Malachi 1:12

12 "But you treat my name as if it were not holy. You say my altar is 'unclean.' And you look down on its food.

Malachi 1:12 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 1:12

But ye have profaned it
That is, the name of the Lord, which they are said to despise, ( Malachi 1:6 ) and pollute, ( Malachi 1:7 ) and is a reason why they and their offerings were rejected: and that they profaned the name of the Lord appears by this, in that ye say, The table of the Lord [is] polluted:
the same with "contemptible", ( Malachi 1:7 ) as Kimchi observes; (See Gill on Malachi 1:7): and the fruit thereof, [even] his meat is contemptible;
the word for fruit F15 sometimes is used for speech, the fruit of the lips, ( Isaiah 57:19 ) and taken in this sense here, as it is by some, may be understood either of the word of God, which commanded such and such sacrifices to be offered up upon the altar, and was despised, so Abarbinel: or the word of the priests, who were continually saying that what was offered up on the altar was contemptible, even the food which they ate of; so Jarchi and Kimchi. "Fruit" and "meat" seem to signify one and the same thing, and design the fruit and meat of the altar; either that which belonged to the Lord, the fat and the blood, which were offered to him, and were reckoned contemptible; or that which fell to the share of the priests, which they thought mean and worthless. Cocceius interprets this of Christ the Branch of the Lord, and fruit of the earth, ( Isaiah 4:2 ) whose meat it was to do the will of him that sent him, and was despised and rejected by the Jews; and which was the reason of God's casting them off, and taking in the Gentiles.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (wbyn) "et verbum ejus", Pagninus, Munster; "sermo ejus, [vel] eorum", Vatablus; so Ben Melech.

Malachi 1:12 In-Context

10 "You might as well shut the temple doors! Then you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you," says the Lord. "I will not accept any of the offerings you bring.
11 "My name will be great among the nations. They will worship me from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be brought to me. That is because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord.
12 "But you treat my name as if it were not holy. You say my altar is 'unclean.' And you look down on its food.
13 You say, 'What a heavy load our work is!' And you turn your nose up as if you hate working for me," says the LORD who rules over all. "You bring animals that have been hurt. Or you bring disabled or sick animals. Then you dare to offer them to me as sacrifices! Should I accept them from you?" says the Lord.
14 "Suppose you have a male sheep or goat that does not have any flaws. And you promise to offer it to me. But then you sacrifice an animal that has flaws. When you do that, you cheat me. And anyone who cheats me is under my curse. After all, I am a great king," says the LORD who rules over all. "The other nations have respect for my name. So why don't you respect it?
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