Malachi 2:8

Malachi 2:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Context of Malachi 2:8

6True instruction was in Levi’s mouth and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from wickedness. 7For the lips of the priest should guard and preserve knowledge [of My law], and the people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But as for you [priests], you have turned from the way and you have caused many to stumble by your instruction [in the law]. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. 9“So I have also made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality [to people] in [your administration of] the law.” 10Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers [with God]?

Malachi 2:8 word by word

וְאַתֶּם֙ סַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ הִכְשַׁלְתֶּ֥ם רַבִּ֖ים בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה שִֽׁחַתֶּם֙ בְּרִ֣ית הַלֵּוִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But ye are departedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• out of the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• ye have caused manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• to stumbleכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• at the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• ye have corruptedשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 2:8

• Psalms 18:21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
• Psalms 119:102I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.
• Isaiah 30:11Get out of the [true] way, turn aside from the path [of God], Stop bothering us with the Holy One of Israel.”
• Isaiah 59:13Rebelling against and denying the Lord, Turning away from [following] our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.
• Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord.
• Ezekiel 44:10But the Levites who went far away from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, they shall bear the punishment for their sin and guilt.
• Daniel 9:5we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances.
• Hebrews 3:12Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.
• Malachi 2:9“So I have also made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality [to people] in [your administration of] the law.”
• 1 Samuel 2:17So the sin of the [two] young men [Hophni and Phinehas] was very great before the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.
• Isaiah 9:16For those who lead this people are causing them to go astray; And those who are led [astray] by them are swallowed up.
• Jeremiah 18:15Yet My people have forgotten Me; They burn incense to worthless gods, They have stumbled from their ways From the ancient roads, To walk in pathways, Not on a highway,
• Jeremiah 23:11“For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly (profane, polluted); Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the Lord.
• Matthew 15:2“Why do Your disciples violate the tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.”
• Luke 11:45One of the lawyers [an expert in the Mosaic Law] answered Him, “Teacher, by saying this, You insult us too!”
• Romans 2:19and [if you] are confident that you are a [qualified] guide to the blind [those untaught in theology], a light to those who are in darkness,

Commentaries on Malachi 2:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8But ye are departed out of the way - Ye are become impure yourselves, and ye have led others into iniquity.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8But ye - oare departed out of the way “of knowledge, truth, equity, fear of God, which I appointed to Aaron and the Levites.” “Ye have caused many to stumble at the law.” He does not simply say, “in the law,” but “at” it. The law was what they stumbled at. They did not only misunderstand the law, through the false teaching of the priests, as though it allowed things which in truth were sins (although this too); itself was their source of stumbling. As…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9Malachi’s second message confirms the Lord as God and father of Israel. God alone deserves true worship. The first part (Malachi 1:6–14) shows how the Israelites dishonored God despite his fatherly care and great power. The second part (Malachi 2:1–9) warns the priests of Judah against sacrificing sick and defective animals and criticizes them for not teaching God’s instructions (2:6–8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-95-9. He describes the promises, and also the conditions of the covenant; Levi's observance of the conditions and reward (compare Nu 25:11-13, Phinehas' zeal); and on the other hand the violation of the conditions, and consequent punishment of the present priests. "Life" here includes the perpetuity implied in Nu 25:13, "everlasting priesthood." "Peace" is specified both here and there. Maurer thus explains it; the Hebrew is, literally, "My covenant was…Read the comment

Topics related to Malachi 2:8

• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Lord of Hosts
• Corrupt
• Malachi
• Profane
• Wherein
• Priests and Levites

Commentaries on Malachi 2

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings