Malachi 2:7

Malachi 2:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)“For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“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.

Context of Malachi 2:7

5“My covenant was with him for life and shalom, and I gave them to him for reverence. So he revered Me, and he was awestruck by My Name. 6Instruction of truth was in his mouth. Injustice was not found on his lips. In shalom and uprightness he walked with Me, and he turned many from iniquity. For a kohen’s lips should guard knowledge, and instruction must be sought from his mouth. For he is a messenger of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 8But you have turned from the way. You caused many to stumble in Torah by the instruction, You corrupted the covenant of the Levites,” —says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 9“So I also have made you despised and lowly to all the people, because you are not keeping My ways but show favoritism in Torah.”

Malachi 2:7 word by word

כִּֽי־שִׂפְתֵ֤י כֹהֵן֙ יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַ֔עַת וְתוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the priest’sכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
• should keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• and they should seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• at his mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• the messengerמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 2:7

• Leviticus 10:11And you are to teach Bnei-Yisrael all the statutes which Adonai has spoken to them through Moses.”
• Deuteronomy 17:8“Suppose a matter arises that is too hard for you to judge—over bloodshed, legal claims or assault—matters of controversy within your gates. Then you should go up to the place Adonai your God chooses,
• Deuteronomy 21:5The kohanim, the sons of Levi, will come forward—for Adonai your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His Name, and by their mouth every dispute and assault is to be settled.
• Deuteronomy 24:8“Take care in the plague of tza'arat—be very careful to do all that the Levitical kohanim instruct you, just as I commanded them, so you are to take care to do.
• 2 Chronicles 17:8With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-adonijah and with them Elishama and Jehoram the kohanim.
• 2 Chronicles 30:22Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who demonstrated good understanding of the service of Adonai. For seven days they ate their assigned portions while sacrificing peace offerings and praising Adonai, the God of their fathers.
• Ezra 7:10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Torah of Adonai, to observe and to teach its statues and ordinances in Israel.
• Nehemiah 8:2Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard. This happened on the first day of the seventh month.
• Jeremiah 15:19Therefore thus says Adonai: “If you return, I will restore you, you will stand before Me. If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will be as My mouth. Let them turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
• Jeremiah 18:18Then they said: “Come, let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely Torah from the kohen will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor will the word from the prophet. Come, let’s strike at him with the tongue, and pay no attention to any of his words.”
• Haggai 2:11“Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘Ask now the kohanim for a ruling.
• 2 Timothy 2:24The Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, tolerant.
• Malachi 3:1“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Suddenly He will come to His Temple —the Lord whom you seek— and the Messenger of the covenant —the One whom you desire— behold, He is coming,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Isaiah 42:19Who is blind, but My Servant? Or deaf as My Messenger that I send? Who is so blind as the one in covenant with Me, blind as Adonai’s Servant?
• Isaiah 44:26while confirming the word of His servant, fulfilling the counsel of His messengers, saying of Jerusalem, “She will be lived in” and of the cities of Judah, “They will be built, and I will raise up their ruins,”
• Haggai 1:13Then Haggai, the messenger of Adonai, spoke to the people with the message of Adonai, “I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai.

Commentaries on Malachi 2:7

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For the priest‘s lips should keep knowledge - o“He assigns the reason for what he had just said, the law of truth was in his mouth; they had done what it was their duty to do; as in Ecclesiasticus it is said of Aaron (Titus 1:9, exhort by sound doctrine and to convince gainsayers.‘ Wherefore Ambrose calls the Bible, which contains the law of God, the book of priests,‘ as specially belonging to them, to be specially studied by them. Jerome notes that he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The priests had been trusted with God’s sacred teaching, as given in the law of Moses. As teachers, they were responsible for guarding God’s covenant (his binding promises) with Israel (Deuteronomy 33:9–10). messenger (Hebrew mal’ak): This word may intentionally echo the name Malachi (Hebrew mal’aki, meaning “my messenger”). In the Old Testament, this title usually describes a prophet. Here, Malachi applies it to priests, because they were responsible for…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 2:7

• Knowledge
• Levites
• Messenger
• Minister, Christian
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Angel
• Corrupt
• Priest
• Profane
• Wherein
• Angels of the Seven Churches
• Intercession
• Malachi
• Messenger

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