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Maleachi 1:11
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Maleachi 1:11 Meaning and Commentary
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of
the same
From east to west, which is all habitable; not so north and south, as Kimchi observes, the extremes of which are not habitable. Abarbinel thinks that (m) in (xrzmm) is causal; and that the sense is, because of the motion of the sun in rising and setting, the Gentiles acknowledge God to be the first mover and cause of all things; and who, though they worship the host of heaven, yet ultimately direct their worship to the supreme Being, the Cause of causes; and supposes this to be a reproof of the priests, who might have learnt better even of the very Heathens; but the former is to the true sense, which declares the large extent of true spiritual worship in the Gentile world:
my name [shall be] great among the Gentiles;
through the preaching of the Gospel, attended with the spirit and power of God to the conversion of many; whereby he himself is made known, and the perfections of his nature, and his several names, and particularly that of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus; who, as such, is called upon, and greatness and glory are ascribed unto him for the gift of his Son, and the mission of him into the world, to be the Saviour of Gentiles as well as of Jews:
and in every place incense [shall be] offered unto my name;
some Jewish writers understand this of Israelites, the disciples of the wise men, studying in the law, and putting up their evening prayers to God, in every place where they live among the Gentiles; which are as acceptable to God as if they offered incense, and a pure offering; this way goes Jarchi, to which agrees the Targum; and this sense is given in the Talmud F14, and other writings of theirs; but Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, interpret it of the Gentiles, though in different ways, and foreign from the sense of the text; which is, that not in Jerusalem the worship of God should be as formerly, but in all places in the Gentile world, and where particularly prayer should be made to God; see ( John 4:20 John 4:21 John 4:23 ) ( 1 Timothy 2:8 ) comparable to incense for its fervency, fragrancy, and gratefulness, ( Psalms 141:2 ) ( Revelation 8:3 Revelation 8:4 ) :
and a pure offering;
meaning either the Gentiles themselves, their souls and bodies, ( Isaiah 66:20 ) ( Psalms 51:17 ) ( Romans 12:1 ) or their sacrifices of praise, good works, and alms deeds ( Hebrews 13:15 Hebrews 13:16 ) which, though imperfect, and not free from sin, may be said to be "pure", proceeding from a pure heart, sprinkled by the blood of Christ, and offered in a pure and spiritual manner, and through the pure incense of Christ's mediation:
for my name [shall be] great among; the heathen, saith the Lord of
hosts;
which is repeated for the certainty of it.
F14 T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 110. 1. Tanchuma apud Abarbinel in loc.