Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Malachi » Chapter 1 » Verse 8

Malachi 1:8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

8 And if ye offer H5066 the blind H5787 for sacrifice, H2076 is it not evil? H7451 and if ye offer H5066 the lame H6455 and sick, H2470 is it not evil? H7451 offer H7126 it now unto thy governor; H6346 will he be pleased H7521 with thee, or accept H5375 thy person? H6440 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635

Cross Reference

Deuteronomy 15:21 STRONG

And if there be any blemish H3971 therein, as if it be lame, H6455 or blind, H5787 or have any ill H7451 blemish, H3971 thou shalt not sacrifice H2076 it unto the LORD H3068 thy God. H430

Leviticus 22:19-25 STRONG

Ye shall offer at your own will H7522 a male H2145 without blemish, H8549 of the beeves, H1241 of the sheep, H3775 or of the goats. H5795 But whatsoever hath a blemish, H3971 that shall ye not offer: H7126 for it shall not be acceptable H7522 for you. And whosoever H376 offereth H7126 a sacrifice H2077 of peace offerings H8002 unto the LORD H3068 to accomplish H6381 his vow, H5088 or a freewill offering H5071 in beeves H1241 or sheep, H6629 it shall be perfect H8549 to be accepted; H7522 there shall be no blemish H3971 therein. Blind, H5788 or broken, H7665 or maimed, H2782 or having a wen, H2990 or scurvy, H1618 or scabbed, H3217 ye shall not offer H7126 these unto the LORD, H3068 nor make H5414 an offering by fire H801 of them upon the altar H4196 unto the LORD. H3068 Either a bullock H7794 or a lamb H7716 that hath any thing superfluous H8311 or lacking in his parts, H7038 that mayest thou offer H6213 for a freewill offering; H5071 but for a vow H5088 it shall not be accepted. H7521 Ye shall not offer H7126 unto the LORD H3068 that which is bruised, H4600 or crushed, H3807 or broken, H5423 or cut; H3772 neither shall ye make H6213 any offering thereof in your land. H776 Neither from a stranger's H5236 hand H3027 H1121 shall ye offer H7126 the bread H3899 of your God H430 of any of these; because their corruption H4893 is in them, and blemishes H3971 be in them: they shall not be accepted H7521 for you.

Job 42:8 STRONG

Therefore take H3947 unto you now seven H7651 bullocks H6499 and seven H7651 rams, H352 and go H3212 to my servant H5650 Job, H347 and offer up H5927 for yourselves a burnt offering; H5930 and my servant H5650 Job H347 shall pray H6419 for you: for him H6440 will I accept: H5375 lest I deal H6213 with you after your folly, H5039 in that ye have not spoken H1696 of me the thing which is right, H3559 like my servant H5650 Job. H347

Psalms 20:3 STRONG

Remember H2142 all thy offerings, H4503 and accept H1878 thy burnt sacrifice; H5930 Selah. H5542

Jeremiah 14:10 STRONG

Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 unto this people, H5971 Thus have they loved H157 to wander, H5128 they have not refrained H2820 their feet, H7272 therefore the LORD H3068 doth not accept H7521 them; he will now remember H2142 their iniquity, H5771 and visit H6485 their sins. H2403

Hosea 8:13 STRONG

They sacrifice H2076 flesh H1320 for the sacrifices H2077 of mine offerings, H1890 and eat H398 it; but the LORD H3068 accepteth H7521 them not; now will he remember H2142 their iniquity, H5771 and visit H6485 their sins: H2403 they shall return H7725 to Egypt. H4714

Malachi 1:10 STRONG

Who is there even among you that would shut H5462 the doors H1817 for nought? neither do ye kindle H215 fire on mine altar H4196 for nought. H2600 I have no pleasure H2656 in you, saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 neither will I accept H7521 an offering H4503 at your hand. H3027

Malachi 1:13-14 STRONG

Ye said H559 also, Behold, what a weariness H4972 is it! and ye have snuffed H5301 at it, saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 and ye brought H935 that which was torn, H1497 and the lame, H6455 and the sick; H2470 thus ye brought H935 an offering: H4503 should I accept H7521 this of your hand? H3027 saith H559 the LORD. H3068 But cursed H779 be the deceiver, H5230 which H3426 hath in his flock H5739 a male, H2145 and voweth, H5087 and sacrificeth H2076 unto the Lord H136 a corrupt thing: H7843 for I am a great H1419 King, H4428 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 and my name H8034 is dreadful H3372 among the heathen. H1471

Commentary on Malachi 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 1

Mal 1:1-14. God's Love: Israel's Ingratitude: THE Priests' Mercenary Spirit: A Gentile Spiritual Priesthood Shall Supersede Them.

