Malachi 2:5

Of life and peace. — Better, life and peace — i.e., by it life and peace were guaranteed to him.

Life in its highest sense.

Peace as the sum total of blessing: the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.” (Galatians 5:22; comp. Note on Zechariah 6:13.)

Them — viz., life and peace.

For the fear... me. — Better, As fear — (i.e., as a motive for the fear of God), and he did fear me. Or, perhaps, a still better interpretation is that which represents God and Levi as each having performed his part of the covenant — God in bestowing “life and peace,” Levi in rendering “fear.” According to this view, the words should be translated, My covenant was with him — viz., life and peace — and I gave them to him; fear, and he feared me, and trembled before My Name.