1 Malachi complains of Israel's unkindness;
2 of their irreligiousness and profaneness.

burden. Isa 13:1 Hab 1:1 Zec 9:1 12:1

by. Heb. by the hand of. Hag 1:1 2:1*margins

2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

I have. The prophet shows in these verses (ver. 2-5) how much Jacob and the Israelites were favoured by Jehovah, more than Esau and the Edomites. Through every period of the history of Jacob's posterity, they could not deny that God had remarkably appeared on their behalf; but he had rendered the heritage of Esau's descendants, by wars and various other means, barren and waste for ever.

De 7:6-8 10:15 32:8-14 Isa 41:8,9 43:4 Jer 31:3 Ro 11:28,29

Wherein. 6,7 2:17 3:7,8,13,14 Jer 2:5,31 Lu 10:29

yet I. Ge 25:23 27:27-30,33 28:3,4,13,14 32:28-30 48:4 Ro 9:10-13

3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

hated. Ge 29:30,31 De 21:15,16 Lu 14:26

laid. Isa 34:9-12 Jer 49:16-18 Eze 25:13,14 36:3,4,7,9,14,15 Joe 3:19 Ob 10,18,19-21

the. Isa 13:21,22 34:13,14 35:7 Jer 9:11 51:37

4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

but. Isa 9:9,10 Jas 4:13-16

They shall build. Job 9:4 12:14 34:29 Ps 127:1 Pr 21:30 Isa 10:4,15,16 La 3:37 Mt 12:30

The border. Jer 31:17 Eze 11:10 Am 6:2

The people. 3 Ps 137:7 Isa 11:14 34:5,10 63:1-6 La 4:21,22 Eze 25:14 35:9

5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

your. De 4:3 11:7 Jos 24:7 1Sa 12:16 2Ch 29:8 Lu 10:23,24

The Lord. Ps 35:26,27 58:10,11 83:17,18 Eze 38:16,23 39:21,22

from. or, upon. Heb. from upon.

6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

son. Ex 20:12 Le 19:3 De 5:16 Pr 30:11,17 Mt 15:4,6 19:19 Mr 7:10 Mr 10:19 Lu 18:20 Eph 6:2

a servant. 1Ti 6:1,2 Tit 2:9,10 1Pe 2:17-19

if then. From this verse to ch. 2:9, the prophet reproves the priests and people for sacrificing the refuse of beasts; and denounces punishment against the former for not teaching the people their duty in this respect.

Ex 4:22,23 Isa 1:2 64:8 Jer 31:9 Mt 6:9,14,15 Lu 6:36,46 1Pe 1:17

and if. Mt 7:21 Lu 6:46 Joh 13:13-17

O priests. 2:8 1Sa 2:28-30 Jer 5:30,31 23:11 Eze 22:26 Ho 4:6 5:1

And ye. 2:14-17 3:7,8,13,14 Jer 2:21,22 Ho 12:8 Lu 10:29

7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

Ye offer, etc. or, Bring unto my, etc. polluted. Le 2:11, 21:6 De 15:21

The table. 12 1Sa 2:15-17 Eze 41:22 1Co 10:21 11:21,22,27-32

8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

if ye offer the blind. 14 Le 22:19-25 De 15:21

for sacrifice, Heb. to sacrifice. or accept. 10,13 Job 42:8 Ps 20:3 Jer 14:10 Ho 8:13

9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

beseech. 2Ch 30:27 Jer 27:18 Joe 1:13,14 2:17 Zec 3:1-5 Joh 9:31 Heb 7:26,27

God. Heb. the face of God. Ex 32:11 Jer 26:19*margins La 2:19

by your means. Heb. from your hand. will he. Ac 19:15,16 Ro 2:11 1Pe 1:17

10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

Who. Instead of {mi,} who, one MS. (30 K.) with the LXX reads {ki,} surely, which is adopted by Houbigant and Abp. Newcome, who renders, Surely the doors shall be closed against you, neither shall ye kindle the fire of my altar in vain.

even. Job 1:9-11 Isa 56:11,12 Jer 6:13 8:10 Mic 3:11 Joh 10:12 Php 2:21 1Pe 5:2

neither. 1Co 9:13

I have. Isa 1:11-15 Jer 6:20 Am 5:21-24 Heb 10:38

11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

from. As the preceding verse was a prediction of the abolition of the Levitical priesthood, so this is a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, and the spiritual priesthood of the Gospel times. As none but priests of Aaron's race might burn incense before Jehovah, a total change of the external administration of the sacred ordinances is evidently predicted.

Ps 50:1 113:3 Isa 45:6 59:19 Zec 8:7

my name. 14 Ps 22:27-31 67:2 72:11-17 98:1-3 Isa 11:9,10 45:22,23 Isa 49:6,7,22,23 54:1-3,5 60:1-11,16-22 66:19,20 Am 9:12 Mic 5:4 Zep 3:9 Zec 8:20-23 Mt 6:9,10 28:19 Ac 15:17,18 Re 11:15 15:4

and in. Isa 24:14-16 42:10-12 Zep 2:11 Joh 4:21-23 Ac 10:30-35 Ro 15:9-11,16 1Ti 2:8 Re 8:3

incense. Ps 141:2 Isa 60:6 Lu 1:10 Ro 12:1 Php 4:18 Heb 13:15,16 Re 5:8 8:3,4

for. Isa 66:19,20

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.

ye have. 6,8 2:8 2Sa 12:14 Eze 36:21-23 Am 2:7 Ro 2:24

The table. 7,13 Nu 11:4-8 Da 5:3,4

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

Behold. 1Sa 2:29 Isa 43:22 Am 8:5 Mic 6:3 Mr 14:4,5,37,38

and ye have snuffed at it. or, whereas ye might have blown it away. torn. 7,8 Le 22:8,19-23 De 15:21 Eze 4:14 44:31

should I accept. 2:13 Isa 1:12 57:6 Jer 7:9-11,21-24 Am 5:21-23 Zec 7:5,6 Mt 6:1,2,5,16

14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

cursed. 3:9 Ge 27:12 Jos 7:11,12 Jer 48:10 Mt 24:51 Lu 12:1,2,46 Ac 5:1-10 Re 21:8

which hath in his flock. or, in whose flock is. Ec 5:4,5 Mr 12:41-44 14:8 2Co 8:12

for. 8,11 De 28:58 Ps 47:2 48:2 95:3 Isa 57:15 Jer 10:10 Da 4:37 Zec 14:9 Mt 5:35 1Ti 6:15

my name. Ps 68:35 76:12 Da 9:4 Heb 12:29 Re 15:4