hath loved
and hath married the
daughter of a strange god.
Judah hath dealt treacherously
.... Not only every man
against his brother
by being partial in the law; or against the women of their
nation
by marrying others; or against their wives
by putting them away; but
against Christ the Son of God by betraying and delivering him up into the hands
of the Gentiles
to be mocked
and scourged
and crucified:
and an abomination is committed in Israel
and in Jerusalem; which was the
taking of the true Messiah with wicked hands
condemning him and putting him to
death
even the shameful and accursed death of the cross; which was done in the
land of Israel
and in and near the city of Jerusalem:
for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord
which he loved; Christ
who is
the Lord's Holy One
holiness itself
the most holy
and holiness to the Lord
for his people; and who is his dear Son
the Son of his love
whom he loved
from everlasting
continued to love in time amidst all his meanness
sorrows
and sufferings
and will love for evermore; him the Jews profaned by
blaspheming him
falsely accusing him
and condemning him; by spitting upon
him
buffeting
scourging
and crucifying him: some interpret this
"holiness" of the soul of Judah
which was holy before the Lord
and
loved
as the Targum; so Jarchi of Judah himself
or Israel
who was holiness
to the Lord; and others of the holy place
the sanctuary
and all holy things
belonging thereto; and others of the holy state of marriage
since it follows:
and hath married the daughter of a strange god; which the
Targum paraphrases thus
"and
they were pleased to take to them wives
the daughters of the people;'
the
Gentiles
such as Moabites
Ammonites
and the like: and this sense is followed
by most interpreters
though the phrase seems rather to be expressive of
idolatry; and so the Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions interpret it of
their being intent upon
and serving
strange gods; and as the Jews rejected
the Son of God
and his word
ordinances
and worship
they had not the true
God
nor did they worship him
but became guilty of idolatry; and besides
as
they rejected the King Messiah from being their King
so they declared they had
no king but Caesar
an idolatrous emperor
and joined with the idolatrous Gentiles
in putting Christ to death
John 19:12.
Malachi 2:12 12 May
the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this
being awake
and aware
[b] Yet who
brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
YLT
12Cut off doth Jehovah the
man who doth it
Tempter and tempted -- from the tents of Jacob
Even he who is
bringing nigh a present to Jehovah of Hosts.
The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this
.... That is
guilty of such treachery
wickedness
and idolatry: or "to the man that
doeth this"F25לאיש "viro"
Drusius
Cocceius
Burkius
De Dieu; "filius et qui fecerit istud"
Piscator. ; all that belong to him
his children and substance: it denotes the
utter destruction
not of a single man and his family only
but of the whole
Jewish nation and its polity
civil and ecclesiastical
as follows:
the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob; the Targum
paraphrases it
"the
son
and son's son
out of the cities of Jacob;'
agreeable
to which is Kimchi's note
"it
is as if it was said
there shall not be left in his house one alive; that
there shall not be in his house one that answers him
that calls by name.'
In
the Hebrew text it is
"him that is awake
and him that answers"F26ער וענה "vigilantem et
respondentem"
Montanus
Vatablus
Drusius
Grotius; "vigilantem et
responsantem"
Junius & Tremellius; "vigilem et
respondentem"
Burkius. ; which the TalmudistsF1T. Bab.
Sanhedrin
fol. 82. 1. explain
the former of the wise men or masters
and the
latter of the disciples of the wise men; to which sense our version agrees: but
by "him that waketh or watcheth"
according to Cocceius
is meant the
civil magistrate
who watches for the good of the commonwealth
and so may
design the elders and rulers of the people; and by him that
"answereth"
the prophet
who returns answers when he is consulted in
things belonging to the law of God
and such were the scribes and lawyers.
And him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts; the priests
that offered sacrifice for the people; so that hereby is threatened an entire
destruction
both of the civil and ecclesiastical polity of the Jews
that
there should be no prince
prophet
and priest among them; all should be
removed out of the tents of Jacob
or cities of Israel; see Hosea 3:4.
Malachi 2:13 13 And
this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears
With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the
offering anymore
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
YLT
13And this a second time ye
do
Covering with tears the altar of Jehovah
With weeping and groaning
Because there is no more turning unto the present
Or receiving of a pleasing
thing from your hand.
