Malachi 3:10

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

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Malachi 3:10 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
New Living Translation (NLT)
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
The Message Bible (MSG)
10 Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.
American Standard Version (ASV)
10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough [to receive it].
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
10 "Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way," says the LORD of Armies. "See if I won't open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
10 Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way," says the Lord of Hosts. "See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
10 "Bring the entire tenth to the storerooms in my temple. Then there will be plenty of food. Put me to the test," says the Lord. "Then you will see that I will throw open the windows of heaven. I will pour out so many blessings that you will not have enough room for them.

Malachi 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 3:10

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse
Or "treasury" {e}; for there were places in the temple where the tithe was put, and from thence distributed to the priests and Levites, for the support of their families, as they wanted. There were the tithe or tenth part of all eatable things paid to the Levites, and out of this another tithe was paid by the Levites to the priests; and there was another tithe, which some years the owners ate themselves at Jerusalem, and in others gave them to the poor; and these were called the first tithe, the tithe out of the tithe, the second tithe, and the poor's tithe; though they are commonly reduced to three, and are called first, and second, and third, as they are by Maimonides; who says F6,

``after they have separated the first tithe every year, they separate the second tithe, as it is said "thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed" ( Deuteronomy 14:22 Deuteronomy 14:23 ) and in the third year, and in the sixth, they separate the poor's tithe, instead of the second tithe.''
So Tobit says; Tobit 1:7
``the first tithe I gave to the Levites, who stand before the Lord to minister to him, and to bless in his name the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the second tithe I sold (as he might, according to the law in ( Deuteronomy 14:24-26 ) ), and took the money, and went up to Jerusalem, and bought with it what I pleased; and the third tithe I gave to the repair of the temple;''
so Fagius reads: but according to Munster's edition it is, the second and third tithes I gave to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow; see ( Deuteronomy 26:12 Deuteronomy 26:13 ) . It appears from hence that the sin of the people was, that they did not bring in "all" their tithes; they kept back a part of them: wherefore they are called upon to bring in the whole, and which they did in Nehemiah's time; see ( Nehemiah 10:38 ) ( Nehemiah 13:11 Nehemiah 13:13 ) where mention is made of the treasuries for the tithe, which were certain chambers adjoining to the temple; and besides those that were built by Solomon, there were other chambers prepared by Hezekiah in his times, when the tithes were brought in, in such plenty, that there was not room enough for them, ( 2 Chronicles 31:11 2 Chronicles 31:12 ) and besides those in the second temple, that were in the court of the priests, there were others in the court of the people, as L'Empereur thinks F7, where what the others could not contain might be put; and into which court the priests might come; and there were also receptacles underground, as well as upper rooms, where much might be laid up; add to all this, that Dr. Lightfoot
FOOTNOTES:

F8 suggests, that these tithes were treasured up in the chambers by the gates of the temple, and were at least a part of the treasuries of the house of God, which the porters at the gates had the care of, ( 1 Chronicles 9:26 ) ( 26:20 ) and particularly that the house of Asuppim, at which were four porters, was a large piece of building, containing divers rooms for the treasuring up things for the use of the temple; in the Apocrypha:
`` And are resolved to spend the firstfruits of the the tenths of wine and oil, which they had sanctified, and reserved for the priests that serve in Jerusalem before the face of our God; the which things it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands.'' Judith 11:13
that there may be food in mine house;
in the temple, for the sustenance of the priests and Levites: so the Targum,
``the prophet said, bring all the tithes into the treasury, that there may be food for them that minister in the house of my sanctuary:''
and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts;
by bringing in all their tithes; when they would find, by making this experiment or trial, that the curse would be removed from them, and blessings be largely and liberally bestowed upon them by him, who is the Lord of hosts, and so able to perform any promise he makes; and here one is implied, and is as follows: if I will not open you the windows of heaven;
which had been shut and stopped up, and let down no rain upon their land, which brought a scarcity of provisions among them; but now, upon a change in their conduct it is suggested that these windows or floodgates should be opened, and rain let down plentifully upon them, which only could be done by the Lord himself; for the key of rain is one of the three keys, the Jews say F9, which God has reserved for himself, and never puts into the hands of a minister: and pour you out a blessing:
give abundance of rain to make the earth fruitful, and bring forth its increase in great plenty, which is a blessing; and not destroy the earth, and the fruits of it, as in the times of Noah, when the windows of heaven were opened, and a curse was poured out upon the earth: that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it];
and so Kimchi says his father interpreted this clause, that there would not be a sufficiency of vessels F11 and storehouses. Some render the words, as Junius, "so that ye shall not be sufficient"; either to gather in the increase, or to consume it. The Targum is,
``until ye say it is enough;''
and so the Syriac version. The phrase, which is very concise in the original text, and may be literally rendered, "unto not enough" F12, denotes great abundance and fulness of good things, so that there should be enough and to spare; and yet, as Gussetius observes, not enough to answer and express the abundance of mercy and goodness in the heart of God.
F5 (ruwah tyb la) "thesaurum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "[vel] in domum thesauri", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Burkius.
F6 Hilchot Maaser Sheni, c. 1. sect. 1.
F7 Not. in Misn. Middot, c. 2. sect. 6. No. 14.
F8 Prospect of the Temple, c. 5. p. 1058. c. 19. p. 1097.
F9 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 2. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 113. 1.
F11 (yd ylb de) "adeo ut non sint vobis sufficientia vasa", Pagninus, Vatablus. So Burkius.
F12 Eousque ut nunquam sit satis, nempe a parte datoris, Gussetius. So De Dieu.

Malachi 3:10 In-Context

8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.
12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

Cross References 6

  • 1. S Exodus 22:29
  • 2. S Nehemiah 13:12
  • 3. S 2 Kings 7:2
  • 4. Isaiah 44:3
  • 5. S Leviticus 25:21; S Joel 2:14; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11
  • 6. S Joel 2:24
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