Malachi 1:9

And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. AND NOW, I PRAY YOU, BESEECH GOD THAT HE WILL BE GRACIOUS UNTO US - ironical. Think you that God will be persuaded by such polluted gifts to be gracious to you? Far from it. THIS HATH BEEN BY YOUR MEANS - literally, from your hand. These contemptible offerings are your doing, as being the priests, mediating between God and the people. WILL HE REGARD YOUR PERSONS? SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS - and, think you, will God pay any regard to you? (cf. ; , the end.) "Accept thy person" ('face'), , answers to "regard your persons,...

He wounds here the priests more grievously, — because they had so degenerated as to be wholly unworthy of their honorable office and title; “Go,” he says, “and _entreat the face of God_. ” All this is ironical; for interpreters are much mistaken who think that the Prophet here exhorts the priests humbly to ask pardon from God, both for themselves and for the people. On the contrary, he addresses them, as I have said, ironically, while telling them to be intercessors and mediators between God and the people; and yet they were profane men, who on their part polluted the whole worship of God, and thus subverted the whole of religion: go thou and _entreat_, he says, _the face of God_. This duty, we know, was enjoined on the priests; they were to draw nigh to the sanctuary and present themselves before God as though they were advocates pleading the cause of the people, or at least intercessor...

6-14 We may each charge upon ourselves what is here charged upon the priests. Our relation to God, as our Father and Master, strongly obliges us to fear and honour him. But they were so scornful that they derided reproof. Sinners ruin themselves by trying to baffle their convictions. Those who live in careless neglect of holy ordinances, who attend on them without reverence, and go from them under no concern, in effect say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. They despised God's name in what they did. It is evident that these understood not the meaning of the sacrifices, as shadowing forth the unblemished Lamb of God; they grudged the expense, thinking all thrown away which did not turn to their profit. If we worship God ignorantly, and without understanding, we bring the blind for sacrifice; if we do it carelessly, if we are cold, dull, and dead in it, we bring the sick; if we rest...

Verse Malachi 1:9. _BESEECH GOD_] There were evident marks of God's displeasure in the land, and it was occasioned by these pollutions through the priests. And now he exhorts _them_ to pray to God that they may be pardoned: for, if this practice be persisted in, God will not accept any offering made by them....

AND NOW ENTREAT, I PRAY YOU, GOD o THAT HE WILL BE GRACIOUS UNTO YOU - This is not a call to repentance, for he assumes that God would not accept them. It is rather irony; “go now, seek the favor of God, as ye would not that of your governor.” “From your hand,” not from your fathers, not from aliens, “hath this been: will He accept persons from you?” The unusual construction seems to imply a difference of meaning; as if he would say, that it consisted not with the justice of God, that He should be an “accepter of persons,” (which He declares that He is not) which yet He would be, were He to accept them, while acting thus....

EXPOSITION VERSE 1:1-2:9 Part I. REPROOF OF THE PRIESTS FOR NEGLECT OF DIVINE SERVICE. MALACHI 1:1 § 1_. Heading and author. _THE BURDEN (Zechariah 9:1; Zechariah 12:1; see note on Nahum 1:1). The word of the Lord is heavy and full of threats, but, as St. Jerome notes, it is also consolatory, because it is not "against" but to Israel. By this name the whole covenanted nation is designated, here, perhaps, wi

AND NOW, I PRAY YOU, BESEECH GOD THAT HE WILL BE GRACIOUS UNTO US,.... These are the words of the prophet to the priests; and are spoken either seriously, exhorting them to that part of their office which lay in interceding for the people that God would be gracious to them, and forgive their sins; and the rather, inasmuch as they had been the means of their sin, and accessary to it, who ought to have reproved them for bringing such offerings, and should have refused to offer them for them; or otherwise, if they did not do this, they could not expect that God would accept their persons, and their offerings: or else ironically, now you have offered such sacrifices to the Lord, as the blind, the lame, and sick, go and intercede for the people; pray that their sins may be forgiven them, and that the curse may be removed from them, and see how you will succeed: THIS HATH BEEN BY YOUR MEANS;...

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 true, “like priests like people.” The Lord called Israel to be His firstborn son, and therefore, nationally, He is their Father. He is the Lord, and Israel called to be His servant. But they had not honored Him, as a son should honor the father by obedience; they did not fear Him, but despised His Name. This charge brought forth from the side of the priests another brazen statement, the result of their hypocritical self-righteousness. They answered back, demanding proof of the charge by saying, “Wherein have we despised Thy Name?” They seemed to be hardened in their consciences, though they kept up outward appearances. Such, too, is the religious condition in much of Christendom. Another char...

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), the other with the people (Malachi 2:10). Yahweh has not received the honour due to a father from a son, or to a master from a servant. The priests (note the sudden application, Malachi 1:6) have brought His service into contempt by offering polluted bread (an archaic expression for sacrificial flesh) upon His altar. They bring

I PRAY YOU, &C. Figure of speech _Irony_. App-6. GOD. Hebrew. _El_. THIS HATH BEEN. this hath come to pass. BY YOUR MEANS. at your hands. REGARD. accept....