And this have ye done again
.... Or "in the
second"F2שנית "secundo"
Pagninus
Vatablus
Calvin
Cocceius
Burkius. place; to their rejection and
ill treatment of Christ they added their hypocritical prayers and tears
as
follows:
covering the altar of the Lord with tears and weeping
and with
crying out; for the Messiah they vainly expect
pretending great humiliation
for their sins: though some
as Kimchi and Aben Ezra
make the first evil to be
their offering illegal sacrifices on the altar
complained of in the former
chapter Malachi 1:1; and
this second
their marrying strange wives
on account of which their lawful
wives came into the house of God
and wept over the altar before the Lord
complaining of the injury that was done them:
insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more
or receiveth
it with good will at your hand; which expresses an utter rejection and
abrogation of legal sacrifices; and which some make to be the reason of their
covering the altar with tears and weeping: or the altar is represented as
weeping
because sacrifice is no more offered upon it; see Daniel 9:27.
Malachi 2:14 14 Yet
you say
“For what reason?” Because the Lord has been
witness Between you and the wife of your youth
With whom you have dealt
treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
YLT
14And ye have said
`Wherefore?' Because Jehovah hath testified between thee And the wife of thy
youth
That thou hast dealt treacherously against her
And she thy companion
and thy covenant-wife.
Yet ye say
Wherefore?.... What is the meaning
of the women covering the altar with tears? as if they knew not what was the
reason of it
when they were so notoriously guilty of breach of covenant with
them; which is an instance of their impudence
as Abarbinel observes: or
"if ye say
wherefore?" as the Targum and Kimchi interpret the words;
should you say
what is the reason why the Lord will not regard nor receive our
offerings? the answer is ready
Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of
thy youth: when espoused together in their youthful days
the Lord was
present at that solemn contract
and saw the obligations they were laid under
to each other
and he was called upon by both parties to be a witness of the
same; and at the present time he was a witness how agreeably the wives of the
Israelites had behaved towards their husbands
and how treacherously they had
acted towards them; he saw and knew
that
whatever pretensions they made
they
did not love them
nor behave as they should towards them; and therefore had
just cause of complaint against them
and must be a witness for the one
and
against the other: this sin of hating and divorcing their wives
or of marrying
others besides them
which prevailed much in our Lord's time
is particularly
mentioned
though they were guilty of many other sins
as a reason of the
Lord's not accepting their offerings: the aggravations of it are
that they had
broken a contract God was witness to
and dealt injuriously with wives they had
espoused in the days of their youth; see Proverbs 2:17
against whom thou hast dealt treacherously; by divorce or
polygamy: the Vulgate Latin version renders it
"whom thou hast
despised": and the Septuagint and Arabic versions
"whom thou hast
left"; divorced and took others
which arose from hatred and contempt of
their former: other aggravations follow:
yet is she thy companion; or
"and she
is"
or "though she is thy companion"F3והיא חברתך "et ipsa est
socia tua"
Montanus
Drusius
Burkius; "quum sit socia tua"
Pagninus
Munster
Tigurine version
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius. : has been so in time past
and ought to be so still
and so
accounted: the wife is a part of a man's self
is one flesh with him; a
partaker of what he has; a partner with him in prosperity and adversity; a
companion in life
civil and religious
and ought to remain so till death part
them; for
whom God has put together
let no man put asunder:
and the wife of thy covenant; wherefore either to
divorce her
or marry another
was a breach of covenant; for by
"covenant" is not meant the covenant of God made with the people of
Israel
in which they both were; but the covenant of marriage made between
them
and which was broken by such practices.
Malachi 2:15 15 But
did He not make them one
Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He
seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit
And let none deal
treacherously with the wife of his youth.
YLT
15And He did not make one
[only]
And He hath the remnant of the Spirit. And what [is] the one [alone]!
He is seeking a godly seed. And ye have been watchful over your spirit
And
with the wife of thy youth
None doth deal treacherously.
