Malachi 2:14

Yet 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. YET YE SAY, WHEREFORE? - why does God reject our offerings? BECAUSE THE LORD HATH BEEN WITNESS BETWEEN THEE AND THE WIFE - (so ). OF THE YOUTH. The Jews still marry very young, the husband often being but thirteen years of age, the wife younger (; ). YET IS SHE THY COMPANION, AND THE WIFE OF THY COVENANT - not merely joined to thee by the marriage-covenant generally, but by the covenant between God and Israel, the covenant-people, whereby a...

The Prophet tells us here as before how prone the priests were to make a clamor, and it is a very common thing with hypocrites immediately to set up a shield to cover their vices whenever they are reproved; and hence it appears, that men are in a manner fascinated by Satan, when they attain such hardness as to dare to answer God, and with obstreperous words to repel all warnings. Malachi has several times already used this mode of speaking; we may hence conclude, that the people had become then so hardened that warnings were of no account with them. But he mentions one particular, by which it seems evident that they had lapsed into vices which were not to be borne. There is indeed no doubt but that he points out one of the many vices which prevailed. There is then in this verse an instance of stating one thing for the whole, as though he had said, “Your hypocrisy is extremely gross; but,...

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 Jews put away the wives they had of their own nation, probably to make room for strange wives. They made their lives bitter to them; yet, in the sight of others, they pretend to be tender of them. Consider she is thy wife; thy own; the nearest relation thou hast in the world. The wife is to be looked on, not as a servant, but as a companion to the husband. There is an oath of God between them, which is not to be trifled with. Man and wife should continue to their lives' end, in holy love and peace. Did not God make one, one Eve for one Adam? Yet God could have made another Eve. Wherefore did he make but one woman for one man? It was that the children might be made a seed to serve him. Husbands...

Verse Malachi 2:14. _YE SAY, WHEREFORE?_] Is the Lord angry with us? Because ye have been _witness_ of the _contract_ made between the parties; and when the lawless husband divorced _his wife, the wife of his youth,_ _his companion_, and the _wife_ of his covenant, ye did not execute on him the discipline of the law. They kept their wives till they had _passed their youth_, and then put them away, that they might get _young ones_ in their place....

AND YE SAY, WHEREFORE? - They again act the innocent, or half-ignorant. What had they to do with their wives’ womanly tears? He who knows the hearts of all was Himself the witness between them and the wife of youth of each; her to whom, in the first freshness of life and their young hearts, each had plighted his troth having been entrusted by her with her earthy all. Genesis 31:49. “The Lord,” said even Laban, when parting from his daughters, “watch between me and thee, when we are absent, the one from the other; if thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee.” AND HE DEALT TREACHEROUSLY AGAINST HER - , violating his own faith and her trusting love, which she had given once for all, and could not now retract. “And she i

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 God ordains it and imposes its execution on certain instruments. (For the expression, camp. Leviticus 25:21.) The threat is contained in Malachi 2:2, Malachi 2:3. MALACHI 2:2

YET YE SAY, WHEREFORE?.... What is the meaning of the women covering the altar with tears? as if they knew not what was the reason of it, when they were so notoriously guilty of breach of covenant with them; which is an instance of their impudence, as Abarbinel observes: or, "if ye say, wherefore?" as the Targum and Kimchi interpret the words; should you say, what is the reason why the Lord will not regard nor receive our offerings? the answer is ready, BECAUSE THE LORD HATH BEEN WITNESS BETWEEN THEE AND THE WIFE OF THY YOUTH: when espoused together in their youthful days, the Lord was present at that solemn contract, and saw the obligations they were laid under to each other, and he was called upon by both parties to be a witness of the same; and at the present time he was a witness how agreeably the wives of the Israelites had behaved towards their husbands, and how treacherously they...

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

WHEREFORE? Supply the _Ellipsis:_ "Wherefore [doth He not accept it]? " COMPANION. consort, or mate....