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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Malachi 2:13-14

MALACHI—NOTE ON Malachi 2:13 Israel was distressed because God refused to accept their offerings, as evidenced by his not blessing them. Malachi explains that God was acting as a witness against husbands who were unfaithful to their wives. Marriage is not just a contract, a two-way agreement between husband and wife. Instead it is a covenant. Since the LORD was witness to it, marriage is a three-way relationship in which the couple is accountable to God. For this reason, faithfulness in marriage is linked to spiritual well-being. A couple’s relationship must be in good standing, or their prayers will be hindered (compare 1 Peter 3:7). Other OT passages describing marriage as a covenant include Proverbs 2:17; Ezekiel 16:8; and especially Genesis 2:1. There, covenant words and phrases describe a husband’s duty (“leave” and “hold fast”; Genesis 2:24; “this at last is bone of my bones”; Genesis 2:23).

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See also Malachi 2:13-14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Malachi 2:13. _COVERING THE ALTAR OF THE LORD WITH TEARS_] Of the poor women who, being _divorced_ by cruel husbands, come to the priests, and make an appeal to God at the altar; and ye do not s...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND THIS YE HAVE DONE AGAIN - , adding the second sin of cruelty to their wives to the taking foreign women; “they covered the altar of God with tears,” in that they by ill-treatment occasioned their...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    THE REBUKE OF THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS CHAPTER 2:10-17 The priests were corrupt, and with their bad example the people were likewise corrupt. It is the prophet who speaks in verse 10. The One Father was...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    THE REBUKE OF THE PRIESTS CHAPTER 1:6-2:9 The priests, the religious leaders of the people, are described first in their evil ways, and rebuked. But the rebuke includes the entire people, for it is t...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Israel further repudiates Yahweh's love by the common practice of the divorce of native wives (Malachi 2:10; Malachi 2:13) in order to marry foreign women (Malachi 2:11, _cf._ Ezra 9 f.,...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    MALACHI 1:6 TO MALACHI 2:16. ISRAEL'S DISREGARD OF THIS LOVE. This section falls into two parts, one dealing with the priesthood (Malachi 1:6 to Malachi 2:9),

