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Malachi

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Malachi 2

1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

Commentary · verse 1

God's focus turned from the nation to specific individuals: a commandment for the priests.

2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

2If 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.

Commentary · verse 2

If they would not hear or lay this to their heart to give glory to God's Name, then God would send a curse to the priests.

3Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it.

4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name.

6The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.

7For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.

3Behold, 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.

4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

5My 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.

6The 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.

7For 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.

Commentary · verses 3-7

A priest's lips ought to keep knowledge and the people ought to seek instruction from the priests because they were the messengers of God.

8But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

8But 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.

Commentary · verse 8

However, the priests departed from God. The priests caused many to stumble in the Law. The priests corrupted the Covenant of Levi.

9Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have had respect of persons in the law.

10Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

11Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of Jehovah which he loveth, and hath married the daughter of a foreign god.

9Therefore 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.

10Have 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?

11Judah 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.

Commentary · verses 9-11

The Israelites were committing idolatry. They were focused on man-made doctrines instead of God's Doctrine from His Law. Remember, fornication was to commit idolatry. Idolatry was giving one's self to an image, which was worship of other gods or sexual intercourse with unbelievers. Both were covenantal.

12Jehovah will cut off, to the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto Jehovah of hosts.

13And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand.

12The 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.

13And 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.

Commentary · verses 12-13

The Jews were weeping before God in their distress but their hearts were treacherous. Their appearance was of repentance, but their hearts were rebellious, which was idolatry.

14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

14Yet 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.

Commentary · verse 14

The Doctrine of Marriage according to the Bible: Marriage is a covenant that is begun in one of three ways:

  1. exchange of vows

  2. exchange of tokens

  3. sexual intercourse

The Marriage Covenant is "cut" (completed) with sexual intercourse. Verse 14 referenced the "wife of thy youth" and "wife of thy covenant." God was speaking about the first Marriage Covenant a priest made with a woman through sexual intercourse.

15And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

15And 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.

Commentary · verse 15

God stated that He made these priests and wives of their Covenant "one." These people shared the same spirit with each other and God. God was involved in this Covenant. Leviticus 21:14 stated that priests could only marry virgins of Israel. God joins believing husbands and believing spouses in Marriage. He is a part of their Covenant. Many people try to apply this verse to every marriage. To say that God is a part of every marriage including unbelievers is to say that God can make unbelievers into believers against their will. God does see people who have sexual intercourse as married, however He does not make this couple "one" (and He is not involved in this covenant) unless both people are believers.

16For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

16For 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.

Commentary · verse 16

God hates "putting away." There are two key points to this often abused verse:

  1. Hate meant "loved less"

  2. Putting away is not divorce

Remember, this verse was God's explanation for His issue in the previous verse. God stated the priests were dealing treacherously against the wives of their youth. How? By putting them away.

  • Divorce is an ending of a Marriage Covenant that resulted in both spouses remaining in covenant through the greater community: Israel (See Deuteronomy 24).
  • "Putting away" is the ending of a Marriage Covenant that resulted in one of the spouses being removed from the greater community.

The removal from "putting away" was done because of fornication: worshiping other gods and/or covenantal sexual intercourse with an unbeliever. Putting away removed a spouse from the greater community because of unbelief. However, in this verse from the Book of Malachi, we see the priests were putting away the wives of their youth even though these wives were believers. These wives were prevented from remaining in community and marrying others because they had been put away. However, we know that God would still see the priests as being married to these wives of their Marriage Covenant. In addition, the sexual intercourse with another woman that the priests intended to signify a new marriage, God would see as adultery and treachery against the wives of their Covenant.

Versions other than the KJV and the ASV translated Malachi 2:16 as "For I hate divorce saith God..."...and then make the case that God is against Divorce and considers it a sin.

  • First of all, Deuteronomy 24 stated the Doctrine of divorce, which was in the Law. We know that doing the Law would not result in sin.
  • Second, God divorced and put away Judah and Israel (Jeremiah 3). Did God sin?
  • Third, Genesis 29:30-31 showed God's definition for "hate" was "love less."
  • Fourth, the correct translation of this passage was "putting away." The Hebrew word was Strong's #7971 shalach. The Hebrew word for divorce was Strong's #3748 - keriythuwth.
  • Finally, the context of this passage was clearly putting away because God wanted these priests to not deal treacherously, but return to the wives of their youth. God would not want the priests to continue to be married to these women if they were unbelievers. In fact, so far, everything we have read in the Book of Malachi was warning the nation and the priests from turning from God in unbelief.

17Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice?

17Ye 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?

Commentary · verse 17

The priests had wearied God with their words. The priests were dealing treacherously with their wives and their response was to say that God was not Just. The point God made was that He was Just and was dealing harshly with these priests because they were evil. The priests made many to stumble in the Law (2:8) apparently not only through their words but also through their actions.

Malachi 1-2 covered God's warning to the priests that they were the cause of the evil that had come by dealing treacherously with the wives of their Marriage Covenants.

Doctrines on this passage

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