New Living Translation
Malachi 2:9
9“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.”
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 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.”
Context of Malachi 2:9
7“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8But 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. “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.” 10Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors? 11Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.
Read all of Malachi 2Malachi 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 2:3I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.
- 1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.
- Proverbs 10:7We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
- Daniel 12:2Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
- Micah 3:6Now the night will close around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, putting an end to your predictions. The sun will set for you prophets, and your day will come to an end.
- 1 Kings 22:28But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”
- Jeremiah 28:15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.
- Jeremiah 29:20Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon.
- Ezekiel 13:12And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’
- Mark 7:13And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
- Luke 20:45Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said,
- Malachi 2:8But 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.
- Matthew 5:21“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
- Matthew 19:17“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
- Matthew 23:16“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
- Mark 7:8For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
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
In the dictionaries
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
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