And did not he make one?.... That is
did not God make one man
and out of his rib one woman? did he not make man
male and female? did he not make one pair
one couple
only Adam and Eve
whom
he joined together in marriage? or rather
did he not make one woman only
and
brought her to Adam to be his wife? which shows that his intention and will
were
that one man should have but one wife at a time; the contrary to which
was the then present practice of the Jews:
Yet had he the residue of the spirit; it was not
for want of power that he made but one woman of Adam's rib
and breathed into
her the breath of life
or infused into her a human soul or spirit; he could
have made many women at the same time; and as the Father of spirits
having the
residue of them with him
or a power left to make as many as he pleased
he
could have imparted spirits unto them
and given Adam more wives than one:
And wherefore one? what is the reason why he made but one
woman
when he could have made ten thousand
or as many as he pleased? the
answer is
That he might seek a godly seed; or "a seed of
God"F4זרע אלהים
"semen Dei"
Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Burkius. ; a noble excellent seed; a legitimate offspring
born in true and lawful wedlock; see 1 Corinthians 7:14
a seed suitable to the dignity of human nature
made after the image of God
and not like that of brute beasts
promiscuous and uncertain:
Therefore take heed to your spirit; to your affections
that
they do not go after other women
and be led thereby to take them in marriage
and to despise and divorce the lawful wife
as it follows:
and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth; by marrying
another
or divorcing her: these words are differently rendered and interpreted
by some; but the sense given seems to be the true one
and most agreeable to
the scope of the place. Some render the first clause
"hath not one
made?"F5ולא אחד
עשה "nonue unus fecit?" V. L. Menochius
Tirinus. that is
did not the one God
who is the only living and true God
make one man or one woman? and then the sense is the same as before; or did not
that one God make
constitute
and appoint
that the woman should be the man's
companion
and the wife of his covenant
as in the latter part of the preceding
verse Malachi 2:13 ? or
"did not one do?"F6"Et ne unus fecit?" Pagninus
Montanus; "et unus ille (Abramus) ita egit?" Grotius; "annon
unus hoc fecit?" Tigurine version; so Joseph Kimchi. that is
so as we
have done
take another wife besides the wife of his youth? and so they are the
words of the people to the prophets
justifying their practice by example; by
the example of Abraham
whom some of the Jewish writers think is intended by
the "one"
as in Isaiah 51:2. The
Targum is
"was
not one Abraham alone
from whom the world was created?'
or
propagated. Kimchi gives it as his own sense
in these words;
"Abraham
who was one
and the father of all that follow him in his faith
did not do as
ye have done; for he did not follow his lust
nor even marry Sarah
but so that
he might cause the seed of God to remain;'
yet
he mentions it as his father's sense
that they are the words of the people to
the prophet
expressed in a way of interrogation
saying
did not our father
Abraham
who was one
do as we have done? who left his wife
and married Hagar
his maid
though he had the residue or excellency of the spirit
and was a
prophet; to whom the prophet replies
and what did that one seek? a godly seed;
which is
as if it was said
when he married Hagar
it was to seek a seed
because he had no seed of Sarah his wife. A seed was promised him
in which all
nations of the earth were to be blessed; he sought not to gratify his lust
but
to obtain this seed
the Messiah
to whom the promises were made
as the
apostle argues
Galatians 3:16
"he saith not
and to seeds as of many; but as of one
and to thy seed
which is Christ"; called here the "godly seed"
or the
"seed God"F7זרע אלהים "semen Deus"
Galatin. de Arcan. Cathol.
Ver. l. 8. c. 2. p. 550.
as some choose to render the words; that is
that
seed which is God
who is a divine Person
God and man in one person; or which
is of God
of his immediate production
without the help of a man; which the
Jews call the seed that comes from another place
and which they use as a
periphrasis of the Messiah. So on those words in Genesis 4:25
"she called his name Seth
for God hath appointed me another seed"
"says
R. Tanchuma
in the name of R. Samuel
she has respect to that seed which comes
from another place; and what is this? this is the King MessiahF8Bereshit
Rabba
sect. 23. fol. 20. 4. Midrash Ruth
fol. 36. 1. .'
And
the same Rabbi elsewhereF9Bereshit Rabba
sect. 51. fol. 46. 1.
Midrash Ruth
fol. 35. 4. observes
on those words in Genesis 19:32
"that we may preserve seed of our father"
"it
is not written
that we may preserve a son of our father
but that we may
preserve seed of our father; that seed which is he that comes from another place;
and what is this? this is the King Messiah.'
