Malachi 2:4

Malachi 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Context of Malachi 2:4

2Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. 3I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile. Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.

Malachi 2:4 word by word

וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֚י שִׁלַּ֣חְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את לִֽהְי֤וֹת בְּרִיתִי֙ אֶת־לֵוִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And ye shall knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that I have sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• this commandmentמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• unto you, that my covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• might be with Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 2:4

• 1 Kings 22:25And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”
• Isaiah 26:11O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies.
• Jeremiah 28:9So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”
• Ezekiel 33:33But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”
• Ezekiel 38:23In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
• Luke 10:11‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’
• Isaiah 1:24Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes!
• Isaiah 27:9The Lord did this to purge Israel’s wickedness, to take away all her sin. As a result, all the pagan altars will be crushed to dust. No Asherah pole or pagan shrine will be left standing.
• Ezekiel 20:38I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
• Ezekiel 44:9“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and have not surrendered themselves to the Lord.
• Matthew 3:12He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
• John 15:2He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

Commentaries on Malachi 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4This commandment - That in the first verse; to drive such priests from his presence and his service. That my covenant might be with Levi - I gave the priesthood and the service of my altar to that tribe.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you: - this, which He had just uttered. They who believe not God when threatening, know that He is in earnest and not to be trifled with, through His punishing. “That My covenant might be with Levi.” God willed to punish those who at that time rebelled against Him, that He might spare those who should come after them. He chastened the fathers, who showed their contempt toward Him, that their sons…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4My covenant with Levi: If the Levites dedicated themselves to serving God and gave up their own glory, God would grant them life and peace (Malachi 2:5; compare Numbers 8:5–26; 25:12–13). Their special responsibility was to teach God's instructions (Malachi 2:7).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. ye shall know--by bitter experience of consequences, that it was with this design I admonished you, in order "that My covenant with Levi might be" maintained; that is, that it was for your own good (which would be ensured by your maintaining the Levitical command) I admonished you, that ye should return to your duty [Maurer] (compare Mal 2:5, 6). Malachi's function was that of a reformer, leading back the priests and people to the law (Mal 4:4).Read the comment

Topics related to Malachi 2:4

• Covenant
• Levites

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Lord of Hosts
• Corrupt
• Profane
• Wherein
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Malachi
• 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