1. burden—heavy sentence.

to Israel—represented now by the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with individuals of the ten tribes who had returned with the Jews from Babylon. So "Israel" is used, Ezr 7:10. Compare 2Ch 21:2, "Jehoshaphat king of Israel," where Judah, rather than the ten tribes, is regarded as the truest representative of Israel (compare 2Ch 12:6; 28:19).

Malachi—see Introduction. God sent no prophet after him till John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, in order to enflame His people with the more ardent desire for Him, the great antitype and fulfiller of prophecy.

2. I have loved you—above other men; nay, even above the other descendants of Abraham and Isaac. Such gratuitous love on My part called for love on yours. But the return ye make is sin and dishonor to Me. This which is to be supplied is left unexpressed, sorrow as it were breaking off the sentence [Menochius], (De 7:8; Ho 11:1).

Wherein hast thou loved us?—In painful contrast to the tearful tenderness of God's love stands their insolent challenge. The root of their sin was insensibility to God's love, and to their own wickedness. Having had prosperity taken from them, they imply they have no tokens of God's love; they look at what God had taken, not at what God had left. God's love is often least acknowledged where it is most manifested. We must not infer God does not love us because He afflicts us. Men, instead of referring their sufferings to their proper cause, their own sin, impiously accuse God of indifference to their welfare [Moore]. Thus Mal 1:1-4 form a fit introduction to the whole prophecy.

Was not Esau Jacob's brother?—and so, as far as dignity went, as much entitled to God's favor as Jacob. My adoption of Jacob, therefore, was altogether by gratuitous favor (Ro 9:13). So God has passed by our elder brethren, the angels who kept not their first estate, and yet He has provided salvation for man. The perpetual rejection of the fallen angels, like the perpetual desolations of Edom, attests God's severity to the lost, and goodness to those gratuitously saved. The sovereign eternal purpose of God is the only ground on which He bestows on one favors withheld from another. There are difficulties in referring salvation to the election of God, there are greater in referring it to the election of man [Moore]. Jehovah illustrates His condescension and patience in arguing the case with them.

3. hated—not positively, but relatively; that is, did not choose him out to be the object of gratuitous favor, as I did Jacob (compare Lu 14:26, with Mt 10:37; Ge 29:30, 31; De 21:15, 16).

laid his mountains … waste—that is, his territory which was generally mountainous. Israel was, it is true, punished by the Chaldeans, but Edom has been utterly destroyed; namely, either by Nebuchadnezzar [Rosenmuller], or by the neighboring peoples, Egypt, Ammon, and Moab [Josephus, Antiquities, 10.9,7; Maurer], (Jer 49:18).

dragons—jackals [Moore] (compare Isa 34:13). Maurer translates, "Abodes of the wilderness," from an Arabic root "to stop," or "to abide." English Version is better.

4. Whereas—"But if" Edom say [Maurer]. Edom may strive as she may to recover herself, but it shall be in vain, for I doom her to perpetual desolation, whereas I restore Israel. This Jehovah states, to illustrate His gratuitous love to Israel, rather than to Edom.

border of wickedness—a region given over to the curse of reprobation [Calvin]. For a time Judea seemed as desolate as Idumea; but though the latter was once the highway of Eastern commerce, now the lonely rock-houses of Petra attest the fulfilment of the prophecy. It is still "the border of wickedness," being the resort of the marauding tribes of the desert. Judea's restoration, though delayed, is yet certain.

the Lord hath indignation—"the people of My curse" (Isa 34:5).

5. from the border of Israel—Ye, restored to your own "borders" in Israel, "from" them shall raise your voices to "magnify the Lord," acknowledging that Jehovah has shown to you a gratuitous favor not shown to Edom, and so ought to be especially "magnified from the borders of Israel."

6. Turning from the people to the priests, Jehovah asks, whereas His love to the people was so great, where was their love towards Him? If the priests, as they profess, regard Him as their Father (Isa 63:16) and Master, let them show the reality of their profession by love and reverential fear (Ex 20:12; Lu 6:46). He addresses the priests because they ought to be leaders in piety to the rest of the people, whereas they are foremost in "despising His name."

Wherein have we despised, &c.—The same captious spirit of self-satisfied insensibility as prompted their question (Mal 1:2), "Wherein hast Thou loved us?" They are blind alike to God's love and their own guilt.

