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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The oracle of the word of Yahweh, unto Israel,–by the hand of Malachi. |
The burden – Containing not only a divine rebuke for sin, but also a divine promise for rescue. R4930:3
Serving a double purpose--to reprove and stimulate the people of that time and, more importantly, to give a general lesson applicable ever since. R3683:2
While more or less applicable at the time and to the people addressed, it was evidently intended specially for the Gospel Church. R2542:3
Word of the LORD – The last message sent by Jehovah to Israel. B249
By Malachi – "Messenger of Jehovah." R3683:2, R1537:3
The last of the Hebrew prophets. R1537:3
Malachi. the prophet, spoke for and represented Jehovah to the Israelites. R3683:1
Malachi uttered the words of his prophecy during the period of Nehemiah's absence from Jerusalem at the court of Persia. R3683:1, R2540:2, R2534:1, R4930:3
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| 2 I have loved you, saith Yahweh, and yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Is not Esau, brother, to Jacob? enquireth Yahweh, Yet have I loved Jacob, |
Yet ye say – The needed reformation fits equally well to our day. R4930:3
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| 3 And, Esau, have I hated,–and made his mountains a desolation, and his inheritance [a dwelling] for the jackals of the wilderness. |
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| 4 Whereas Edom, may say, We are laid waste, but we will again build the desolate places, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, They, may build, but, I, will pull down,–and men shall call them, The Boundary of Lawlessness, and, The people with whom Yahweh hath indignation unto times age-abiding; |
Whereas Edom – Christendom. D15
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| 5 And, your own eyes, shall see,–and, ye yourselves, shall say, Yahweh, be magnified, beyond the boundary of Israel. |
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| 6 A son, will honour a father, and, a servant, his lord,–If then, a father, I am, where is mine honour? And, if, a lord, I am, where is my reverence? saith Yahweh of hosts–to you, ye priests, who despise my Name, and yet say, Wherein have we despised thy Name? |
Son honoureth his father – Such love and reverence should be the greater toward God in proportion as God is great above all others. R2540:3
If they claimed God as their Father, they should render to him the love of children. R2540:3
Disrespect and disobedience to parents fosters proportionate disrespect to God and irreverence in holy things. R2540:6
Because of superior educational opportunities, children today are inclined toward self-confidence and self-satisfaction, and feelings of disrespect toward their parents. R2540:6
A servant his master – If they claimed to be God's servants, they should render to him servant's reverence. R2540:3
Ye say, Wherein – Presupposing that the majority does not realize how completely the spirit of selfishness dominates their hearts. R2540:6
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| 7 In bringing near upon mine altar, polluted food, while yet ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? Because ye say, As for the table of Yahweh, a thing to be despised, it is; |
Ye offer – You Jews, in the days of Nehemiah's absence. R2534:1
Contemptible – Common--they had become careless respecting the things offered unto the Lord. R2541:1
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| 8 And when ye bring near the blind as a sacrifice, [saying]–No harm! or when ye bring near the lame or the sick [saying]–No harm! Offer it, I pray you, unto thy pasha, Will he accept thee? or lift up thy countenance? saith Yahweh of hosts. |
Ye offer the blind – And not the unblemished fatling. R2534:2
The spiritual Israelite offers the fruit of his lips in prayer and praise; but if in a perfunctory manner as a duty and not from his heart, they are blind, sick and lame offerings, which the Lord despises. R2541:1
So with some in spiritual Israel; they have consecrated but they have lost the spirit of devotion. R2541:1
Ye offer the lame – As Christendom, with an outward show of reverence, observes Lenten seasons as duty, not prompted by the spirit of love. R2542:6
Unto thy governor – Using, for illustration, the custom of that time of entreating an earthly governor for a favor by bringing a gift. R2541:1
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| 9 Now, therefore, pacify, I pray you, the face of GOD, that he may grant us favour,–at your hands, hath this come to pass, Will he lift up the countenances, of any of you? saith Yahweh of hosts. |
Hath been by your means – Consider what kind of present you have brought to him. R2541:2
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| 10 Who is there, even among you, that will shut the doors, so as not to set light to mine altar, for nothing? I can take no pleasure in you, saith Yahweh of hosts, and, your present, can I not accept at your hand. |
Who is there – "O, that there were someone." (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
Shut the doors – Lock up the doors of the sanctuary. (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
For nought – Omit these words. R2541:2
Neither do ye – "That ye might not." (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
Altar for nought – From the Lord's standpoint, merely formalistic religion may just as well be abandoned entirely. R2541:2
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| 11 For, from the rising of the sun, even unto the going in thereof, great is my Name among the nations, and, in every place, incense, is offered to my Name, and a pure present,–for great is my Name among the nations, saith Yahweh of hosts.
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Shall be – The Common Version, "shall be," in the future tense, is correct; and not "is," in the present tense, as the Revised Version. R3874:2
"Is," in Revised Version, meaning God's name was great at the time of the writing of the prophecy. We have evidence that other nations, even those in idolatry, had a reverence for Jehovah--the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:7,8; 6); Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:37); Darius (Dan. 6:26, 27); Cyrus (Ezra 1:2) and Balaam (Num. 24). R2541:3
Among the Gentiles – As well as among the Jews. A69
Incense – This word is from the same root as the name Keturah. PT379:1*
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| 12 But ye are profaning me,–in that ye say, As for the table of the Lord, polluted it is, and, as for his produce, contemptible is his food. |
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| 13 And ye have said, Lo! what a weariness! And ye have snuffed at Me, saith Yahweh of hosts, and have brought in the torn and the lame and the sick, thus have ye brought the present,–Could I accept it at your hand? saith Yahweh. |
Ye said also – Distorting the truth, for the truth had to be the means of giving acceptability to the counterfeit. R358:5*
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| 14 But accursed is he that defraudeth, who, when there is in his flock a male, yet voweth and sacrificeth a corrupt thing to the Lord, for, a great king, am I, saith Yahweh of hosts, and, my Name, is revered among the nations. |
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