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.”
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.”

Context of Malachi 2:9

7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8But 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, 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." 10Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

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 2:3Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.
• 1 Samuel 2:30Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
• Proverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
• Daniel 12:2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
• Micah 3:6Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them;
• 1 Kings 22:28And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!"
• Jeremiah 28:15And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:20Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
• Ezekiel 13:12And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the coating with which you smeared it?'
• Mark 7:13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
• Luke 20:45And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,
• Malachi 2:8But 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,
• Matthew 5:21"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'
• Matthew 19:17And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."
• Matthew 23:16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'
• Mark 7:8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

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