New English Translation
Malachi 2:7
7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all.
Malachi 2:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
- New International Version (NIV)“For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Context of Malachi 2:7
5“My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me. 6He taught what was true; sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all. 8You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord who rules over all. 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.”
Read all of Malachi 2Malachi 2:7 word by word
כִּֽי־שִׂפְתֵ֤י כֹהֵן֙ יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַ֔עַת וְתוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the priest’sכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
- should keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
- and they should seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- at his mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- the messengerמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 2:7
- Leviticus 10:11and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”
- Deuteronomy 17:8If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, legal claim, or assault – matters of controversy in your villages – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses.
- Deuteronomy 21:5Then the Levitical priests will approach (for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in his name, and to decide every judicial verdict)
- Deuteronomy 24:8Be careful during an outbreak of leprosy to follow precisely all that the Levitical priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you should do.
- 2 Chronicles 17:8They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
- 2 Chronicles 30:22Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord. They feasted for the seven days of the festival, and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.
- Ezra 7:10Now Ezra had dedicated himself to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching its statutes and judgments in Israel.
- Nehemiah 8:2So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.)
- Jeremiah 15:19Because of this, the Lord said, “You must repent of such words and thoughts! If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me. If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless, I will again allow you to be my spokesman. They must become as you have been. You must not become like them.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then some people said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
- Haggai 2:11“The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Ask the priests about the law.
- 2 Timothy 2:24And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,
- Malachi 3:1“I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.
- Isaiah 42:19My servant is truly blind, my messenger is truly deaf. My covenant partner, the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.
- Isaiah 44:26who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the announcements of his messengers, who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, her ruins I will raise up,’
- Haggai 1:13Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s word to the people: “I am with you!” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Malachi 2:7
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For the priest‘s lips should keep knowledge - o“He assigns the reason for what he had just said, the law of truth was in his mouth; they had done what it was their duty to do; as in Ecclesiasticus it is said of Aaron (Titus 1:9, exhort by sound doctrine and to convince gainsayers.‘ Wherefore Ambrose calls the Bible, which contains the law of God, the book of priests,‘ as specially belonging to them, to be specially studied by them. Jerome notes that he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The priests had been trusted with God’s sacred teaching, as given in the law of Moses. As teachers, they were responsible for guarding God’s covenant (his binding promises) with Israel (Deuteronomy 33:9–10). messenger (Hebrew mal’ak): This word may intentionally echo the name Malachi (Hebrew mal’aki, meaning “my messenger”). In the Old Testament, this title usually describes a prophet. Here, Malachi applies it to priests, because they were responsible for…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 2:7
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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