Now
as Abraham had the promise of a son
and his wife was barren
he took the
method he did that he might have one
the son of the promise
a type of the
Messiah
and from whom he should spring; and this is sufficient to justify him
in it: besides
he did not deal treacherously with Sarah his wife
for it was
with her good will and by her authority he did this thing; but do you take heed
to your spirit
that no one of you deal treacherously with the wife of his
youth
to leave her
and marry the daughter of a strange God: and much the same
sense Jarchi takes notice of as the Agadah
or the interpretation of their
ancient Rabbins. Some render the words
"and not one does this"; that
is
deals treacherously with the wife of his youth
that has the residue of the
spirit
or the least spark of the Spirit of God in him; and how should anyone
do it
seeking a godly seed? therefore take heed to your spirit
&c.; so De
Dieu. But according to others the sense is
"there
is not one of you that does according to the law
whose spirit remains with him
that is not mixed with the daughter of a strange god;'
which
is Aben Ezra's note. But according to Abarbinel the sense is
not one only has
done this
committed this evil
in marrying more and strange women; not some
only
and the rest have the spirit with them
and keep it pure from this sin;
so that a godly seed cannot be procreated from you; therefore take heed to your
spirit.
Malachi 2:16 16 “For
the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce
For it covers one’s
garment with violence
” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore
take heed to your spirit
That you do not deal treacherously.”
YLT
16For [I] hate sending away
said Jehovah
God of Israel
And He [who] hath covered violence with his
clothing
said Jehovah of Hosts
And ye have been watchful over your spirit
And ye do not deal treacherously.
For the Lord the God of
Israel saith
that he hateth putting away
.... The divorcing of
wives; for though this was suffered because of the hardness of their hearts
it
was not approved of by the Lord; nor was it from the beginning; and it was
disagreeable
and even hateful to him
Matthew 19:8 in the
margin of some Bibles the words are rendered
"if he hate her
put her
away"; and so the Targum
"but
if thou hatest her
put her away;'
to
which agree the Vulgate Latin
Septuagint
and Arabic versions; and this sense
made mention of in both Talmuds
and is thought to be agreeable to the law in Deuteronomy 24:3
though the law there speaks of a fact that might be
and not of what ought to
be; wherefore the former sense is best; and this other seems to have been at
first calculated to favour the practice of the Jews
who put away their wives
through hatred to them. The Jews were very much inclined to divorce their wives
upon very trivial occasions; if they did not dress their food well
were not of
good behaviour
or not so modest as became the daughters of Israel; if they did
not find favour with their husbands; and
especially
if they had entertained a
hatred of them: so says R. JudahF11T. Bab. Gittin
fol. 90. 2.
"if
he hate her
let him put her away:'
but
this is by some of them restrained to a second wife; for of the first they say
"it
is not proper to be hasty to put away a first wife; but a second
if he hates
her
let him put her awayF12Maimon. Hilchot Gerushin
c. 10
21
22.
'
and
R. Eleazer saysF13T. Bab. Gittin
ib.
whoever divorces his first
wife
even the altar sheds tears for him
referring to the words in Malachi 2:13 and
divorces of this kind they only reckon lawful among the Israelites
and found
it upon this passage; for so they make God to speak after this mannerF14T.
Hieros. Kiddushin
c. 1. fol. 58. 3.
"in
Israel I have granted divorces; among the nations of the world I have not
granted divorces. R. Chananiah
in the name of R. Phinehas
observes
that in
every other section it is written
"the Lord of hosts"; but here it
is written
"the God of Israel"
to teach thee that the holy blessed
God does not put his name to divorces (or allow them) but in Israel only. R.
Chayah Rabba says
the Gentiles have no divorces.'
But
some of them have better understanding of these words
and more truly give the
sense of them thus
as R. Jochanan does
who interprets them
"the
putting away of the wife is hatefulF15T. Bab. Gittin
ut supra. ;'
it
is so to God
and ought not to be done by men but in case of adultery
as our
Lord has taught
Matthew 5:32 and
which was the doctrine of the school of Shammai in Christ's time
who taught
"that
no man should divorce his wife
unless he found in her filthiness;'
i.e.
that she was guilty of adultery; though this Maimonides restrains to the first
wife
as before: but the house of Hillell
who lived in the same time
was of a
different mind
and taught that
"if
she burnt his food;'
either
over dressed or over salted it
according to Deuteronomy 24:1.
