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.
• New International Version (NIV)“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.”
• 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 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 should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8But 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. “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? 11Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of 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“Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces, The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it.
• 1 Samuel 2:30Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
• Proverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.
• Daniel 12:2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
• Micah 3:6“Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them.
• 1 Kings 22:28But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
• Jeremiah 28:15Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:20Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
• Ezekiel 13:12Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”
• Mark 7:13making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
• Luke 20:45Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,
• Malachi 2:8But 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.
• Matthew 5:21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
• Matthew 19:17So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
• Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’
• Mark 7:8For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

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