Malachi 2
PATARGUMENT* The beginning of the chapter is a continuation of God’s re-, proof to the priests for their unfaithfulness in their office. From the tenth verse he proceeds to. reprove the people for marrying strange women, and even divorcing their former wives, to shew their fondness of such unlawful marriages.
Malachi 2:1
JL HIS commandment is for you — to give glory to my name. Which you have despised, by your irreverent performance of my service, (i. G, &c.) J will send a curse upon, you, and cars$ your blessings,] Turn your blessings into curses, or Tather remove your blessings, and send curses and calamities in their stead. Ver. 3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed.] The seed wherewith you sow your ground, so that there shall not be wherewith to furnish the meat-offerings requisite for the daily sacrifice. (See iii, 11. Joel i. 13.) And spread dang upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts,’] Ye shall become as contemptible, as if one had covered your faces with dung and filth. And one shall take you away with it.] You shall be esteemed as so many nuisances, only fit to be removed out of sight, as dung is. (Compare 1 Kings xiv.10.)
Malachi 2:4
And you shall know that I have sent this com’ mandment unto you. By the punishments which will follow upon your neglecting to observe the commandment here enjoined you, ver..l, 2. Tliat my covenant might be with Levi.] That the covenant that I made with the tribe of Levi, that they should be mine, (Numb. iii. 45. viii. 15, xvi. 9.) may continue firm to your posterity. Some render it, Because my covenant was with Levi; for the breach of which you are accountable. So the particle le sometimes signifies. (See Noldius, p. 457.)
Malachi 2:5
My covenant was with him of life and peace; aiid I gave it him. The prophet speaks of the succession of the ancient priests, such as Aaron, Elcazar, Phinchas, and their successors, as of one single person under the name of Levi, (compare Zec(i. xi. 16.) and saith, I gave him my covenant of happiness and security, or, I promised him a secure enjoyment of his office of the priesthood. The words allude to Numb. xxv. 12, 13. where God speaks to Phinehas, “1 give him my covenant of peace: and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.” Where peace signifies the same with security, as it often does; i.e. a secure possession of the priesthood, without any disturbance or interruption, expressed by an everlasting priesthood in the following words. In which sense the phrase is used, Ezek. xxxiv. 25. xxxvii. 2G. For the fear wherewith he feared me, &c] As a reward of his fear and reverence towards me, of which the holy writings give us two remarkable instances; the zeal of the Lcyites against the worshippers of the golden calf, (Exod. xxxii. 2G. 29.) and that zealous act of Phinehas, mentioned Numb. xxv. (Compare Deut. xxxiii. 8, 9.) Ver. G. He walked with me in peace and equity, &c] He directed all his actions by the rule of my laws, (compare Gen. v. 22. vi. 9.) and he discharged his duty with fidelity, and without any disturbanpe^or offence, and. was a means of converting sinners from th$ error of their ways* Veu 7. For the priest 9 s tips should preserve knowledge, and they should seekthe law at his month.] As it is the priests’ duty to understand the meaning of the law, so the people ought to resort to them for instruction in any difficulty that arisen concerning the sense of it. (See Levi x. 11. Deut. xxii. 9, 10.)’ For this reason the Lovites had forty-^ight cities allotted to them among the several tribes, that thq P e.ople might more easily consult them upon every occasion. (See Numb. xxxv. 7.) He. is the -messenger of the. Lord of hosts.] God has appointed the priests his ordinary messengers, to.deqlare his •will unto the people, as the prophets are his extraordinary ambassadors. The word messenger in the usual sense of it is equivalent to prophet: (see Isa. xlii. 19. xliv. 26. Hag. i,13.) it signifies the same with an interpreter of the Divine will, Job xxxiii. 23. Yer. 8, Ye have caused many to stumble at the law.] You have either perverted the sense of the law, or encouraged otters to break it by your ill example. (See ver. 12. and compare Rom. xiv. 21.) Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi.] By your evil practices you have broke that covenant whereby I placed you in a near attendance to myself. (See ver. 4. and compare Nehem. xiii.29.)
Malachi 2:9
But have been partial in the law. Or, Accepted persons, in the laiv, as the Hebrew literally signifies; i. e. have wrested the sense of the law, in favour of particular perspns, to excuse or alleviate their breaches of it.
Malachi 2:10
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?. Here a new section begins, wherein the prophet severely reproves the people’s sin of marrying strange wives, which grew much in practice in Ezra and Nehemiah’s time, who express a great detestation of it. (Ezra ix. 1. Nehem. xiii, 23.) The prophet here begins his expostulation with putting them in mind, that they owned one God and Father, in opposition to the idols of the heathen, and therefore should deal with one another as brethren, beinjj nearly allied by spiritual as well as fleshly relation. WJiy dp we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?] By these marriages with strangers, we deal falsely and injuriously with our brethren and countrymen, by the ill treatment of their daughters or sisters whom we took to marriage: (see ver. 14.) and we violate that covenant God made with our fathers, whereby he separated us from the rest of the world; and in order to preserve that distinction, forbid us to intermarry with idolaters. (Deut. vii. 3.)
Malachi 2:11
For Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved. This sin implies the profanation of God’s holy people, which he set apart for his own worship and service; a profanation of the temple, when the priests jvho officiated there were guilty of the same crime; (see ver..12.) and, lastly, profanation of that covenant God made with the Jews: (ver. 10.) God hath expressed a tender regard for these three sorts of holiness, and threatened severe punishment to those that break the laws made to preserve them; And hath married the daughter of a strange god.] God Calls himself the Father of his own people, and owns them under the relation of sons and daughters, (see yen 10. Jcr,