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TEARS... WEEPING... CRYING OUT: i.e. of the wronged wives and children....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Malachi 2:10-16. Rebuke of the People for Heathen Marriages and Divorce The transition from the former section is less abrupt than at first sight it seems to be. The people at large are now addressed...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _again_ Lit. SECOND. The first evil of marrying heathen women was accompanied by a second, the cruel treatment and divorce ("putting-away," Malachi 2:16) of their lawful wives, which is now dealt with...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE PAIN CAUSED BY SIN - MALACHI 2:13-14:_ Malachi wrote, "And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not th...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THIS HAVE YE DONE AGAIN— _This also you have done; you have covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with groanings; so that no respect is now had to your offering, nor is any t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    GOD DESPISES INFIDELITY. Malachi 2:10-16 RV. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And 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...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    2:13 further (i-2) Or 'secondly.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    INSOMUCH THAT HE REGARDETH] better, 'because he regardeth.' The people are regarded as covering the altar with their tears in the intensity of their desire for the favours He is withholding....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    2 The Degeneracy of the Priesthood 1. A reminder to the priests that they are to blame for the laxity denounced in Malachi 1:13; Malachi 1:14. They are responsible for the offering of fit victims, w...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    MY *MESSENGER MALACHI _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ CHAPTER 2 V1 ‘And now, priests, this command is for you. V2 If you do not listen (to me)’ says the *LORD of Everything, ‘then I will send a *curse on you...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (10-17) The prophet now rebukes the two great sins of the nation at this time: (1) marriage with idolatresses; (2) divorce of the first (Israelitish) wife. He introduces this rebuke by a general state...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    The prophet now rebukes the people for their frivolous divorces of their first wives, which was a natural result of their marriage with heathen women. AND THIS... AGAIN. — Or perhaps, _And this a seco...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ זֹאת֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית תַּֽעֲשׂ֔וּ כַּסֹּ֤ות דִּמְעָה֙...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Malachi 2:1; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:1 PROPHECY WITHIN THE LAW "MALACHI" 1-4 BENEATH this title we may gather all the eight sections of the Book of "Malachi." They contain many things of perennial i...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    4. THE CRUELTY OF DIVORCE Malachi 2:10 In his fourth section, upon his countrymen's frequent divorce of their native wives in order to marry into the influential families of their half-heathen neighb...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COVENANT Malachi 2:1-17 As a contrast to the disgraceful attitude which the prophet had described as characteristic of the priesthood, he paints the picture of the noble prie...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In dealing with the priests, he declared their corruption, and indicated the line of their punishment. He charged them with profanity, in that they had despised the name of Jehovah; with sacrilege, in...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And this have ye done again, (r) 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...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _With tears; viz., by occasion of your wives, whom you have put away, and who came to weep and lament before the altar. (Challoner) --- Though divorces were tolerated, (Matthew xix. 6.) the more virtu...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    These are all so many striking expostulations to the same amount; showing the people, that both in their conduct towards each other in relative and social duties, as well as in their reverence to the...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Lectures on the Minor Prophets. W. Kelly. The Lord has not been pleased to give us much express information of the prophets in general, with the exception of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, and in a me...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The Prophet amplifies again the fault of the priests, because the people, when they perceived that God was adverse to them, found no means of pacifying him. And when men have an idea that God is inexo...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 4. The prophecy of Malachi deals with the people brought back from the captivity of Babylon, and is most important as shewing the moral condition of...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THIS HAVE YE DONE AGAIN,.... Or "in the second" b place; to their rejection and ill treatment of Christ they added their hypocritical prayers and tears, as follows: COVERING THE ALTAR OF THE LORD...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And 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 you...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved_ As if he had said, “This sin,” says Lowth, “implies the profanation of God's holy people, which he set apart for his own worship and servi...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And this have ye done again, as the second transgression which the Lord found it necessary to rebuke, COVERING THE ALTAR OF THE LORD WITH TEARS, WITH WEEPING, AND WITH CRYING OUT, namely, by causing t...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AGAINST DIVORCES AND MARRIAGES WITH HEATHEN WIVES...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-17 Corrupt practices are the fruit of corrupt principles; and he who is false to his God, will not be true to his fellow mortals. In contempt of the marriage covenant, which God instituted, the Je...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THIS HAVE YE DONE AGAIN; beside that first fault, you have committed another, you slight, misuse, and afflict your Jewish wives, whom alone you should have loved and cherished, but you make them drudg...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Malachi 2:13 thing H8145 do H6213 (H8799) cover H3680 (H8763) altar H4196 LORD H3068 tears H1832 weeping...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YHWH'S CAUSE AGAINST THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ACCUSE HIM OF NOT HEEDING THEIR PRAYERS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIVORCED THEIR FIRST WIVES (MALACHI 2:13). He also points out that while the people profess t...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The message to the priests concerning their sins. The evils among the people. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Malachi. CONCLUSION: Woe to those appointed to be God's mouth to the people, but...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Malachi 2:1. _Oh ye priests if ye will not hear the Lord will send a curse upon you._ Sins in the sanctuary are always put among the most grievous sins. Eli's sons lost the ark, the Hebrew priests fil...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Between thee and the wife of thy youth._ MARRIAGE I. As a social compact. “She is thy wife,” here is the peculiarity of the relation. It is the fountain of humanity in its perpetuation, and the sour...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _That My covenant might be with Levi._ THE MINISTER OF DIVINE TRUTH I. As he always should be. 1. A man divinely called. 2. A man of profound reverence. 3. A man of moral truthfulness. 4. A man...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES. Malachi 2:10.] A fresh section, “the condemnation of marriages with heathen women (Malachi 2:10), and of the frivolous dissolution of marriages with Israelitish women, which was the na...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MALACHI 2:1 _§ 4. For these derelictions of duty the priests are threatened with punishment._ MALACHI 2:1 THIS COMMANDMENT. The threat or announcement is called a commandment, because Go...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now He addresses Himself to the priests. And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. And if you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 1:10; 1 Samuel 1:9; 2 Samuel 13:19; 2 Samuel 13:20;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    VITAL QUESTIONS Malachi 1:1; Malachi 2:1; Malachi 3:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS The Book of Malachi presents questions asked by God. In response, instead of a direct answer, the chosen people, Israel, ask...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And this — Beside that first fault, you have committed another, you misuse, and afflict your Jewish wives, whom alone you should have cherished. With tears — Your despised wives fly to the temple, wee...

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