The second section of Malachi is a rebuke
concerning the Priests despising the Lord’s name. Malachi addresses the priests directly
(Malachi 1:6, Malachi 2:1), as they fail to honor him in allowing unclean
offerings to be made (Malachi 1:6-14) and by failing their role as messengers
of the Lord (Malachi 2:1-9).
Malachi 1:6-14 By bringing defiled sacrifices
Malachi 1:6-8 Second verbal exchange
In order to express the first
rebuke against the priests for permitting unclean sacrifices, Malachi begins
with the longer form of the verbal exchange discussed in 1.2.1.
The statement of rebuke deals with the priests having despised the name of the
Lord. This statement begins first with the general statement with an ellipses that
as “a son honors (יְכַבֵּד imperfect)
his father, and a servant his master”. The imperfect is used with יְכַבֵּד to
express an action that is customary.[1] Honoring parents was generally assumed as right by
the people of Israel, as it is part of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:12, Deut.
5:16) and the punishment for disobedience was death (Deut. 21:18-21). [2] Appealing to this general
knowledge, and reminding the people that the Lord is both a father and a
servant, we can imply easily that honor is due to the Lord. The prophet then
uses two rhetorical questions in a row to create a dramatic effect. These
questions involve the audience directly and create a tension that requires a
resolution.[3] The
prophet only reveals at the end of the verse who he is addressing this next
rebuke, the priests. By placing those targeted by this rebuke at the end, we
have an element of surprise. People would not expect the priests to be the ones who dishonor the Lord.[4]
There is an objection to the statement (Malachi 1:6), and it is then
defended (Malachi 1:7-8). The Lord mentions their
unworthy offerings that would not even bit fit for an earthly governor.[5]
The
Lord appeals to the polluted food (לֶחֶם)[6] that they brought to his
altar. Malachi is admonishing them based on the instruction on defective
sacrifices from Leviticus 22:17-30.[7]
By their words, we see that the priests do not know that
think they have done anything wrong. They do not see the connection between the
altar and the Lord. The altar is connected to the Lord by being his table. Despising
the table, is despising to the Lord. The priests have despised his name because they have brought blind
sacrifices, to which the priests answer: “there is no evil”, and they are admonished
for bringing lame and sick offering to which they also respond: “there is no
evil”. The Lord tells them that their sacrifices would not even be worthy of an
earthly governor, who would not be pleased with them. הֲיִשָּׂא פָנֶיךָ literally means
« will he lift up your face » it is figurative for being gracious or
showing favor.[8]
Malachi 1:9-11 Call to repent, and to stop the sacrifices
Malachi urges the priests to repent, and
appease the face of the Lord (Malachi 1:9). They can cease these offerings,
closing the doors, and no longer burning offerings. They are pointless, as they
are of no delight to the Lord (Malachi 1:10). Worthy offerings are being
brought to the Lord in all places (Malachi 1:11). גָּדוֹל
שְׁמִי בַּגּוֹיִם the Lord’s name is great among the
nations. Contextually we see that it was a Pagan king, Cyrus who was the one to
command the rebuilding of the temple. Mentioning the other nations helps gives
strength to the rebuke, maybe similarly to Romans 11:11, 14 to purpose could be
to motivate the Jews to change.
Concluding the rebuke of the sacrifices
In verse 1:12-13 similar ideas to
Malachi 1:7-8 are repeated. The priests are saying that the table of the Lord
is despised, because unlawful offerings are being brought to the Lord. Malachi
ends the talks concerning the sacrifices with a warning of a curse. The Lord
will curse the one being deceitful, who has a worthy animals to offer in his
flock (זָכָר)[9] but is vowing and slaughtering
the spoilt to the Lord. The offerings are unworthy, because the Lord is a great
king among the nations as we have already seen in Malachi 1:5.
[1]
Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, 315.
[2]John
F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books, 1983-c1985), 1577.
[3] Wilfred G. E. Watson, Classical
Hebrew Poetry , (Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1986) 341.
[4]
David J. Clark and Howard Hatton, A Handbook on Malachi, UBS handbook
series (New York: United Bible Societies, 2002), 380.
[5] There
were no governors before the exile so this word is key
to dating the text, after the exile.
[6]Meaning
food in general. The use of food to talk about an offering also used in
Leviticus 21:6. Brown, Driver, Briggs, The
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, 537.
[7]Walvoord,
Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary,1577.
[8]Brown,
Driver, Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English
Lexicon, 669.
[9] זָכָר just means male but when it refers to animals, it if often for sacrifices Brown, Driver, Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English
Lexicon, 271.
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