R. Akiba says
if he found another more beautiful than her
according to Deuteronomy 24:1
he might divorce herF16Misn. Gittin
c. 9. sect. 10. ; of the form
of a divorce; see Gill on Matthew 5:31. Those
interpreters among Christians that go this way do not look upon this as an
approbation of divorce
on account of hatred; but that so to do is better than
to retain them with hatred of them
seeing it was connived at
or than to take
other wives with them.
For one covereth violence with his garment
or "on
his garment"
saith the Lord of hosts; as he that puts away his
wife does her an open injury
which though he may cover
pretending the law
which connives at divorces; yet the violence done to his wife is as manifest as
the garment upon his back: though those who think the former words are an
instruction to put away wives
when hated
consider this as a reason why they
should do so; because
by retaining them
and yet hating them
and taking other
wives to them
is doing them a real injury
whatever cover or pretence may be
used; because
if dismissed
they might be loved by
and married to
other men.
Aben Ezra seems to have hit the sense of these words
when he makes this to be
the object of God's hatred
as well as the former; his note is
"the
Lord hateth him that putteth away his wife that is pure
and he hates him that
covereth; or God sees his violence which is done in secret.'
Mr.
Pocock proposes a conjecture
which is very ingenious and probable
that as the
words will bear the construction Aben Ezra gives
that God hates putting away
and hates that one should put violence upon or over his garment; by
"garment" he thinks may be meant a man's lawful wife
which is as a
garment to him; and by "violence" a second wife
or other wives
taken to the injury
hurt
and vexation of the former; and the covering
or
superinducing violence over the garment
is marrying an unlawful wife
over or
with
or above his lawful one: and the sense is
that as God hates divorce
so
he hates polygamy:
therefore take heed to your spirit
that you deal not
treacherously; See Gill on Malachi 2:15.
Malachi 2:17 17 You
have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say
“In
what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say
“Everyone who does evil Is
good in the sight of the Lord
And He delights in them
” Or
“Where is the God of justice?”
YLT
17Ye have wearied Jehovah
with your words
And ye have said: `In what have we wearied Him?' In your
saying: `Every evil-doer [is] good in the eyes of Jehovah
And in them He is
delighting
' Or
`Where [is] the God of judgment?'
Ye have wearied the Lord
with your words
.... As well as with their actions; see Isaiah 43:24 this
is said after the manner of men
they saying those things which were
displeasing and provoking to him
and which he could not bear to hear; or
otherwise weariness properly cannot be attributed to God:
Yet ye say
Wherein have we wearied him? as if they
were clear and innocent; or
as the Targum
"if ye should say";
though they might not express themselves in words in such an impudent manner;
yet should they say so in their hearts
or supposing they should utter such
words with their lips
out of the abundance of their evil hearts
the answer is
ready:
When ye say
Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight
of the Lord
and he delighteth in them; which they concluded
from the prosperity of the wicked
and the afflictions of the righteous; so
murmuring at
and complaining of
the providence of God; he acting as if he
delighted in wicked men
and as if they that did evil were the most grateful
and acceptable to him:
or
if this was not the case
Where is the God of judgment? why does he not arise
and show himself to be a God that judgeth the earth
by taking vengeance on the
wicked
and granting prosperity to his people? De Dieu takes these last words
to be the words of the prophet
and thinks that או is
a particle of exclamation
and should be rendered "O"; and that the
prophet expresses his wonder at the patience and longsuffering of God in
bearing such impiety and blasphemy as before delivered. The Septuagint and
Arabic versions are
"where is the God of righteousness?" either God
the Father
who is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in the fulfilment of
all his promises; or
Christ the Lord our righteousness
who was to come
and
is come into this world for judgment
as well as to bring in an everlasting
righteousness. This may be considered as a scoff of wicked men at the long
delay of the Messiah's coming
when they expected outward prosperity and
happiness; just as the scoffers in the last day will mock at the promise of his
second coming
2 Peter 3:3 and so
the words
with which the next chapter begins Malachi 3:1
are an
answer to these.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)