Amplified Bible
Malachi 1:7
7You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised.
Malachi 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.
- English Standard Version (ESV)By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the Lord's table may be despised.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
Context of Malachi 1:7
5Your own eyes will see this and you will say, “The Lord is great and shall be magnified beyond the border of Israel!” 6“ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the [reverent] fear and respect due Me?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. But you say, ‘How and in what way have we despised Your name?’ You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised. 8When you [priests] present the blind [animals] for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer such a thing [as a blind or lame or sick animal] to your governor [as a gift or as payment for your taxes]. Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you graciously?” says the Lord of hosts. 9“But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering from your hand [as an imperfect animal for sacrifice], will He show favor to any of you?” says the Lord of hosts.
Read all of Malachi 1Malachi 1:7 word by word
מַגִּישִׁ֤ים עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙ לֶ֣חֶם מְגֹאָ֔ל וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֕ם שֻׁלְחַ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה נִבְזֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ye offerנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: bringH5066
- pollutedגָּאַלgâ'al · to defileH1351
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- upon mine altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- and ye sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The tableשֻׁלְחָןshûlchân · tableH7979
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- contemptibleבָּזָהbâzâh · to despiseH959
Cross-references for Malachi 1:7
- Leviticus 2:11‘No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven [which symbolizes the spread of sin] or any honey [which, like leaven, is subject to fermentation] in any offering by fire to the Lord.
- Leviticus 21:6They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they present the offerings by fire to the Lord, the food of their God; so they shall be holy.
- Deuteronomy 15:21But if it has any defect or injury, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
- Malachi 1:12“But you [priests] profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’
- 1 Samuel 2:15Also, before they burned (offered) the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat to roast, since he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.”
- Ezekiel 41:22The altar was of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long; and its corners, its base, and its sides were wood. And he said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:21You cannot drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].
- 1 Corinthians 11:21for when you eat, each one hurries to get his own supper first [not waiting for others or the poor]. So one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Commentaries on Malachi 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Ye offer polluted bread - The priests, probably to ingratiate themselves with the people, took the refuse beasts, etc., and offered them to God; and thus the sacrificial ordinances were rendered contemptible.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Offering polluted bread upon Mine altar - This, continuing on the words, “despisers of My Name,”, is the answer to their question, “Wherein have we despised Thy Name?” “Bread” might stand, in itself, either for the showbread, or for the מנחה minchāh meal-offering, which was the necessary accompaniment of sacrifices and sometimes the whole. But here the “polluted bread” cannot be the showbread, since this was not put upon the altar, but upon its own…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 We may each charge upon ourselves what is here charged upon the priests. Our relation to God, as our Father and Master, strongly obliges us to fear and honour him. But they were so scornful that they derided reproof. Sinners ruin themselves by trying to baffle their convictions. Those who live in careless neglect of holy ordinances, who attend on them without reverence, and go from them under no concern, in effect say, The table of the Lord is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7defiled food on my table: Ceremonial uncleanness or contamination made an object or person unfit for worship ceremonies to the Lord. In this case, defilement happened by ignoring the laws about acceptable animal sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–25; Deuteronomy 15:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. ye offer, &c.--God's answer to their challenge (Mal 1:6), "Wherein have we despised?" polluted bread--namely, blemished sacrifices (Mal 1:8, 13, 14; De 15:21). So "the bread of thy God" is used for "sacrifices to God" (Le 21:8). polluted thee--that is, offered to thee "polluted bread." table of the Lord--that is, the altar (Eze 41:22) (not the table of showbread). Just as the sacrificial flesh is called "bread." contemptible--(Mal 1:12, 13). Ye…Read the comment
Topics related to Malachi 1:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Malachi 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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