7. ye offer, &c.—God's answer to their challenge (Mal 1:6), "Wherein have we despised?"

polluted bread—namely, blemished sacrifices (Mal 1:8, 13, 14; De 15:21). So "the bread of thy God" is used for "sacrifices to God" (Le 21:8).

polluted thee—that is, offered to thee "polluted bread."

table of the Lord—that is, the altar (Eze 41:22) (not the table of showbread). Just as the sacrificial flesh is called "bread."

contemptible—(Mal 1:12, 13). Ye sanction the niggardly and blemished offerings of the people on the altar, to gain favor with them. Darius, and probably his successors, had liberally supplied them with victims for sacrifice, yet they presented none but the worst. A cheap religion, costing little, is rejected by God, and so is worth nothing. It costs more than it is worth, for it is worth nothing, and so proves really dear. God despises not the widow's mite, but he does despise the miser's mite [Moore].

8. Your earthly ruler would feel insulted, if offered by you the offering with which ye put off God (see Le 22:22, 24).

is it not evil?—Maurer translates, "There is no evil," in your opinion, in such an offering; it is quite good enough for such a purpose.

9. now … beseech God that he will be gracious—Ironical. Think you that God will be persuaded by such polluted gifts to be gracious to you? Far from it.

this hath been by your means—literally, "hand." These contemptible offerings are your doing, as being the priests mediating between God and the people; and think you, will God pay any regard to you (compare Mal 1:8, 10)? "Accept thy person" ("face"), Mal 1:8, answers to "regard your persons," in this verse.

10. Who … for naught—Not one even of the least priestly functions (as shutting the doors, or kindling a fire on the altar) would ye exercise without pay, therefore ye ought to fulfil them faithfully (1Co 9:13). Drusius and Maurer translate, "Would that there were absolutely some one of you who would shut the doors of the temple (that is, of the inner court, in which was the altar of burnt offerings), and that ye would not kindle fire on My altar in vain!" Better no sacrifices than vain ones (Isa 1:11-15). It was the duty of some of the priests to stand at the doors of the court of the altar of burnt offerings, and to have excluded blemished victims [Calvin].

11. For—Since ye Jewish priests and people "despise My name" (Mal 1:6), I shall find others who will magnify it (Mt 3:9). Do not think I shall have no worshippers because I have not you; for from the east to the west My name shall be great among the Gentiles (Isa 66:19, 20), those very peoples whom ye look down upon as abominable.

pure offering—not "the blind, the lame, and the sick," such as ye offer (Mal 1:8). "In every place," implies the catholicity of the Christian Church (Joh 4:21, 23; 1Ti 2:8). The "incense" is figurative of prayers (Ps 141:2; Re 8:3). "Sacrifice" is used metaphorically (Ps 51:17; Heb 13:10, 15, 16; 1Pe 2:5, 12). In this sense the reference to the Lord's Supper, maintained by many of the fathers, may be admitted; it, like prayer, is a spiritual offering, accepted through the literal offering of the "Lamb without blemish," once for all slain.

12. Renewal of the charge in Mal 1:7.

fruit … meat—the offerings of the people. The "fruit" is the produce of the altar, on which the priests subsisted. They did not literally say, The Lord's table is contemptible; but their acts virtually said so. They did not act so as to lead the people to reverence, and to offer their best to the Lord on it. The people were poor, and put off God with the worst offerings. The priests let them do so, for fear of offending the people, and so losing all gains from them.

13. what a weariness is it!—Ye regard God's service as irksome, and therefore try to get it over by presenting the most worthless offerings. Compare Mic 6:3, where God challenges His people to show wherein is the "weariness" or hardship of His service. Also Isa 43:22-24, wherein He shows that it is they who have "wearied" Him, not He who has wearied them.

snuffed at—despised.

it—the table of the Lord, and the meat on it (Mal 1:12).

torn—namely, by beasts, which it was not lawful to eat, much less to offer (Ex 22:31).

thus … offering—Hebrew, mincha; the unbloody offering of flour, &c. Though this may have been of ordinary ingredients, yet the sacrifices of blemished animals accompanying it rendered it unacceptable.

14. deceiver—hypocrite. Not poverty, but avarice was the cause of their mean offerings.

male—required by law (Le 1:3, 10).

great King—(Ps 48:2; Mt 5:35).

my name … dreadful among … heathen—Even the heathen dread Me because of My judgments; what a reproach this is to you, My people, who fear Me not (Mal 1:6)! Also it may be translated, "shall be feared among," &c. agreeing with the prophecy of the call of the Gentiles (Mal 1:11).