Malachias 1:9

9 And now intreat the face of your God, and make supplication to him. These things have been done by your hands; shall I accept you? saith the Lord Almighty.

Malachias 1:9 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 1:9

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;
that such sacrifices were offered up; they indulged the people in such practices, and encouraged them; the fault was theirs; or this curse, as Kimchi explains it, from ( Malachi 1:14 ) : will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts;
can you ever imagine that God will have any respect to your persons or prayers, when you have acted so vile a part, and been the cause of so much sin and evil? no, he will not, as is asserted in the following verse ( Malachi 1:10 ) .

Malachias 1:9 In-Context

7 In that ye bring to mine altar polluted bread; and ye said, Wherein have ye polluted it? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and that which was set thereon ye have despised.

8 For if ye bring a blind for sacrifices, not evil? and if ye bring the lame or the sick, not evil? offer it now to thy ruler, if he will receive thee, if he will accept thy person, saith the Lord Almighty.

9 And now intreat the face of your God, and make supplication to him. These things have been done by your hands; shall I accept you? saith the Lord Almighty.

10 Because even among you the doors shall be shut, and will not kindle mine altar for nothing, I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands.

11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down my name has been glorified among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Almighty.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. propitiate.