Malachi 2

Malachi · Chapter 2

Malachi 2:3

1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.7For 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.8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.9Therefore 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.10Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?11Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.12The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.13And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.15And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.16For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the waste from your feasts, and you will be carried off with it.Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
here Iהִנְנִ֨יhi-NIH2005
look!

הֵן (hen) interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

[am] about to rebukeגֹעֵ֤רgo-'ERH1605
to rebuke

גָּעַר (ga.ar) (Qal) to rebuke, reprove, corrupt

the offspringהַזֶּ֔רַעha-ZE-ra'H2233H
seed

זֶ֫רַע (ze.ra) : seed/sowing 1) seed, sowing, offspring 1a) a sowing 1b) seed 1c) semen virile 1d) offspring, descendants, posterity, children 1e) of moral quality 1e1) a practitioner of righteousness (fig.) 1f) sowing time (by meton)

and I will spreadוְזֵרִ֤יתִיve-ze-RI-tiH2219
to scatter

זָרָה (za.rah) 1) to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to scatter 1a2) to fan, winnow 1b) (Niphal) to be scattered, be dispersed 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to scatter, disperse (intensive of Qal) 1c2) to winnow, sift 1d) (Pual) to be scattered, be spread out

dungפֶ֙רֶשׁ֙fe-reshH6569
refuse

פֶּ֫רֶשׁ (pe.resh) faecal matter, dung, offal

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

faces yourפְּנֵיכֶ֔םpe-nei-KHEMH6440H
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

[the] dung ofפֶּ֖רֶשׁPE-reshH6569
refuse

פֶּ֫רֶשׁ (pe.resh) faecal matter, dung, offal

festivals yourחַגֵּיכֶ֑םcha-gei-KHEMH2282
feast

חַג (chag) 1) festival, feast, festival-gathering, pilgrim-feast 1a) feast 1b) festival sacrifice

and someone will carry awayוְנָשָׂ֥אve-na-SA'H5375H
to lift: raise

נָשָׂא (na.sa) : raise/take_up 1) to lift, bear up, carry, take 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lift, lift up 1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure 1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted 1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up 1b3) to be borne, be carried 1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist 1c2) to desire, long (fig.) 1c3) to carry, bear continuously 1c4) to take, take away 1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity) …

with itאֵלָֽיו׃'e-LAVH0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.