New English Translation
Malachi 1:6
6“A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’
Malachi 1:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
- New International Version (NIV)“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
- English Standard Version (ESV)"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
- New King James Version (NKJV)“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
Context of Malachi 1:6
4Edom says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased. 5Your eyes will see it, and then you will say, ‘May the Lord be magnified even beyond the border of Israel!’” “A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’ 7You are offering improper sacrifices on my altar, yet you ask, ‘How have we offended you?’ By treating the table of the Lord as if it is of no importance! 8For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick, is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering them to your governor! Will he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord who rules over all.
Read all of Malachi 1Malachi 1:6 word by word
בֵּ֛ן יְכַבֵּ֥ד אָ֖ב וְעֶ֣בֶד אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְאִם־אָ֣ב אָ֣נִי אַיֵּ֣ה כְבוֹדִ֡י וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים אָנִי֩ אַיֵּ֨ה מוֹרָאִ֜י אָמַ֣ר׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת לָכֶם֙ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ בּוֹזֵ֣י שְׁמִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם בַּמֶּ֥ה בָזִ֖ינוּ אֶת־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- A sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- honourethכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and a servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- his masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- mine honourכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
- my fearמוֹרָאmôrâ' môrâ' môrâh · fearH4172
- saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- unto you, O priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- that despiseבָּזָהbâzâh · to despiseH959
- my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Malachi 1:6
- Exodus 20:12“Honor your father and your mother, that you may live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.
- Leviticus 19:3Each of you must respect his mother and his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.
- Deuteronomy 5:16Honor your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he is about to give you.
- Proverbs 30:11There is a generation who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
- Matthew 15:4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Matthew 19:19honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Mark 7:10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Mark 10:19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
- Luke 18:20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
- Ephesians 6:2“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,
- 1 Timothy 6:1Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.
- 1 Peter 2:17Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Malachi 2:9“Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to which you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your instruction.”
- Exodus 4:22You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is my son, my firstborn,
- Isaiah 1:2Listen, O heavens, pay attention, O earth! For the Lord speaks: “I raised children, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me!
- Isaiah 64:8Yet, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor.
Commentaries on Malachi 1:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6A son honoreth his father - I am your Father - where, then, is my honor? Where your filial obedience? If I be a master, where is my fear? - The respect due to me.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6A son honoreth his father, and a slave his lord - Having spoken of the love of God, he turns to the thanklessness of man. God appeals to the first feelings of the human heart, the relation of parent and child, or, failing this, to the natural self-interest of those dependent on their fellow-men. A “son” by the instinct of nature, by the unwritten law written in the heart, “honoreth his father.” If he fails to do so, he is counted to have broken the law of…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. 6who despise My name: God’s name refers to his reputation and character. It describes who God is and how he is known by his people (compare Ezekiel 36:19–24). The Judeans were showing how little they thought of God by giving him worthless offerings.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Turning from the people to the priests, Jehovah asks, whereas His love to the people was so great, where was their love towards Him? If the priests, as they profess, regard Him as their Father (Is 63:16) and Master, let them show the reality of their profession by love and reverential fear (Ex 20:12; Lu 6:46). He addresses the priests because they ought to be leaders in piety to the rest of the people, whereas they are foremost in "despising His name."…Read the comment
Topics related to Malachi 1:6
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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