Malachi 2:9

Malachi 2:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
• New International Version (NIV)“So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.”

Context of Malachi 2:9

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. 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. ‘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. 11Judah's people have turned against God. As a result, people have done disgusting things in Jerusalem and in all Israel. You have spoiled the holy place, the temple that the Lord loves. You have turned away from the Lord and you worship foreign gods.

Malachi 2:9 word by word

וְגַם־אֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּי אֶתְכֶ֛ם נִבְזִ֥ים וּשְׁפָלִ֖ים לְכָל־הָעָ֑ם כְּפִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽינְכֶם֙ שֹׁמְרִ֣ים אֶת־דְּרָכַ֔י וְנֹשְׂאִ֥ים פָּנִ֖ים בַּתּוֹרָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore have I also madeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
• you contemptibleבָּזָהbâzâh · to despiseH959
• and baseשָׁפָלshâphâl · lowH8217
• before all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• accordingפֶּהpeh · lip: accordingH6310
• as ye have not keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• my waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• but have been partialפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
• but have been partialנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
• in the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451

Cross-references for Malachi 2:9

• Malachi 2:3I will punish your descendants. When you offer an animal as a sacrifice at your festivals, I will cover your faces with its dirty bits. Then they will throw you away with all the other dirty bits. Those are the bits that I cannot accept as clean.’
• 1 Samuel 2:30Because of what you have done, the Lord, Israel's God, says this to you: “I promised your family and your ancestors that they would serve me as priests for ever.” But now the Lord says, “That will never happen! I will give honour to people who respect me. But I will curse people who insult me.
• Proverbs 10:7It is a pleasure to remember righteous people. But when wicked people die, people soon forget their name.
• Daniel 12:2Many dead people who lie under the ground will become alive again. Some of them will receive life that continues for ever with God. But other people will receive shame that continues for ever.
• Micah 3:6Because of that, it will become like night for you. I will not show you my messages. You will no longer see what will happen in future times. The sun will go down over you prophets, and the day will become dark for you.
• 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah said, ‘If you do return safely, it will show that I have not spoken the Lord's message.’ Then he said to all the people who were there, ‘Remember what I have said to King Ahab!’
• Jeremiah 28:15Then Jeremiah said to Hananiah, ‘Listen to me, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you as his prophet. You have spoken lies to these people and they have believed you.
• Jeremiah 29:20I sent you away from Jerusalem as prisoners to Babylon. All of you must also listen carefully to my message.’
• Ezekiel 13:12After the wall has fallen down, people will say, ‘That white paint was useless!’
• Mark 7:13This shows that you have not obeyed what God says is right. Instead, you have obeyed the ideas that you received from your leaders many years ago. And you do many other things like that.’
• Luke 20:45All the people were listening to Jesus. Jesus then said to his disciples,
• Malachi 2:8But 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.
• Matthew 5:21Jesus then said, ‘You know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “You must not kill anyone. Any person who does kill someone will stand in front of a judge. The judge will punish him because he has done a wrong thing.”
• Matthew 19:17Jesus replied, ‘Why do you ask me about a good thing? Only God is good. Nobody else. If you want to have real life, then you must obey God's laws.’
• Matthew 23:16It will be very bad for you, teachers. You cannot see what is true, but you show people which way to go. You say to people, “You may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gold things in the temple. Then it is a serious promise, and you must do it.”
• Mark 7:8Jesus then said, ‘You have stopped obeying God. Instead you obey the ideas that men teach.’

Commentaries on Malachi 2:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Therefore have I also made you contemptible - The people despised you because they saw that you acted contrary to your functions. This has happened repeatedly since, to several classes of priests. Not maintaining, by purity of life and soundness of doctrine, the dignity of the ministerial function, they became contemptible before the people; their meager preaching was disregarded, and their persons at last cast out as a general loathing to the universe!…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Therefore have I made you contemptible - They had said in their hearts Malachi 1:7, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” So God would requite them “measure for measure.” Yet not only so, but in their office as judges, against the repeated protestations in the law Leviticus 19:15, “Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty, in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor Deuteronomy 1:17, ye shall not respect…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9shown partiality (literally lifted up the face): The expression also appears in Malachi 1:8 ("pleased with you"). The priests should have applied the law with kindness and fairness, but they did not. It was unreasonable for the priests to think that God would favor them when they had shown partiality in performing their duties.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 2:9

• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Corrupt
• Profane
• Wherein
• Malachi
• Priests and Levites
• partial, partiality

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