New King James Version
Malachi 1:7
7“You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
Malachi 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
- New International Version (NIV)“By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.
- English Standard Version (ESV)By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the Lord's table may be despised.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.
Context of Malachi 1:7
5Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’ 6“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?’ “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ 8And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts. 9“But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.
Read all of Malachi 1Malachi 1:7 word by word
מַגִּישִׁ֤ים עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙ לֶ֣חֶם מְגֹאָ֔ל וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֕ם שֻׁלְחַ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה נִבְזֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ye offerנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: bringH5066
- pollutedגָּאַלgâ'al · to defileH1351
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- upon mine altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- and ye sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The tableשֻׁלְחָןshûlchân · tableH7979
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- contemptibleבָּזָהbâzâh · to despiseH959
Cross-references for Malachi 1:7
- Leviticus 2:11‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire.
- Leviticus 21:6They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
- Deuteronomy 15:21But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
- Malachi 1:12“But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
- 1 Samuel 2:15Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
- Ezekiel 41:22The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
- 1 Corinthians 11:21For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
Commentaries on Malachi 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Ye offer polluted bread - The priests, probably to ingratiate themselves with the people, took the refuse beasts, etc., and offered them to God; and thus the sacrificial ordinances were rendered contemptible.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Offering polluted bread upon Mine altar - This, continuing on the words, “despisers of My Name,”, is the answer to their question, “Wherein have we despised Thy Name?” “Bread” might stand, in itself, either for the showbread, or for the מנחה minchāh meal-offering, which was the necessary accompaniment of sacrifices and sometimes the whole. But here the “polluted bread” cannot be the showbread, since this was not put upon the altar, but upon its own…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. 7defiled food on my table: Ceremonial uncleanness or contamination made an object or person unfit for worship ceremonies to the Lord. In this case, defilement happened by ignoring the laws about acceptable animal sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–25; Deuteronomy 15:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. ye offer, &c.--God's answer to their challenge (Mal 1:6), "Wherein have we despised?" polluted bread--namely, blemished sacrifices (Mal 1:8, 13, 14; De 15:21). So "the bread of thy God" is used for "sacrifices to God" (Le 21:8). polluted thee--that is, offered to thee "polluted bread." table of the Lord--that is, the altar (Eze 41:22) (not the table of showbread). Just as the sacrificial flesh is called "bread." contemptible--(Mal 1:12, 13). Ye…Read the comment
Topics related to Malachi 1:7
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries