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.
• 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.”
• 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

7“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. 8But 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. “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.” 10Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another? 11Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship 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 2:3“Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.
• 1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.
• Proverbs 10:7The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.
• Daniel 12:2Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
• Micah 3:6Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.
• 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
• Jeremiah 28:15Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.
• Jeremiah 29:20Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
• Ezekiel 13:12When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
• Mark 7:13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
• Luke 20:45While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,
• Malachi 2:8But 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.
• Matthew 5:21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
• Matthew 19:17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
• Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
• Mark 7:8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

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