Malachi 2:8

Malachi 2:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)But 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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But 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,
• New Living Translation (NLT)But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Context of Malachi 2:8

6The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. 7“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. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of hosts. 9“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.” 10Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers?

Malachi 2:8 word by word

וְאַתֶּם֙ סַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ הִכְשַׁלְתֶּ֥ם רַבִּ֖ים בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה שִֽׁחַתֶּם֙ בְּרִ֣ית הַלֵּוִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But ye are departedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• out of the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• ye have caused manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• to stumbleכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• at the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• ye have corruptedשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 2:8

• Psalms 18:21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
• Psalms 119:102I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.
• Isaiah 30:11Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.”
• Isaiah 59:13In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
• Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.
• Ezekiel 44:10“And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.
• Daniel 9:5we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
• Hebrews 3:12Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
• Malachi 2:9“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.”
• 1 Samuel 2:17Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
• Isaiah 9:16For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.
• Jeremiah 18:15“Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and not on a highway,
• Jeremiah 23:11“For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the Lord.
• Matthew 15:2“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
• Luke 11:45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
• Romans 2:19and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

Commentaries on Malachi 2:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8But ye are departed out of the way - Ye are become impure yourselves, and ye have led others into iniquity.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8But ye - oare departed out of the way “of knowledge, truth, equity, fear of God, which I appointed to Aaron and the Levites.” “Ye have caused many to stumble at the law.” He does not simply say, “in the law,” but “at” it. The law was what they stumbled at. They did not only misunderstand the law, through the false teaching of the priests, as though it allowed things which in truth were sins (although this too); itself was their source of stumbling. As…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9Malachi’s second message confirms the Lord as God and father of Israel. God alone deserves true worship. The first part (Malachi 1:6–14) shows how the Israelites dishonored God despite his fatherly care and great power. The second part (Malachi 2:1–9) warns the priests of Judah against sacrificing sick and defective animals and criticizes them for not teaching God’s instructions (2:6–8).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 2:8

• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Lord of Hosts
• Corrupt
• Malachi
• Profane
• Wherein
• Priests and Levites

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