Malachi 1:12

But ye have profaned it,.... That is, the name of the Lord, which they are said to despise, Malachi 1:6 and pollute, Malachi 1:7 and is a reason why they and their offerings were rejected: and that

But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

But ye, O priests, principally and first; the people next, by their examples; have profaned it; used it as a common thing, and valued it at a strange undervalue, as if neither excellent nor useful. Ye say; by your deportment you say so; perhaps you do not say so in words, this were two impudent indeed. The table of the Lord is polluted; not a sacred thing, or to be revered. His meat; either the meat which fell to the priests’ share, and was for them to live upon, this they despised; or else the portion which did belong to God himself, and was laid upon the altar; they were neither pleased with that the Lord did reserve to himself, nor with that he gave to them, but they found fault with both. Is contemptible; a poor, sordid allowance, scarce fit for meaner persons and less service.

Malachi 1:12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD [is] polluted; and the fruit thereof, [even] his meat, [is] contemptible.Ver. 12. But ye have profaned it] Ye Jews, in general, though my peculiar people, and called by my name. You that quarter arms with me, as it were, and should, therefore, lift up my name as an ensign; that you should use me thus coarsely, and cast dirt upon my name by your irreligion, this moves me not a little; so that I cannot but once and again complain of it. Had it been an enemy I should better have borne it. But it was thou, my familiar, &c. What, thou, my son Brutus? Kαισυτεκνονβρουτε. Friend, betrayest thou the Son of man, and that with a kiss? Scipio had rather Hannibal should eat his heart with salt, than Laelius, his friend, do him the least discourtesy. God will take that from a profane person that he will not take from a professor. Philistines may cart the ark, and escape scotfree; but if David does it, God will punish him in the death of Uzzah. Augustus Caesar may send forth a decree that all the (Roman) world should be taxed or numbered, Luke 2:1; but if David number his people God will make bloody welts upon his back; and if he make God’ s name to stink among the heathen, God will scour out that blemish cast upon his name with David’ s tears and blood. See Ezekiel 36:21; Ezekiel 39:7 Amos 2:7 Leviticus 10:3; I will be sanctified in all them that draw near unto me. Sanctified he will be, either actively or passively; either in the sincerity of their conversation or else in the severity of their condemnation. If Solomon forsake the Lord, that appeared unto him twice, God will chastise him with the rods of men, at least. If Israel profess God’ s name, and yet profane it, God will cast them off, and turn to the Gentiles. And, indeed, what could he do less to a nation so incorrigibly flagitious, a nation so unthankful for mercies, so impatient of remedies, so incapable of repentance, so obliged, so warned, so shamelessly, so lawlessly wicked? The table of the Lord] That is, the altar; see Malachi 1:7. And the fruit thereof] Or the revenue, the income of it: it is a base allowance that the priests have; prisoner’ s pittance; they live, that is all. Or thus, The table of the Lord is polluted, &c. That is, it is no better worth than to be polluted; neither do his priests deserve either countenance or maintenance. So many wretched people in these days think there is more ado made than needs in the worship and service of God, Colo Deum, ut par est. Whereas, indeed, we that have received so many mercies, and have lived in such an age of miracles, should not only servire Deo, sed et adulari, as Tertullian phraseth it, serve God, but be unsatisfiable in serving him.

(12) But ye have.—Better, but ye profane it—viz., “my name” (Malachi 1:11). The word “it” is said by Jewish tradition to be an euphemism for “me.” The present contemptuous conduct of God’s priests is contrasted with the prophesied reverence of heathen nations. Fruit . . . meat, denote the same as “bread” of Malachi 1:7. They show that they think it contemptible by not taking the trouble to offer such things as are prescribed by the Law.

Verse 12. Ye have profaned it] Ye have desecrated God's worship; is it any wonder that God should cast you off, and follow you with his judgments?

12. have profaned] Rather, profane, R.V. lit. are (habitually) profaning. the table of the Lord &c.] The reference is to the maintenance of the priests by their share in the sacrifices. After allowing unworthy sacrifices to be offered (Malachi 1:8), they complained that their service at the altar was inadequately remunerated, and murmured at their allotted portion as “contemptible”. The expression, “the fruit thereof,” is very doubtful. The word occurs again (K’ri) Isaiah 57:19, but there the K’thibh is πεα. Probably it should be omitted here altogether. The mistake may have arisen from a scribe beginning to write επια instead of επαζδ. Then he put dots over the first word εֹ ?πֹ ?ιֹ ?αֹ to denote that it was to be cancelled, but this was overlooked. Jerome explains it of the fire on the altar, taking also ΰλμε as a verb, ‘cum igne qui illud devorat,’ which of course is wrong. The LXX render it τὰἐπιτιθέμενααὐτῷ.

And ye have profaned - o (are habitually profaning it), in that ye say It was the daily result of their daily lives and acts.

11. Jehovah cannot accept impure sacrifices from his own people, when less favored nations offer to him sacrifices that are pure.