EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Malachi 2:8
8But you priests do not serve me in the right way. What you teach causes many people to do wrong things. In that way, you have spoiled the covenant that I made with Levi.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
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
6He taught my true message. He did not teach people anything that was bad. He lived in a good and honest way as he served me. He helped many people to stop doing wrong things. 7Priests should help people to know the truth about God. People should ask the priests to teach them, because the Lord Almighty has chosen priests to speak his message. But you priests do not serve me in the right way. What you teach causes many people to do wrong things. In that way, you have spoiled the covenant that I made with Levi.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says. 9‘So I have caused all the people to insult you. They no longer respect you, because you do not obey my rules. When you teach my people, you are kind to some of them but you cheat others.’ 10You know that we all have one Father. It is God himself who made all of us. But now we turn against each other. We do not respect the covenant that God made with our ancestors.
Read all of Malachi 2Malachi 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 18:21I have obeyed the Lord's commands. I have not turned against my God.
- Psalms 119:102I do not turn away from your rules, because you are my teacher.
- Isaiah 30:11Leave this path. Get out of our way! Stop telling us about the Holy God of Israel.’
- Isaiah 59:13We have turned against the Lord. We have refused to obey him. We have chosen to be cruel to other people, and we have turned against the truth. We think about the lies that we can tell, and we use them to deceive people.
- Jeremiah 17:5The Lord says, ‘I will curse those who only trust people to help them. They think that human strength will save them, and they turn away from me, the Lord.
- Ezekiel 44:10As well as other Israelites, some Levite men turned away from me to worship idols. I will punish them as they deserve for their sin.
- Daniel 9:5We have done bad things that are wicked and evil. We have turned against you. We have not obeyed your laws and your teaching.
- Hebrews 3:12So be careful, my Christian friends. Do not refuse to trust God. That would be a very bad thing to do. Do not turn away from the God who lives for ever.
- Malachi 2:9‘So I have caused all the people to insult you. They no longer respect you, because you do not obey my rules. When you teach my people, you are kind to some of them but you cheat others.’
- 1 Samuel 2:17The Lord knew what Eli's sons were doing. They did not respect the sacrifices that people were offering to the Lord. The Lord saw that their sin was very bad.
- Isaiah 9:16The leaders of this nation lead them away from what is true. They confuse the people that they are leading.
- Jeremiah 18:15Those things never change, but my people have forgotten me. They offer sacrifices to useless idols. Because of that, they live in a wrong way. They have left the good paths that their ancestors knew. Instead, they walk along narrow paths that nobody takes care of.
- Jeremiah 23:11The Lord says, ‘The prophets and the priests are all wicked. I see the evil things that they do, even in my temple.
- Matthew 15:2They said, ‘Our leaders in past times taught us the right way to do everything. But your disciples do not obey the things that our leaders taught us. They do not wash their hands in the right way before they eat a meal. Why is that?’
- Luke 11:45Then a teacher of God's Law spoke out. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘when you say these things, you are also saying bad things about us.’
- Romans 2:19You are sure that you yourself can teach other people about God. You think that you can be like a guide to blind people. You think that you can be like a light to people who are in the dark.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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